Speeches, and take up Carlyle and light upon a passage like this:
'Inexpressibly delirious seems to me the puddle of Parliament and
public upon what it calls the Reform Measure, that is to say, the
calling in of new supplies of blockheadism, gullibility, bribability,
amenability to beer and balderdash, by way of amending the woes we
have had from previous supplies of that bad article.' This view must
be accounted for as well as Mr. Bright's. We shall do well to
remember, with Carlyle, that the best of all Reform Bills is that
which each citizen passes in his own breast, where it is pretty sure
to meet with strenuous opposition. The reform of ourselves is no doubt
an heroic measure never to be overlooked, and, in the face of
accusations of gullibility, bribability, amenability to beer and
balderdash, our poor humanity can only stand abashed, and feebly demur
to the bad English in which the charges are conveyed. But we can't all
lose hope. We remember Sir David Ramsay's reply to Lord Rea, once
quoted by Carlyle himself. Then said his lordship: 'Well, God mend
all.' 'Nay, by God, Donald, we must help Him to mend it!' It is idle
to stand gaping at the heavens, waiting to feel the thong of some hero
of questionable morals and robust conscience; and therefore, unless
Reform Bills can be shown to have checked purity of election, to have
increased the stupidity of electors, and generally to have promoted
corruption--which notoriously they have not--we may allow Carlyle to
make his exit 'swearing,' and regard their presence in the Statute
Book, if not with rapture, at least, with equanimity.

But it must not be forgotten that the battle is still raging--the
issue is still uncertain. Mr. Froude is still free to assert that the
'_post-mortem_' will prove Carlyle was right. His political
sagacity no reader of 'Frederick' can deny; his insight into hidden
causes and far-away effects was keen beyond precedent--nothing he ever