Administration as he chose; but, by resigning, Mr. Balfour compelled
his successor to form his Administration out of existing materials.
So the cabals took a new form. The Liberal Imperialists were eager
to have their share in the triumph, and had not the slightest scruple
about serving under a leader whom, when he was unpopular, they had
forsaken and traduced. Lord Rosebery put himself out of court by a
speech which even Campbell-Bannerman could not regard as friendly;
but Mr. Asquith, Mr. Haldane, and Sir Edward Grey were eager for
employment. The new Premier Was the most generous-hearted of men,
only too ready to forgive and forget. His motto was _Alors comme
alors_, and he dismissed from consideration all memories of past
intrigues. But, when some of the intriguers calmly told him that
they would not join his Government unless he consented to go to
the House of Lords and leave them to work their will in the House
of Commons, he acted with a prompt decision which completely turned
the tables.

The General Election of January, 1906, gave him an overwhelming
majority; but in one sense it came too late. His health was a good
deal impaired, and he was suffering from domestic anxieties which
doubled the burden of office. Lady Campbell-Bannerman died, after
a long illness, in August, 1906, but he struggled on bravely till
his own health rather suddenly collapsed in November, 1907. He
resigned office on the 6th of April, 1908, and died on the 22nd.

His brief Premiership had not been signalized by any legislative
triumphs. He was unfortunate in some of his colleagues, and the first
freshness of 1906 had been wasted on a quite worthless Education
Bill. But during his term of office he had two signal opportunities
of showing the faith that was in him. One was the occasion when, in