formed, and that
better provision must be made for the higher education of the Catholics
of Ireland. He made short work with the Irish State Church. He defeated
the government on a series of resolutions foreshadowing his policy; the
government appealed to the country, the Liberals returned to power, and
Mr. Gladstone became prime minister (1868). In his first session of
government he disestablished and disendowed the State Church in Ireland.
In the next session he passed a measure which for the first time
recognized the right of the Irish tenant to the value of the
improvements he had himself made at his own cost and labor. Never
probably was there such a period of energetic reform in almost every
direction as that which set in when Mr. Gladstone became prime-minister.
For the first time in English history a system of national education was
established. The Ballot Act was passed for the protection of voters. The
system of purchase in the army was abolished by something, it must be
owned, a little in the nature of a _coup-d'etat_. Then Mr. Gladstone
introduced a measure to improve the condition of university education in
Ireland. This bill was intended almost altogether for the benefit of
Irish Catholics; but it did not go far enough to satisfy the demands of
the Catholics, and in some of its provisions was declared incompatible
with the principles of their Church. The Catholic members of the House
of Commons voted against it, and with that help the Conservatives were
able to throw out the bill (1873). Mr. Gladstone tendered his
resignation of office. But Mr. Disraeli declined just then to take any
responsibility, and Mr. Gladstone had to remain at the head of affairs.
The great wave of reforming energy had, however, subsided in the
country. The period of reaction had come. The by-elections began to tell
against the Liberals. Mr. Gladstone suddenly dissolved Parliament and
appealed to the country, and the answer to his appeal was the election
of a Conservative majority. Mr. Disraeli came back to power, and Mr.
Gladstone retired from the leadership of the House of Commons (1874).

For a while Mr. Gladstone occupied himself in literary and historical
studies, and he published essays and pamphlets. But even in his literary
career Mr. Gladstone would appear to have always kept glancing at the
House of Commons, as Charles V. in his monastery kept his eyes on the
world of politics outside. The atrocious conduct of the Turkish