X KEEPERS OF THE HERD OF SWINE 391 



the matter to the appreciation of those of our 

 countrymen, happily not yet the minority, who 

 believe that the first condition of enduring liberty 

 is obedience to the law of the land. 



The end of the month drawing nigh, I thought 

 it well to send away the manuscript of the fore- 

 going pages yesterday, leaving open, in my own 

 mind, the possibility of adding a succinct charac- 

 terisation of Mr. Gladstone's controversial methods 

 as illustrated therein. This morning, however, I 

 had the pleasure of reading a speech which I 

 think must satisfy the requirements of the most 

 fastidious of controversial artists ; and there occurs 

 in it so concise, yet so complete, a delineation of 

 Mr. Gladstone's way of dealing with disputed 

 questions of another kind, that no poor effort of 

 mine could better it as a description of the aspect 

 which his treatment of scientific, historical, and 

 critical questions presents to me. 



The smallest examination would have told a man of his capa- 

 city and of his experience that he was uttering the grossest 

 exaggerations, that he was basing arguments upon the slightest 

 hypotheses, and that his discussions only had to be critically 

 examined by the most careless critic in order to show their 

 intrinsic hollowness. 



Those who have followed me through this paper 

 will hardly dispute the justice of this judgment, 

 severe as it is. But the Chief Secretary for 



