xxYii AT HOME AND ABROAD 25 



honest and ignoble in political life. He would 

 point those who thought so, to Mr. Gladstone's 

 career — ^his noble and stately speeches, full of 

 righteous vehemence against everything which 

 seemed to him wrong or unjust, and yet without 

 bitterness — courteous, gentle, and even generous 

 towards his opponents personally. 



" One of the greatest dangers of civilisation, 

 one of the greatest blots on human nature, was 

 the jealousy and ill-feeling between different 

 nations, and one of the noblest services which Mr. 

 Gladstone had rendered to his countrymen, and 

 he might say to the civilised world, had been by 

 promoting the settlement of international differ- 

 ences by the rational and Christian method of 

 arbitration, rather than by the cruel and barbar- 

 ous chance of war. He was glad that the address 

 referred also to Mrs. Gladstone. She had de- 

 votedly helped her husband in all his labours ; 

 and he hoped that they might both long live to 

 enjoy the repose they had so well earned, and to 

 enrich our literature from the stores of wisdom 

 and experience which Mr. Gladstone had accumu- 

 lated during his long and remarkable career." ^ 



Mr. Gladstone sent the following personal note 

 in reply to the address, on its presentation : 



Brighton, March 24th, /94. 



Dear Sir John Lubbock — I have just been putting 

 on paper in a letter to the Secretary my thanks for the 

 Address from the City of London Liberal Association. 



I cannot feel that my duty is fully accomplished 

 without saying how sensible I am of the kindness shown 

 me by the mover and seconder. 



And to you in particular my acknowledgments are 



> Daily News, March 16, 1894. 



