802 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. _ [1887, 
glad to see, Lord Acton,— middle-aged, of high 
scholarship and admirable taste, who fought a long 
and losing battle against the superstitious tendencies 
of his (Roman Catholic) church; and after lunch I 
had a pleasant conversation with him; was glad to 
find he was one of the new D. C. L. crew at Oxford, 
where I again saw something of him. He has been 
in the United States when only a baronet. 
At the Oxford Christ Church dinner I was placed 
at the high table, only two away from the Dean’s 
left, the two Dr. Jellett, provost of Trinity College, 
Dublin (who was doctored), and the bishop of Gi- 
braltar. On my left was Talbot, the warden of Keble 
College (the very high church one), and I know little 
of what I ate or drank, for we had a steady stream of 
conversation on high topics, treated with immense 
frankness on both sides. Dr. Jellett made the return- 
thanks speech for all four of the new-made Doctors 
present, — himself, Story, Dr. Wright, Arabic. pro- 
fessor at Cambridge, and myself, a speech full of Irish 
humor. That was arranged to be all. But the lower 
tables somehow knew by instinet what Story wanted, 
and called him out. He made a rather funny speech. 
Then Liddon had to move thanks to the president of 
the feast, the Dean (Liddell), and a capital speech he 
made, even to my apprehension. I saw that there was 
a good deal between the lines in what he was saying, 
but did not know the half of it till I was told after- 
wards. Paget, my host, was opposite me. Prestwich, 
whom I had not before got sight of, was next him. It 
was a long affair, but very pleasant to me. 
Next morning was the call on Professor Bartholo- 
mew Price and wife, in a charming old house, meeting 
Tylor and Maspero; then we went to the Museum, 
