76 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 





quite as a matter of course, a neat box containing 

 a pair of duelling pistols ready for use. 



I may add that a special meeting of the Union 

 was forthwith called, for which it was obviously 

 necessary to provide an exceptionally strong but 

 neutral President. A man known as " First Trinity " 

 Young (I forget his Christian name), who died in 

 early life or he might have highly distinguished 

 himself, was selected for the purpose, and he exe- 

 cuted admirably his most difficult task. It gave me 

 a lesson in administration. He began with a brief 

 but emphatic request for cordial support from both 

 sides, adding that every question had more than one 

 aspect. Humorous but apt remarks were thrown out 

 by him now and then. An equally patient hearing 

 was given to all parties, and a few occasional inter- 

 ruptions were firmly repressed. The meeting parted 

 with its members much more disposed towards 

 working relations than before ; so the extremity of 

 the crisis was passed. 



Its consequence was, however, the constitution of 

 an opposition society, called the " Historical," in which 

 more attention should be paid to decorum and to the 

 amenities of debate than had latterly been customary 

 in the Union. About sixty members joined it, and, 

 partly because I was then living out of College in a 

 house where there was a possible meeting room, I 

 was asked to preside, which I did. My old friend 

 Dr. H. Holden (1823-1896), with whom I was 

 speaking some few years ago of this very incident, 

 assured me that among the active members of the 

 " Historical" was Stanley, afterwards the i5th Earl 

 of Derby (1826-1893). He entered the University 



