FOR eight or nine years, while my sons were at school, Ilived at Rickmansworth. Unfortunately the Leweses had justleft it. Moor Park belonged to Lord Ebury, my wife's uncle,and the beauties of its magnificent park and the amenities ofits charming house were at all times open to us, and freelytaken advantage of. During those nine years I lived the lifeof a student, and wrote and published the book I haveelsewhere spoken of, the 'Creeds of the Day.'

　　Of the visitors of note whose acquaintance I made while I wasstaying at Moor Park, by far the most illustrious was Froude.

　　He was too reserved a man to lavish his intimacy when takenunawares; and if he suspected, as he might have done by myprobing, that one wanted to draw him out, he was much tooshrewd to commit himself to definite expressions of any kinduntil he knew something of his interviewer. Reticence ofthis kind, on the part of such a man, is both prudent andcommendable. But is not this habit of cautiousness sometimescarried to the extent of ambiguity in his 'Short Studies onGreat Subjects'? The careful reader is left in no sort ofdoubt as to Froude's own views upon Biblical criticism, as tohis theological dogmas, or his speculative opinions. But theconviction is only reached by comparing him with himself indifferent moods, by collating essay with essay, and one partof an essay with another part of the same essay. Sometimeswe have an astute defence of doctrines worthy at least of atemperate apologist, and a few pages further on we wonderwhether the writer was not masking his disdain for thecredulity which he now exposes and laughs at. Neitherexcessive caution nor timidity are implied by his editing ofthe Carlyle papers; and he may have failed - who that hasdone so much has not? - in keeping his balance on the swayingslack-rope between the judicious and the injudicious. In hisown line, however, he is, to my taste, the most scholarly,the most refined, and the most suggestive, of our recentessayists. The man himself in manner and in appearance wasin perfect keeping with these attractive qualities.

　　While speaking of Moor Park and its kind owner I may availmyself of this opportunity to mention an early reminiscenceof Lord Ebury's concerning the Grosvenor estate in London.

　　Mr. Gladstone was wont to amuse himself with speculations asto the future dimensions of London; what had been its growthwithin his memory; what causes might arise to cheek itsincrease. After listening to his remarks on the subject oneday at dinner, I observed that I had heard Lord Ebury talk ofshooting over ground which is now Eaton Square. Mr.

　　Gladstone of course did not doubt it; but some of the youngmen smiled incredulously. I afterwards wrote to Lord Eburyto make sure that I had not erred. Here is his reply:

　　'Moor Park, Rickmansworth: January 9, 1883.

　　'MY dear Henry, - What you said I had told you about snipe-shooting is quite true, though I think I ought to havementioned a space rather nearer the river than Eaton Square.

　　In the year 1815, when the battle of Waterloo was fought,there was nothing behind Grosvenor Place but the (-?) fields- so called, a place something like the Scrubbs, where thehousehold troops drilled. That part of Grosvenor Place wherethe Grosvenor Place houses now stand was occupied by the LockHospital and Chapel, and it ended where the small houses arenow to be found. A little farther, a somewhat tortuous lanecalled the King's Road led to Chelsea, and, I think, wherenow St. Peter's, Pimlico, was afterwards built. I remembergoing to a breakfast at a villa belonging to LadyBuckinghamshire. The Chelsea Waterworks Company had a sortof marshy place with canals and osier beds, now, I suppose,Ebury Street, and here it was that I was permitted to go andtry my hand at snipe-shooting, a special privilege given tothe son of the freeholder.

　　'The successful fox-hunt terminating in either Bedford orRussell Square is very strange, but quite appropriate,commemorated, I suppose, by the statue there erected.

　　Yours affectionately,'E.'

　　The successful 'fox-hunt ' was an event of which I told LordEbury as even more remarkable than his snipe-shooting inBelgravia. As it is still more indicative of the growth ofLondon in recent times it may be here recorded.

　　In connection with Mr. Gladstone's forecasts, I had writtento the last Lord Digby, who was a grandson of my father's,stating that I had heard - whether from my father or not Icould not say - that he had killed a fox where now is BedfordSquare, with his own hounds.

　　Lord Digby replied:

　　'Minterne, Dorset: January 7, 1883.

　　'My dear Henry, - My grandfather killed a fox with his houndseither in Bedford or Russell Square. Old Jones, thehuntsman, who died at Holkham when you were a child, was myinformant. I asked my grandfather if it was correct. Hesaid "Yes" - he had kennels at Epping Place, and hunted theroodings of Essex, which, he said, was the best scenting-ground in England.

　　'Yours affectionately,'DIGBY.'

　　(My father was born in 1754.)Mr. W. S. Gilbert had been a much valued friend of oursbefore we lived at Rickmansworth. We had been his guests forthe 'first night' of almost every one of his plays - playsthat may have a thousand imitators, but the speciality ofwhose excellence will remain unrivalled and inimitable. Hisvisits to us introduced him, I think, to the picturesquecountry which he has now made his home. When Mr. Gilbertbuilt his house in Harrington Gardens he easily persuaded usto build next door to him. This led to my acquaintance withhis neighbour on the other side, Mr. Walter Cassels, now wellknown as the author of 'Supernatural Religion.'

　　When first published in 1874, this learned work, summarisingand elaborately examining the higher criticism of the fourGospels up to date, created a sensation throughout thetheological world, which was not a little intensified by theanonymity of its author. The virulence with which it wasattacked by Dr. Lightfoot, the most erudite bishop on thebench, at once demonstrated its weighty significance and itsdestructive force; while Mr. Morley's high commendation ofits literary merits and the scrupulous equity of its tone,placed it far above the level of controversial diatribes.

　　In my 'Creeds of the Day' I had made frequent references tothe anonymous book; and soon after my introduction to Mr.

　　Cassels spoke to him of its importance, and asked him whetherhe had read it. He hesitated for a moment, then said:

　　'We are very much of the same way of thinking on thesesubjects. I will tell you a secret which I kept for sometime even from my publishers - I am the author of"Supernatural Religion."'

　　From that time forth, we became the closest of allies. Iknow no man whose tastes and opinions and interests are morecompletely in accord with my own than those of Mr. WalterCassels. It is one of my greatest pleasures to meet himevery summer at the beautiful place of our mutual andsympathetic friend, Mrs. Robertson, on the skirts of theAshtead forest, in Surrey.

　　The winter of 1888 I spent at Cairo under the roof of GeneralSir Frederick Stephenson, then commanding the English forcesin Egypt. I had known Sir Frederick as an ensign in theGuards. He was adjutant of his regiment at the Alma, and atInkerman. He is now Colonel of the Coldstreams and Governorof the Tower. He has often been given a still higher title,that of 'the most popular man in the army.'

　　Everybody in these days has seen the Pyramids, and has beenup the Nile. There is only one name I have to mention here,and that is one of the best-known in the world. Mr. ThomasCook was the son of the original inventor of the 'Globe-trotter.' But it was the extraordinary energy and powers oforganisation of the son that enabled him to develop to itspresent efficiency the initial scheme of the father.

　　Shortly before the General's term expired, he invited Mr.

　　Cook to dinner. The Nile share of the Gordon ReliefExpedition had been handed over to Cook. The boats, theprovisioning of them, and the river transport service up toWady Halfa, were contracted for and undertaken by Cook.

　　A most entertaining account he gave of the whole affair. Hetold us how the Mudir of Dongola, who was by way of renderingevery possible assistance, had offered him an enormous bribeto wreck the most valuable cargoes on their passage throughthe Cataracts.

　　Before Mr. Cook took leave of the General, he expressed theregret felt by the British residents in Cairo at thetermination of Sir Frederick's command; and wound up a prettylittle speech by a sincere request that he might be allowedto furnish Sir Frederick GRATIS with all the means at hisdisposal for a tour through the Holy Land. The liberal andhighly complimentary offer was gratefully acknowledged, butat once emphatically declined. The old soldier, (at least,this was my guess,) brave in all else, had not the courage toface the tourists' profanation of such sacred scenes.

　　Dr. Bird told me a nice story, a pendant to this, of Mr.

　　Thomas Cook's liberality. One day, before the GordonExpedition, which was then in the air, Dr. Bird was smokinghis cigarette on the terrace in front of Shepherd's Hotel, incompany with four or five other men, strangers to him and toone another. A discussion arose as to the best means ofrelieving Gordon. Each had his own favourite general.

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