give Disraeli over him. I would defend myself XII. by quoting what was no doubt Lord Salisbury's ultimate view on the Disraelian

of '67 :

betrayal

"His [Disraeli's] mind did not work that way. The English nation would lose none of its essential characteristics because this or that set of men were not admitted to the polling - booth. Its natural leaders would still remain its natural leaders; and it had always been his contention that the extent and limitation of their authority must depend in the main on their own conduct, and certainly would not be affected by any numerical changes in the machinery incidental to representative institutions."

Such changes might tell in favour of one party or the other—in this case probably the Conservative one; principle was not involved at all. So thought Disraeli, brooding over a century or

two.

But Lord Salisbury was thinking about nothing of the sort. He stood for certain definite midVictorian ideas-property and aristocracy versus the mob. "The rich would pay all the taxes and the poor would make all the laws." He had a right perhaps to expect that the rich Whigs and the country squires would stand behind him. But, looking back now down the vista of over half a century, we see that in the broad view Disraeli's judgment was secular and Lord Salisbury's morality the fashion or interest of a day. Disraeli's view has been justified by the event, because he saw deeper into the nature of the people. Romance triumphed over logic, and for

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XII.

this reason the elder statesman was the greater intelligence. Perhaps if the two men met and discussed the matter in the Elysian fields the argument would be brisk, but the conclusion, I think, would be the same.

XIII

THE LATE SIR SAMUEL EVANS

SAMUEL EVANS was born in 1859. He was, and was proud to be, of humble origin. Through many difficulties he made his way to the Middle Temple, by which Society he was called to the Bar in 1891. He was granted the Patent of Queen's Counsel after little less than ten years' practice at the Bar. He became a Bencher and Trustee of the Middle Temple in 1908, and in the same year was made SolicitorGeneral, holding that office until the year 1910, when he became President of the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division. He was greatly assisted in his career by the unswerving fidelity shown to him by a stalwart Liberal constituency, the Mid-Division of Glamorganshire, which he represented in Parliament from the year 1890 to 1910.

Such in the briefest outline was the career of a very remarkable man. Its record of achievement was distinguished, but if anything it lagged behind the measure of his real powers: or it would at least have appeared so to those who knew him best had not the Great War afforded him an opportunity so singular.

XIII.

XIII

Samuel Evans began his legal career, as many an aspiring young Welshman had done before him, in what is conventionally but not disrespectfully called the lower branch of the legal profession. But he was ambitious and discerned no kingdom worth the conquering in the small legal activities of a provincial centre. And so, saving what he could, he decided to take the venture which many had dared before him, and entered upon his studies for the Bar. The indulgence of the Inns of Court has rendered the transition very easy in all but its financial aspect. Evans as a young man was merry, humorous, convivial, and sociable. He retained these qualities and added to them until the period of his last illness, and I remember his describing to me in glowing language the new world which was opened to him by the social and legal camaraderie of the Middle Temple. To the day of his death he was a devoted member of this Society. He never became Treasurer of it, for one hardly can unless length of days beyond the ordinary span is conceded. But he lunched there every day when his Court was sitting; and on occasions when its hospitable doors were thrown open to guests he was the life and soul of every company.

His career at the Bar and in Parliament began almost simultaneously. In the House of Commons he did not enjoy at first equality of opportunity with his contemporaries. Work at the Bar came, indeed, but it was for some time trivial, unremunerative, and tiresome, involving constant journeys to Welsh County Courts. None the

less it became recognised gradually, but quite XIII. plainly, that the obscure practitioner climbing laboriously at so low a rung of the professional ladder was a Parliamentarian of very unusual gifts. I am not here concerned with this aspect, remarkable as it was, of his career, and, therefore, all that I propose to say under this head may be said in this place. He was in debate humorous, resourceful, well-informed, and indomitable. For many years he and the present Prime Minister bore the burden and won the principal glory of the unofficial opposition to the Unionist Party. Nor was it found easy as between the two men, for the years I have in my mind, to decide which was destined to the greater Parliamentary career. Had Evans been in a position to devote himself to that hard taskmistress, politics, it would have been difficult to rule out any prospect, however dazzling, as the goal of his ambition. Nor were his gifts confined to the purposes of opposition. He was Solicitor-General for three years during a tempestuous period in domestic politics. Many most difficult Parliamentary tasks were placed upon him. He was equal, and more than equal, to them all. He was always resourceful, always imperturbable, always the master of his subject, and always light in hand. I have not known in the sixteen years in which I have been in Parliament a Law Officer whom, were I Prime Minister, I should more confidently appoint to confront a period of parliamentary storm.

His professional advancement hardly marched equally with his political fortunes. It is true that he acquired and rapidly acquired, a busy