The Progress of the World. 



127 



that was worth saving. He stoutly nuiiiitaiiK'd that 

 human beings were only a superior kind of apes, and 

 that they were foolish apes at that. He said he never 

 stood up before an audience and looked into the faces 

 of the fellows who were cheering him without feeling 

 in his heart : " You silly fools, why come here and 

 listen to my nonsense? Much better go to the 

 nearest pub. and have a good pot of beer ! " If 

 Labouchere's nature had not been corroded through 

 and through with this cynical contempt for himself 

 and his species, he might have gone far and done 

 much better work than he was ever able to accom- 

 plish. He was a good-hearted man, of kindly dis- 

 position, and one who in his time did me many a 

 good turn. For the last few years he retired from 

 I'arliamcnt and spent his years in Florence. There 

 was in him an clement of Puck, which rendered him 

 a very dangerous person to deal with in high 

 politics, as both Mr. Parnell and Mr. Gladstone 

 discovered to their cost. 



I have not taken much notice of 

 The ibe more recent illustrations of the 



Medical Hinterland, tyrannical intoleration which domi- 

 nates the I'lritish Medical Asso- 

 ciation, although some of their decisions as to what 

 (, constitutes infamous conduct were monstrous enouj^h 



1'= 



ti) liavc been placed in |>ulilic pillory ; hui it is a 

 pleasanler task to notice signs of grace which seem 

 to indicate that even in the hearts of Gog and Magog, 

 the great journalistic custodians of the medical 

 hinterland, there may be a beginning of repentance. 

 Of course, these signs of grace manifest themselves 

 in characteristic fashion, but it would be too much 

 to ask (Jog, when penitent, to clothe himself in sack- 

 cloth and ashes ; rather would he prink himself up in 

 his gaudiest armour and profess that, so far from having 

 been the enemy of research in the hinterland, he had 

 always been its leading advocate. On January loth 

 the British Medical Journal has a leading article 

 concerning bone-setting, in which, solemnly lifting up 

 its eyes to heaven, it reproves those wicked " doctors 

 who look upon such things as outside their province 

 because they regard unqualified practice as in itself 

 sufficient to damn whatever it touches. This 

 attitude is unscientific, and does not tend to 

 increase the respect with which the profession" is 

 held by the public." A Daniel come to judgment 

 indeed ! Is Gog then truly on his way to the penitent 

 form ? It may be so ; but before we kill the fatted 

 calf for Gog we should like to see him bring forth 

 more fruits meet for repentance. 



Pkclograph */J t"'. o'"/ D. Dmvnry. 



The late Duke of Fife, 



Who dial al .\«on.ui on J.iimary 211. 



