The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-17
III.

Glndstone's comments on contemporary men
Of science may not be Of any particular value,
but they serve at least to indicate the limita-
tions Of his own intellect. Tho contempt with
which Huxley treated him will be remembered.
1t seems that Gladstone furnished Mr.. Tolle-
mache with a few "reminiscences OF Sir Rich
ard Owen. He said that seldom, IL ever, had
any man of science left on his mind such
an impression as did Owen; an impress
sion not of talent merely, but of genius,
Darwin had struck him in the same sort OF
way, but Darwin he had only met once in So
ciety. He went on to explain that on the COM
~parative merits Of these two men Of science he
offered no opinion; but that. so far as his per-
sonal observation was concerned. Owen was
the one who seemed to him to bear the stamp
Of genius most Enthusiastically. His interlocutor
inquired whether he would not also say that
Huxley was q man Of genius. The answer was:
Certainly not. Huxley has talent to any amount.
but not genius. One OF the younger men Of
science. Romanes. has struck me q good deal; I
should say that he has genius" 1t is certainly
~staEtling to find Romanes thus exalted over the
heads OF his fellows. Mr.. Tollemache attributes
the idiosyncratic opinion partly to the orthodox
tendency OF Gladstone's later years. which led
him to depreciate Huxley, and partly to the
fact that he regarded Romancs as not merely q
Christian. but as a proselytc. nay. as n recon-
verted pervert. In other words. In his Angli-
can heart there was more Joy over ono hereto
that had recanted than over ninety and nine
orthodox persons who needed no recantation.
1t is interesting. but scarcely surprising. to
note that the author Of this book once heard
Jowett express q doubt whether Mr.. Gladstone
himself could be properly called a man OF genius.
An orator OF genius. Jowett said. utters many
words and phrases which linger in mons mem
DRY. and hardly any word or phrase so linger-
ing has been uttered by Gladstone. Mr.. Tolle-
mache thinks that this is too narrow a test
that the faculty OF phrase-making Is no moro
tho tombstone OF genius than is many
sidedness Of mind. 1t is suggested that
| Jowett's criticism may have been unjust to
Gladstone in another way. for the reason that
tho very popularity and consequent dissemina-
ton of some Of his epigrammatic sallies may
have lessened the permanent credit which he
has obtained for them. Mr.. Tolemache's view
of epigrams Is that. as with marriageable
daughters. the cleverer and more pleasing they
are. the sooner are they likely to be ASSOCIATED
from the author OF their being. Al any rate.
the most widely applicable and widely
circulated epiGrams Of an orator. as dis
tinguished from those OF q writer, are
liable to be thus de-personalized. This.
he thinks. may account for the fact that
many OF Mr.. Gladstone's phrases soon ceased
to be identified with their coiner. He would
offer by way Of illustration the phrase. THE
sorrowful evidence of indisputable fact" the
assertion to the effect that political economy
has now been relegated to the planet Saturn
also the allegation that a notorious event had
brought a needtul reform within the range Of
present politics." The division OF the popula.
ton into tho classes and the masses is said
to have been popularized but not originated
by Gladstone; here We have q wholly DEEPER.
sonalized epigram which has paid for It's popu.
larity by anonymity. Gladstone's saying thai
England is guarded by o streak of silver sea
was. Of course. borrowed from Shakespeare
who puts it In the mouth OF John Of Gaunt.