Part 30 (2/2)
Poee Wyndhaton Symonds
Conversations Miss Ponsonby
This is what I wrote for the first number:
”PERSONS AND POLITICS
”In Politics the co, and that eneration produces, equal or unequal to the accomplishment of them
”This is aso much as to be led They have no opinions of their own, and, half fro to leave the responsibility to any stronger person It is the personality of the ives influence to his ideas while he lives, and causes him to be remembered after both he and his work are dead From the time of Moses doards, history abounds in such examples In the present century Napoleon and Gladstone have perhaps impressed themselves ree, Disraeli and Parnell
The greatest e and associated thelory only in so far as they have contributed to it But in these days the nise such a man: under e, as to the lory he can in his own personality
”The Code Napoleon rereat achieveenius Never was so vast a fabric so quickly created and so quickly dissolved The ht and removed, the bewitched French world returned to itself; and the fae of France were asthunder Dead as are the results of Bonaparte's measures and actions, no one would question the pere in the dullest brain; and a all historical celebrities he is the one whom most of us would like to havedistorted the public judge at the present political moment, admirably illustrates the power of personality Its irant of Holand Its swollen proportions are wholly due to the passionate personal feelings which Mr Gladstone alone a statehts are nearly acts,' as soe when most men would be wheeled into the chimney-corner, he is at the head of a precarious h force to compel its undivided support
”Mr Chas froularly free froe of his mind is narrow, but up to its horizon the whole is illuht The absoluteness of his convictions is never shaded or softened by any play of iht It is not in virtue of any exceptionally fine or attractive quality, either of intellect or of character, that Mr Chath of will, directness of purpose, an aggressive and contagious belief in hi individuality--made him what he is On the other hand, culture, intellectual versatility, sound and practised judg in delicate and even dangerous situations, did not suffice in the case of Mr Matthews to redees of a diffuse and ineffective personality
”In a different way, Mr Goschen's remarkable endowments are neutralised by the saenuity, but he can neither initiate nor propel; an intrepid debater in council and in action, he is prey to an invincible indecision
”If the fortunes of a Government depend not so much on its measures as upon the character of the men who compose it, the new Ministry starts with every chance of success
”Lord Rosebery is one of our few statesnised by the public, both at hoenius, is a person Sir W
Harcourt, the most brilliant and witty of them all, is, perhaps, note and tenacity; but an over-delicacy of nervous organisation and a certain lack of ani a leader of men
”It is premature to criticise the new members of the Cabinet, of whom the most conspicuous is Mr Asquith Beyond and above his abilities and eloquence, there is in him much quiet force and a certain vein of scornful austerity His supreme conteht take him far
”The future will not disclose its secrets, but personality still governs the world, and the avenue is open to the man, wherever he may be found, who can control and will not be controlled by fashi+ons of opinion and the shi+fting moveood, but I put it in this autobiography merely as a political prophecy
To be ih a common combination--is a bad one I am not tempted to be imitative except, I hope, in the better sense of the word, but I regret to own that I am not very influenceable either
Jowett (the Master of Balliol in 1888-1889), my doctor, Sir John Williams (of Aberystwyth), my son Anthony and old Lady Wemyss (the mother of the present Earl) had more influence over me than any other individuals in the world
The late Countess of We a character-part She told htened people, which distressed her As I a it over, I was convinced that it was because she had a hard nut to crack within herself: she possessed a jealous, passionate, youthful teuished and rather stern accueil, a low, slow utterance and terrifying sincerity She was the kind of person I had drea and never knew that God had made She once told me that I was the best friend man, woman or child could ever have After this wonderful compliment, we formed a deep attachment, which lasted until her death She had a unique power of devotion and fundamental humbleness I kept every letter she ever wrote tothere for over nine years--and had not a roof to cover our heads, our new friends came to the rescue I must add thatin the country Lady Crewe[Footnote: The Marchioness of Crewe]--young enough to be hter, and a woman of rare honesty of purpose and clearness of head--took our son Cyril in at Crewe House Lady Granard[Footnote: The Countess of Granard] put up my husband; Mrs Cavendish- Bentinck--Lady Granard's aunt and one of God's own--befriended e Keppel[Footnote: The Hon Mrs
Keppel] always large-hearted and kind--gave me a whole floor of her house in Grosvenor Street to live in, for as many months as I liked, and Mrs McKenna [Footnote: Mrs McKenna, the daughter of Lady Jekyll, and niece of Lady Horner] took in my son Anthony No one has had such wonderful friends as I have had, but no one has suffered s and how little power to love many people possess
Few men and wo to their dignity to own that they are in the wrong I never get over my amazement at this kind of self-value, it passes all my comprehension It is vanity and this fundamental lack of humbleness that is the bed-rock of nearly every quarrel
It was through my beloved Lady We in 1888, after the e marble hall at Gosford
[Footnote: Gosford is the Earl of Weh and North Berwick] I generally wore an accordion skirt at tea, as Lord We the piano and I was i in and out of the chairs, when, in the act of ht yot up, a loud ”daup:
”You are a clergyman and I am afraid I have shocked you!”
”Not at all,” he replied ”I hope you will go on; I like your dancing extre the family afterwards if the parson whose presence I had failed to notice was their minister at Aberlady I then learnt that he was the famous Dr Benja how o back to the events in Oxford which gave his and caused hi