IOI2 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



December 1, Idli 



amusing phenomenon in a strange and 

 amusing universe. It would never have 

 occurred to him that because the prophet 

 was sincere he was right. That was a 

 matter for reason. He once observed 

 to Mr. Thorold, in his whimsical way, 

 of a colleague, that the mere denial of 

 the existence of God did not entitle a 

 man's opinion to be taken without 

 scrutiny on matters of greater import- 

 ance. 



Mr. Labouchere was a Radical and a 

 Rebel, and having an ample supply of 

 money and no respect for the opinions 

 of other people, there was nothing to 

 deter him from the fullest expression of 

 his opinions. 



That Henry Labouchere was not a 

 typical Englishman is patent, and the 

 description of his ancestry which Mr. 

 Thorold gives explains the reason. His 

 Huguenot grandfather was sent, at the 

 age of thirteen, to learn his uncle's busi- 

 ness at Nantes, and later entered the 

 house of Hope at Amsterdam as French 

 clerk. The story of the clever ruse by 

 which Pierre Cesar Labouchere won the 

 hand of his bride and a partnership is 

 well known. Being sent by Mr. John 

 Hope to England to see Sir Francis 

 Baring on business, he fell in love with 

 Sir Francis's daughter Dorothy. Be- 

 fore returning he asked Sir Francis to 

 allow an engagement, and was refused. 

 Pierre Cesar then asked if it would make 

 any difference if he were to become Mr. 

 Hope's partner. Sir Francis admitted 

 that it would Pierre Cesar then went 

 back to Holland" and suggested to Mr. 

 Hope that he might be taken into part- 

 nership. Mr. Hope did not accede, and 

 was asked whether it would make any 

 difference if he were engaged to the 

 daughter of Sir Francis Baring". Mr. 

 Hope replied, "Certainly!" whereupon 

 Pierre Cesar said, " Well ! I am engaged 

 to Miss Dorothy Baring . . ." and 

 was able to write at once to Sir Francis 

 announcing the news of his admission 

 to partnership in the house of Hope and 

 to claim the hand of his bride. 



A great deal more of the history of 

 Pierre Cesar Labouchere is given by Mr. 

 Thorold. His son Henry took a first 

 class for Classics at Orford, and after- 

 wards became Lord Taunton. . Henry 



Labouchere's father was the second son, 

 John, and people who knew the family 

 but slightly supposed that the young 

 Henry was the son of Lord Taunton, 

 which mistake gave the young wit the 

 opportunity of making one of his best- 

 known repartees. On one occasion a 

 gentleman to whom Henry was intro- 

 duced for the first time opened the con- 

 versation by remarking : " I have just 

 heard your father make an admirable 

 speech in the House of Lords." " House 

 of Lords!" replied Mr. Labouchere as- 

 suming an air of intense interest ; " well, 

 I alw^ays have wondered where father 

 went to when he died !" 



There are many stories of his school 

 days, but in none of them does he appear 

 to have devoted much time to study. 

 In 1850 he went up to Trinity, but left 

 after two years, and Mr. Thorold tells 

 here why he left before taking a degree. 

 In short, he was accused by one of the 

 examiners of cribbing during an ex- 

 amination. He denied it, and, indignant 

 at being disbelieved, and not troubling 

 that his conduct had been so peculiar 

 that he had laid himself open to such a 

 charge, and that his career as an atten- 

 dant at horse-races and as a gambler 

 would not impress the authorities 

 favourably, he had a paper printed,, 

 signed it, and sent it to the various Uni- 

 versity Officers, imputing unfair con- 

 duct to Mr. Barnard Smith, a Pro-proc- 

 tor. It is small wonder that he was sent 

 down as being guilty of conduct in- 

 jurious to the character and discipline 

 of the University. 



His father decided to send hiin abroad 

 with a tutor, who, however, connived at 

 his attendance at public gaming tables. 

 On their return to England, it was ar- 

 ranged he should make a trip to South 

 America, and there he gambled and 

 betted, and got into all sorts of trouble. 

 From South America he went to Mexico, 

 and, though having a surprisingly small 

 sum in his jjossession, he wandered for 

 eighteen months all over the country. 

 A year or two later his people got for 

 him an appointment as Attache at 

 Washington, and here he formed the 

 habit of attending almost nightly at a 

 circus, and when the lady who attracted 

 him left with the troupe he bamboozled 



