d to think that words could take the place of deeds.

In the last three years of his life, though his democratic sympathies
never waned, some of his opinions underwent a change. He was
disappointed at the indifference of the masses of the people to their
own interests, at their low standard of taste, at the ease with which
they could be exploited by charlatans. I remember his telling me once,
in 1915, _apropos_ of the blatancy of some noisy patriots: "I now
realise for the first time what Dr. Johnson meant when he wrote,
'Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.'" He disliked the
squalor of the political game and the glibness of tongue and tenuity
of thought of the mere politician. A generous-minded youth of high
ideals, he had not learnt to make allowances for political human
nature, or for the fact that the mass of mankind are necessarily
occupied with _petits soins_ and apt to be dulled by the mechanical
routine of their daily lives. Latterly he often told me that, after
all, there was a great deal to be said for the rule of the enlightened
autocrat. "But," he said, "the mischief is that you can't guarantee a
succession of enlightened autocrats; so we must make the best of the
rule of the majority." The backwardness of England in education used
to make him wring his hands. To lack of education he attributed the
tawdriness and vulgarity of popular taste. I thought my own political
and social views were advanced: to Paul I was little better than a
Whig with a veneration for Mr. Gladstone. He had a bold,
forward-looking mind, and was in favour of root-and-branch changes. He
was only 21 when he died, and his views on social and political
questions would doubtless have been modified in one direction or
another had he lived. But his passion for liberty of thought and
action and his deep sympathy with the unprivileged multitude would
have remained, for these things were inherent in his character. He
would have said with Ibsen: "I want to awaken the democracy to its
true task--of making all the people noblemen by freeing their wills
and purifying their minds."

Literature, athletics, music, politics did not exhaust the interests
of this strong and eager mind. He was a good chess-player, and
followed with lively curiosity the new developments in mechanics and
aviation. Very fond of dogs, between him and our little fox-terrier
there was a tie of deep affection. As indicative of the catholicity of
his tastes I may mentio