my memories of eighty years-第52章

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stone　that　there　should　be　no　American　bishops　present。

At　another　time；　upon　arriving　at　my　hotel　in　London　from　New　York；　I　found　a　note　from　Lord　Rosebery　saying　that　Mr。　Gladstone　was　dining　with　Lady　Rosebery　and　himself　that　evening；　and　there　would　be　no　other　guests；　and　inviting　me　to　come。　　I　arrived　early　and　found　Mr。　Gladstone　already　there。　　While　the　custom　in　London　society　then　was　for　the　guests　to　be　late；　Mr。　Gladstone　was　always　from　fifteen　minutes　to　half　an　hour　in　advance　of　the　time　set　by　his　invitation。　　He　greeted　me　with　great　cordiality；　and　at　once　what　were　known　as　the　Gladstone　tentacles　were　fastened　on　me　for　information。　　It　was　a　peculiarity　with　the　grand　old　man　that　he　extracted　from　a　stranger　practically　all　the　man　knew；　and　the　information　was　immediately　assimilated　in　his　wonderful　mind。　　He　became　undoubtedly　the　best…informed　man　on　more　subjects　than　anybody　in　the　world。

Mr。　Gladstone　said　to　me：　　〃It　has　been　raining　here　for　forty　days。　What　is　the　average　rainfall　in　the　United　States　and　in　New　York？〃　If　there　was　any　subject　about　which　I　knew　less　than　another；　it　was　the　meteorological　conditions　in　America。　　He　then　continued　with　great　glee：　　〃Our　friend；　Lord　Rosebery；　has　everything　and　knows　everything；　so　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　for　him　something　new。　　Great　books　are　common；　but　I　have　succeeded　in　my　explorations　among　antiquarian　shops　in　discovering　the　most　idiotic　book　that　ever　was　written。　　It　was　by　an　old　lord　mayor　of　London；　who　filled　a　volume　with　his　experiences　in　an　excursion　on　the　Thames；　which　is　the　daily　experience　of　every　Englishman。〃　To　the　disappointment　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　Lord　Rosebery　also　had　that　book。　　The　evening　was　a　memorable　one　for　me。

After　a　most　charming　time　and　dinner；　while　Lord　Rosebery　went　off　to　meet　an　engagement　to　speak　at　a　meeting　of　colonial　representatives；　Lady　Rosebery　took　Mr。　Gladstone　and　myself　to　the　opera　at　Covent　Garden。　　There　was　a　critical　debate　on　in　the　House　of　Commons；　and　the　whips　were　running　in　to　inform　him　of　the　progress　of　the　battle　and　to　get　instructions　from　the　great　leader。

During　the　entr'actes　Mr。　Gladstone　most　interestingly　talked　of　his　sixty　years'　experience　of　the　opera。　　He　knew　all　the　great　operas　of　that　period；　and　criticised　with　wonderful　skill　the　composers　and　their　characteristics。　　He　gave　a　word　picture　of　all　the　great　artists　who　had　appeared　on　the　English　stage　and　the　merits　and　demerits　of　each。　　A　stranger　listening　to　him　would　have　said　that　a　veteran　musical　critic；　who　had　devoted　his　life　to　that　and　nothing　else；　was　reminiscing。　　He　said　that　thirty　years　before　the　manager　of　Covent　Garden　had　raised　the　pitch；　that　this　had　become　so　difficult　that　most　of　the　artists；　to　reach　it；　used　the　tremolo；　and　that　the　tremolo　had　taken　away　from　him　the　exquisite　pleasure　which　he　formerly　had　in　listening　to　an　opera。

Mr。　Gladstone　was　at　that　time　the　unquestionable　master　of　the　House　of　Commons　and　its　foremost　orator。　　I　unfortunately　never　heard　him　at　his　best；　but　whether　the　question　was　of　greater　or　lesser　importance；　the　appearance　of　Mr。　Gladstone　at　once　lifted　it　above　ordinary　discussion　to　high　debate。

Mr。　Gladstone　asked　many　questions　about　large　fortunes　in　the　United　States；　was　curious　about　the　methods　of　their　accumulation；　and　whether　they　survived　in　succeeding　generations。　　He　wanted　to　know　all　about　the　reputed　richest　man　among　them。　　I　told　him　I　did　not　know　the　amount　of　his　wealth；　but　that　it　was　at　least　one　hundred　millions　of　dollars。

〃How　invested？〃　he　asked。

I　answered：　　〃All　in　fluid　securities　which　could　be　turned　into　cash　in　a　short　time。〃

He　became　excited　at　that　and　said：　　〃Such　a　man　is　dangerous　not　only　to　his　own　country　but　to　the　world。　　With　that　amount　of　ready　money　he　could　upset　the　exchanges　and　paralyze　the　borrowing　power　of　nations。〃

〃But；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　enormous　fortunes；〃　and　mentioned　the　Duke　of　Westminster。

〃I　know　every　pound　of　Westminster's　wealth；〃　he　said。　　〃It　is　in　lands　which　he　cannot　sell；　and　burdened　with　settlements　of　generations　and　obligations　which　cannot　be　avoided。〃

〃How　about　the　Rothschilds？〃　I　asked。

〃Their　fortunes；〃　he　answered；　〃are　divided　among　the　firms　in　London；　Paris；　Vienna；　and　Frankfort；　and　it　would　be　impossible　for　them　to　be　combined　and　used　to　unsettle　the　markets　of　the　world。　　But　Mr。　…　could　do　this　and　prevent　governments　from　meeting　their　obligations。〃

Mr。　Gladstone　had　no　hostility　to　great　fortunes；　however　large；　unless　so　invested　as　to　be　immediately　available　by　a　single　man　for　speculation。　　But　fortunes　larger　than　that　of　one　hundred　millions　have　since　been　acquired；　and　their　management　is　so　conservative　that　they　are　brakes　and　safeguards　against　unreasoning　panics。　　The　majority　of　them　have　been　used　for　public　benefit。　The　most　conspicuous　instances　are　the　Rockefeller　Foundation；　the　Carnegie　Endowment；　and　the　Frick　Creation。

Henry　Labouchere　told　me　a　delightful　story　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　first　meeting　with　Robert　T。　Lincoln；　when　he　arrived　in　London　as　American　minister。　　Mr。　Lincoln　became　in　a　short　time　after　his　arrival　one　of　the　most　popular　of　the　distinguished　list　of　American　representatives　to　Great　Britain。　　He　was　especially　noted　for　the　charm　of　his　conversation。　　Labouchere　said　that　Mr。　Gladstone　told　him　that　he　was　very　anxious　to　meet　Mr。　Lincoln；　both　because　he　was　the　new　minister　from　the　United　States　and　because　of　his　great　father；　President　Lincoln。　　Labouchere　arranged　for　a　dinner　at　his　house；　which　was　an　hour　in　the　country　from　Mr。　Gladstone's　city　residence。　　Mrs。　Gladstone　made　Mr。　Labouchere　promise；　as　a　condition　for　permitting　her　husband　to　go；　that　Mr。　Gladstone　should　be　back　inside　of　his　home　at　ten　o'clock。

The　dinner　had　no　sooner　started　than　some　question　arose　which　not　only　interested　but　excited　Mr。　Gladstone。　　He　at　once　entered　upon　an　eloquent　monologue　on　the　subject。　　There　was　no　possibility　of　interruption　by　any　one；　and　Mr。　Lincoln　had　no　chance　whatever　to　interpose　a　remark。　　When　the　clock　was　nearing　eleven　Labouchere　interrupted　this　torrent　of　talk　by　saying：　　〃Mr。　Gladstone；　it　is　now　eleven；　it　is　an　hour's　ride　to　London；　and　I　promised　Mrs。　Gladstone　to　have　you　back　at　ten。〃　　When　they　were　seated　in　the　carriage　Labouchere　said　to　Mr。　Gladstone：　　〃Well；　you　have　passed　an　evening　with　Mr。　Lincoln；　what　do　you　think　of　him？〃　He　replied：　　〃Mr。　Lincoln　is　a　charming　personality；　but　he　does　not　seem　to　have　much　conversation。〃

Among　the　very　able　men　whom　I　met　in　London　was　Joseph　Chamberlain。　When　I　first　met　him　he　was　one　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　trusted　lieutenants。　　He　was　a　capital　speaker；　a　close　and　incisive　debater；　and　a　shrewd　politician。　　When　he　broke　with　Mr。　Gladstone；　he　retained　his　hold　on　his　constituency　and　continued　to　be　a　leader　in　the　opposite　party。

Mr。　Chamberlain　told　me　that　in　a　critical　debate　in　the　House　of　Commons；　when　the　government　was　in　danger；　Mr。　Gladstone；　who　alone　could　save　the　situation；　suddenly　disappeared。　　Every　known　resort　of　his　was　searched　to　find　him。　　Mr。　Chamberlain；　recollecting　Mr。　Gladstone's　interest　in　a　certain　subject；　drove　to　the　house　of　the　lady　whose　authority　on　that　subject　Mr。　Gladstone　highly　respected。　　He　found　him　submitting　to　the　lady　for　her　criticism　and　correction　some　of　Watts's　hymns；　which　he　had　translated　into　Italian。

The　British　Government　sent　Mr。　Chamberlain　to　America；　and　he　had　many　public　receptions　given　him　by　our　mercantile　and　other　bodies。　　On　account　of　his　separating　from　Mr。　Gladstone　on　Home　Rule；　he　met　with　a　great　deal　of　hostility　here　from　the　Irish。　I　was　present　at　a　public　dinner　where　the　interruptions　and　hostile　demonstrations　were　very　pronounced。　　But　Mr。　Chamberlain　won　his　audience　by　his　skill　and　fighting　qualities。

I　gave　him　a　dinner　at　my　house　and　had　a　number　of　representative　men　to　meet　him。　　He　made　the　occasion　exceedingly　interesting　by　presenting　views　of　domestic　conditions　in　England　and　international　ones　with　this　country；　which　were　quite　new　to　us。

Mr。　Ch