an these great dons
(with but one or two exceptions), he himself could speak,--with what
more refined logic, with what more polished periods, how much more like
Cicero and Burke! Very probably he might have so spoken, and for that
very reason have made that deadest of all dead failures,--a pretentious
imitation of Burke and Cicero. One thing, however, he was obliged to
own,--namely, that in a popular representative assembly, it is not
precisely knowledge which is power, or if knowledge, it is but the
knowledge of that particular assembly, and what will best take with it;
passion, invective, sarcasm, bold declamation, shrewd common-sense, the
readiness so rarely found in a very profound mind,--he owned that all
these were the qualities that told; when a man who exhibited nothing but
"knowledge," in the ordinary sense of the word, stood an imminent chance
of being coughed down.

There at his left--last but one in the row of the ministerial
chiefs--Randal watched Audley Egerton, his arms folded on his breast,
his hat drawn over his brows, his eyes fixed with steady courage on
whatever speaker in the Opposition held possession of the floor. And
twice Randal heard Egerton speak, and marvelled much at the effect that
minister produced. For of those qualities enumerated above, and which
Randal had observed to be most sure of success, Audley Egerton only
exhibited to a marked degree the common-sense and the readiness. And
yet, though but little applauded by noisy cheers, no speaker seemed more
to satisfy friends, and command respect from foes. The true secret
was this, which Randal might well not divine, since that young person,
despite his ancient birth, his Eton rearing, and his refined air, was
not one of Nature's gentlemen,--the true secret was, that Audley Egerton
moved, looked, and spoke like a thorough gentleman of England,--a
gentleman of more than average talents and of long experience, speaking
his sincere opinions, not a rhetorician aiming at effect. Moreover,
Egerton was a consummate man of the world. He said, with nervous
simplicity, what his party desired to be said, and put what his
opponents felt to be the strong points of the case. Calm and decorous,
yet spirited and energetic, with little variety of tone, and action
subdued and rare, but yet signalized by earnest vigour, Audley Egerton
impressed the understanding of the dullest, and pleased the taste of the
most fastidious.

But once, when allusions were mad