GREAT MEN'S BODIES
the disestablishment of the Irish State Church; then the bill for the reform of the Irish land laws, both of which were carried; six years out of politics, he occupied himself very largely with literary and historical studies; in 1880 Prime Minister a second time, with South Africa, Soudan, Egypt, and Ireland uniting with domestic questions in keeping him busy; in 1885 carrying through his great scheme of Parliamentary reform, arranging the constituencies in more nearly proportionate divisions; cutting off insignificant boroughs, and adopting a near approach to universal suffrage; temporarily defeated on other questions; in 1885 he was a third time made Prime Minister by his party, the Liberals, who were overwhelmingly victorious in the election; in 1886, his bill for an Irish Parliament made him many enemies and brought him defeat; then for six years the persistent advocate of Irish autonomy, he was in 1892 triumphantly returned to power, and a fourth time made Prime Minister; his speech, February 13, 1893, for Irish self-government being a masterpiece. His pen, never idle, has also found time to produce "Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age" (1838), "Juventus Mundi" (1869), "The Vatican Decrees" (1874), "Gleanings of Past Years" (1879), and "The Irish Question" (1886).
"Mr. Gladstone's intellect is massive; powerful; brilliant and acute; his capacities are of the most ample description, broad as well as deep; and his stores of learning extraordinary; and his activity and versatility are a standing menace to his contemporaries."— Brooks's Gladstone.
One of his biographers, G. Barnett Smith, says: "There has rarely, if ever, been witnessed in statesmanship so singular a combination of qualities and faculties, without being possessed of the highest of all gifts, absolutely the informing genius. He has perhaps every endowment save that."
Of his rare bodily powers we often hear. W. T. Stead, Editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, in an article in the New York Sun, said of him at eighty-six: "Mr. Gladstone started well. He was born of healthy stock in comfortable circumstances. He had enormous driving-power and physical energy, the evidence of which may still be seen, palpable to all men, in the massive formation of the
355
