" DARKEST ENGLAND " SCHEME 293 



The ''Times;' Jamiary Srd, 1891 



Sir, — In my old favourite, " The Arabian 

 Nights/' the motive of the whole series of delight- 

 ful narratives is that the sultan, who refuses to 

 attend to reason, can be got to listen to a story. 

 May I try whether Cardinal Manning is to be 

 reached in the same way ? When I was attend- 

 ing the meeting of the British Association in 

 Belfast nearly forty years ago, I had promised to 

 breakfast with the eminent scholar Dr. Hincks. 

 Having been up very late the previous night, I 

 was behind time; so, hailing an outside car, I said 

 to the driver as I jumped on, " Now drive fast, I 

 am in a hurry." Whereupon he whipped up his 

 horse and set off at a hand-gallop. Nearly jerked 

 off my seat, I shouted, " My good friend, do you 

 know where I want to go ? " " No, yer honner," 

 said the driver, " but, any way, I am driving fast." 

 I have never forgotten this object-lesson in the 

 dangers of ill-regulated enthusiasm. We are all in- 

 vited to jump on to the Salvation Army car, which 

 Mr. Booth is undoubtedly driving very fast. Some 

 of us have a firm conviction, not only that he is 

 taking a very different direction from that in 

 which we wish to go, but that, before long, car 

 and driver will come to grief Are we to accept 



