Evening journal., 1888-07-25

time Next year, while only IS, he became
Marquis of Salisbury, his elder brother hay-
ing died without issue. Now came his o;)-
portunity and this is how he used it.
He might have settled down to the life OF
a country squire with literary tastes. Ills
home, Hatfield house, is a glorious place;
every brick of 1t has its historical attrac.
ton. II is only twenty miles out of London.
The railway depot opens right on to the beau-
tiful gates Of the park The house is a noble
Elizabethan mansion, itsred bricks mellowed
by the centuries into an exquisite contrast
harmony with the grass and foliage and the
lake and the gravel paths Just three hun
dred years ago Queen Elizabeth paid visit
Of compliment to her prime minister named.
Lord Robert Cecil, in this house at Hatfield.
and last summer Queen Victoria paid a special
visit to her prime minister, Robert Cecil,
Marquis of Salisbury, in the self Same old
mansion. And the event was remarkable on
its own account, apart from the historic
recollection, because tho queen never visits
her friends, except for convenience when in
their heighborhood on public business. To
visit a few would cause Jealousy, and to visit
all is impossible.
When he settled down in this magnificent
home Lord Salisbury was able to afford the
qualification Of several hobbies First Of
these was his love Of chemical science. He
fitted up in that old Elizabethan mansion
one Of the most extensive and expensive Ia
boratories, and there the premier patiently
plods over his experiments and investigations
for the sheer love of the thing. II he were to
blow tho house up the loss would be national
in Importance, but he is too old a hand at his
work.
More striking still in the way Of contrast
between tho newest modern discoveries and
the ancient home was Lord Salisbury's intro
duction Of the electric light into Hatfield
house. This, strange to say, was the first
private English mansion lit with electricity,
and yet Lord Salisbury has been represented
as a stupid old aristocrat, impervious TO mod.
ern ideas and averse to all progress. He
superintendent the installation himself, and
made a good many improvements and modi
fcations. / remember ono Of his engineers
being killed by touching the wires running
along the garden wall. Lord Salisbury al
once altered tho arrangement and provided
for the man s family If good Queen Bes,
were to revisit her room in Hatfield house to
day, she would fancy it to be bathed in tn,
premier's namesalle gave her ghost an Object
lesson in the shocking effects Of the Edisor
light.
The profound scholarship Of Lord Sails
bury, as separate frcsn his mere Journalists
capacity, is sufficiently attssted by tho fac
that he had been the chancellor Of 'oxfor,
university since 1869, and is b. c. H., be
sides bearing various other substantial de
| grees. The greatest scat of learaiag in tn
kingdom does not lightly entrust its highes
interests to, nor confer its highest honor upon
a man famous merely for rank or ordinar
accomplishments. Tho more politician woul
not have won that signal distinction. Tn
head Of that great university must himsel
be great in intellectual capacity and achieve
ments, and no one has ever challenged the fl
nessof Lord Salisbury.for this post Of honoi
Ono prime factor in his election has bee
his high q workmanship. Here we view hi
in another of his various distinct aspect
Oxford is the nursery of the church, an
when it possessed Mr.. Gladstone as its repr
sentative in the house Of commons it W,
proud of his immense intellectual powe
Of his fervid high Guardianship, and
his loyalty 70 tho church. When Gladstol
placed himself at the head of the Radica
and talked Of disestablishing the Iri
church, Oxford withdrew its confidence, al
can never forget the scene when he offer
himself as Radical candidate for Mancheste
the first words Of his first speech being the
Here I am, unmuzzled" The frant
cheers Of welcome must have lasted ten mi
l utes at least -
{ And now let US sec the premier at hon
{ Said to be gloomy, austere, contemptuous
outsiders and too proud TO associate with
fellows how does he behave in private Iii
Here l simply speak what l know. His
! meanor is that Of proud man, it is that
8 one who breads lest those near him shot
Y bore him with driveling small talk
q In appearance he is the ideal aristocr
tail, strongly made, with distinguished a
thoughtful face that tells Of deep STUD
u Though well dressed, you do not see anythi
il but the striking personality before you.
q careworn look rather enhances his dignity
n bearing / have spoken Of his reputed pri
but it is not hard TO discern that it is not
the petty sort, but the pride Of conscious
taste for petty people and petty things, a
believe OF petty pride also. For in his o
ct county, where be has long been the CT
D. magistrate and the respected bead Of ev
" social movement, have seen him take
81 Int right Off in respectful recognition o
Il IL. a,Ns,