PRIME MINISTERS AND THEIR RACE-HORSES 



Derby married Miss Farren ; and it was said that 

 from his step-grandmother young Stanley caught 

 the grace and force of style which were the orna- 

 ments of his oratory in later years. The boy 

 acquired his first taste for racing from his grand- 

 father, as by his side he strolled through the 

 paddocks and studied the stock of Sir Peter. 



Derby spent thirteen years in high office and 

 four years as Prime Minister. He had been bred 

 to the orthodox school of Whiggism. Goldsmith 

 told Boswell that he took his religion from the 

 priest as he took his coat from the tailor, and 

 young Stanley received his political principles from 

 his party in much the same fashion. It was the 

 creed which registered the experience of certain 

 noble families and claimed Holland House as the 

 centre of political wisdom and the Edinburgh Review 

 as its prophet. In these days it is difficult to 

 appreciate the schemes of an aristocratic junto 

 for ever engaged in framing a comfortable middle- 

 class creed and in turning the prejudices of dissenters 

 and tradesmen to the best political account. Their 

 belief was in compromise, and in their ability to 

 conciliate democracy. The school has perished, 

 and Liberalism, its successor, with its pompous 

 dullness and affectation of high principle, is now 

 gasping in articulo mortis. Stanley, as Chief 

 Secretary for Ireland, left the Whig Government 

 in 1834 01^ the question of the Irish Church, and, 

 thereafter, laid a heavy hand on his old friends. 

 Perhaps they felt they were well rid of him, for 

 the indiscretions of his speeches created a host of 

 enemies. The type of Member produced by the 

 Reform Act loathed his aristocratic insolence and 



31 



