times in nations."

This may, surely, be taken as a direct prophecy of the magnificent
effort of France. Lord Cromer's reflections, thrown off in the warmth of
personal contact, often had a pregnant directness. For instance, how
good this is:--

"The prejudice against the Boeotians was probably in a large
measure due to the fact that, as the late Lord Salisbury might have
said, they 'put their money on the wrong horse' during the Persian
war. So also, it may be observed, did the oracle at Delphi."

Lord Cromer's public speeches and published writings scarcely give a
hint of his humour, which was lambent and sometimes almost boyish. He
loved to be amused, and he repaid his entertainer by being amusing. I
suppose that after his return from Cairo he allowed this feature of his
character a much freer run. The legend used to be that he was looked
upon in Egypt as rather grim, and by no means to be trifled with. He was
not the man, we may be sure, to be funny with a Young Turk, or to crack
needless jokes with a recalcitrant Khedive. But retirement softened him,
and the real nature of Lord Cromer, with its elements of geniality and
sportiveness, came into full play.

Eight years ago, I regret to admit, Mr. Lloyd George was not the
universal favourite in the House of Lords that he has since become. Lord
Cromer was one of those who were not entirely reconciled to the
financial projects of the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. He compared
the Chancellor with Pescennius Niger,

"who aspired to be Emperor after the death of Pertinax, and was
already Governor of Syria. On being asked by the inhabitants of
that province to diminish the land tax, he replied that, so far as
he was concerned, not only would he effect no diminution, but he
regretted that he could not tax the air which they breathed."

The strained relations between Mr. Lloyd George and the House of Lords
inspired Lord Cromer with a really delightful parallel from Dryden's
_Absalom and Achitophel_ (which, by the way, was one of his favourite
poems):--

"Thus, worn or weakened, well or ill content,
Submit they must to DAVID'S government;
Impoverished and deprived of all command,
Their taxes doubled as they lost their land;
And--what was harder yet to flesh and blood,
Their gods disgraced, and burnt like common wood."

When he pointed this out to me, I entreated him to introduce it into a
speech