BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 13

BOOKS OF THE DAY

THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES DILKE. (II). Tho volumes contain many striking character sketches of monarchs, statesmen, politicians, and famous men generally. Gladstone, of course, frequently crops up in Dilke's diaries and loiters. JDilkCj it is clear, had no great belief in the G.O.M.'s sincerity, at least as regards his democratic professions. To progressive Radicals like .Dilko and Chamberlain—the earlier Chamberlain—thero was little to choose between Gladstone and Disraeli. Some l of the references to the G.O.M. are rather amusing. Of a dinner in 1880 Dilko writes:— The first man to come was t]ie Duke of Cambridge, who gave Mr. Gladstone his left hand, and said that his right was too painful through gout. Mr. Gladstone threw his arms up to the sky as though he had just heard of the reception of Lord Beaconslield in Heaven or of some other similar terrible news. His habit of play-acting in this fashion—in the interest of a supposed politenesses a very odd one, giving a great air of unreality to everything he does, but, of course, it is a habit of long years. Another transcript gives a curious study in contrasts. It was in 1882, the year of Arabi's rebellion: Lato at night there came the news that Arabi had turned the salt water from the I>ike into the great fresh-wator canal, I had to go to inform Mr. Gladstone and Childers in their roonia. Their replies were full of character, Mr. Gladstone dramatically shivqred -rand said with a grimace, "What a wicked wretch!" Childers.'said, "How (•lever!" Dilke was never much of a clubman, and refused to take membership of the Athenaeum, as he was entitled to do ou entering the Cabinet. . But lie accepted membership of the exclusive analamous dining club, GriUion's, when Lord Salisbury him. Grillioa's is strictly a non-party club, prominent men of both the Tory and Liberal parties meeting at dinnors in friendly social intercourse. Miss Tuckwell writes:— He spoke often of Grillion's which he habitually frequented and much enjoyed. He told of its formation in 1812, of old members he had known, of its effect in socially harmonising men bitterly opposed in politics. Ht told the story of Mr. G. (Gladstone) dining there by accident alone, and entering himself in the club books as having drunk a bottle of sherry and a bottle of champagub Evidently Mr. Gladstone could, on occasion, when away from Mrs. G.. for instance, "do himself' very-well," as a latter-day colloquialism would put it. Asked what was the finest conversation .ho had ever listened to, Dilke*replied: "In Boston, at Lowell's breakfast table. The-company included Lowell, Wendell Holmes, Longfellow, Agassiz, and Asa Gray." Dilke was not himself given to joking, but lie, often notes tho bons mots jokes of other people. On one occasion he quoted wh«vt was said to. be '" .Napoleon's only •joke. In opening negotiations with tlic British Government,, lie found it to be demanded as a preliminary that, as a matter of principle and without, prejudice, he should formally recognise the Bourbon rights. "Most certainly," said Bonaparte, "if, also as a matter of principle and without' prejudice, the British Government, would formally recognisc the Stuart rights. He was, as stated above, one of the first to support an entente cordiale with France. As to the Third French Republio, lie believed in its durability "while peace lasts." "War," he said, "may bring a temporary Dictatorship, but the Republic will, of necessity, revive again. The immense body of Frenchmen are opposed unalterably to a monarchy." A reference to Sir George Groy will be interesting to New Zealanders. Mis,- Tuckwell says: "Ho more than once, sang the praises of Sir George Grey, honoured in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand; statesman, aristocrat, Radical, creator of the Australian Labour Party, terror of our Colonial Office at Home, one of tho few men who have done great things by themselves."

the son of a bnokman, and himself, in his younger days, a constant contributor to the .Athenaeum, his acquaintance with English literature, says Miss Tuekwell, was intermittent. "He muter-valued Scott, disliked Macnulay. admired Napier, admired Wordsworth lie condemned as "peurile" ; hut "of Keats lie was immeasurably fond." Thackeray ho "loved." "Vanity Fair," he says, "delighted mo, and 'Esmond' was obviously a work of great art: tho giant charmed me as a boy." But Dickens is dismissed "as a sea-captain with a taste for melodrama, and as the author of 'Pickwick.' " In old aero, however, he found "real beauty and charm" in "David Copperfield." Mill ho worshipped for a time—and Carlylo he despised. "perhaps," he says, "too much." He was a great admirer of old French literature, "his feeling for Charles D'Orlenns and his contemporaries stopped little short of idolatry." Ho read "all Balzac," and to Dumas, especially to the D'Artagnan stories, he returned again and ao-iun with "ov»r new delight." It was, liowever, in the study of political history, foreign and domestic, during the last two centuries that ho took the deepest interest. Miss Tuckwell says:— A query as to the French Revolution, the Napoleonic rivnaFlios, the Vienna Congress, the South African or FrancoPrussian War, or the developments 111 India, Canada, Ejvnt. would draw forth a stream of marshalled, lucid information which it was indeed a privilege to hear. llis favourite rccreation was fencing, in which art he equalled many professional maitres d'escrime, a second passion being sculling, in which he indulged at an age when most old oarsmen would sarcely think of getting into a boat. He was passionately fond of good music and good pictures. Mentally active to the very t;nd, Dillte was essentially all his life what the French call un hoinme d'affaires. His industry in working up a subject was untiring, and I am specially sorry that space limits do not allow of reference to his conncction with the advanced labour movement. The "Lifo" of this great Englishman must, be accounted a work of prcat historical vnlue. It is ore which ro student of British political historv in particular can afford to disregard. Pome interostiwr portraits and other illustrations in nhoto'Tavuv ore a welcome feature. (N.Z. price, 425.) 111 mcdical and sciontific circles groat interest will 110 doubt attach to the forthcoming publication of tho "Lifo of Lord Lister," which has been written by his nephew, Sir Ricltman Goldie. The work is based upon Lord Lister's diaries and correspondence, and will contain notes by several of his friends, notably Sir Hector Cameron, who supplies interesting information regardiug tho origin of the antiseptic system jti tho parly Glasgow days,