Minister for Ireland, we find that no fewer than three (George Otto
Trevelyan, John Morley, and Arthur Balfour) were authors of books
before they engaged in the very ticklish business of the government of
men. And one of these three Ministers for Ireland embarked upon his
literary career--which promised ample distinction--under the editorial
auspices of another of the three. We possess in one branch of the
Legislature the author of the most fascinating literary biography in our
language. We possess also another writer whose range of knowledge and of
intellectual interest is so great that he has written the most important
book upon the American Commonwealth (James Bryce).

The first canon in literature was announced one hundred years ago by an
eminent Frenchman who said that in literature it is your business to
have preferences but no exclusions. In politics it appears to be our
business to have very stiff and unchangeable preferences, and exclusion
is one of the systematic objects of our life. In literature, according
to another canon, you must have a free and open mind and it has been
said: "Never be the prisoner of your own opinions." In politics you are
very lucky if you do not have the still harder fate--(and I think that
the gentlemen on the President's right hand will assent to that as
readily as the gentlemen who sit on his left) of being the prisoner of
other people's opinions. Of course no one can doubt for a moment that
the great achievements of literature--those permanent and vital works
which we will never let die--require a devotion as unceasing, as
patient, as inexhaustible, as the devotion that is required for the
works that adorn your walls; and we have luckily in our age--tho it may
not be a literary age--masters of prose and masters of verse. No prose
more winning has ever been written than that of Cardinal Newman; no
verse finer, more polished, more melodious has ever been written than
that of Lord Tennyson and Mr. Swinburne.