My  reader  will  find  that  I  occasionally  refer  to  the  experiences
which  I  gained  when  I  was  in  the  House  of  Commons.  Many  of
my  audience  were  young  men,  to  whom  this  kind  of  position  is
likely  to  be  an  early  object  of  ambition.  Now  I  am  not  one  of
those  who  deprecate  party  strife.  I  know  that  rightly  taken,  party
is  the  perpetual  struggle  of  good  against  evil,  and  I  have  a  tolerably-
clear  instinct,  fortifiedinto  conviction,  of  where  the  evil  always  is  with
which  the  good  battles.  But  the  experience  of  Parliamentary  life,
to  him  who  will  learn,  teaches  one  how  just  but  angry  discontent  is
baffled,  of  how  one  must  wait  for  opportunities  in  order  to  undo-
wrong-doing,  and  how,  under  the  name  of  compromises,  one  has  to
accept  half  for  whole  truths.  And  besides,  the  sphere  of  political
action  is  so  vast  and  so  complicated,  the  forms  of  our  Constitution
give  so  enormous  a  power  to  the  Administration,  and  all  administra-
tions are  so  enamoured  of  the  possible,  instead  of  the  true,  that  no-
more  instructive  education  can  be  given  one  than  to  watch,
and  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Farhamentary  forces.  To  the  his-
torical economist,  the  lesson  is  invaluable.  I  think  I  have  almost-
exhausted  the  lesson  in  my  own  person,  or  at  least  to  my  own
capacity.
