As Mr.Gladstone subdued himself to the temper of the House, the House accommodated itself to the tone of Mr.
Gladstone.

I have heard his speech on the second reading described as a pleasant, delightful, historical lecture.

Certainly, no stranger coming to the House would have imagined that these sentences, flowing in a beautiful, even stream, dealt with one of the conflicts of our time which excite the fiercest passion and bitterest blood.

It is this calmness that is now part of Mr.Gladstone's strength.

It soothes and kills at the same time.
[Sidenote: The Nestor-patriot.] The evening was soft and sunny, the air of the House subdued, and the absence of anything like large numbers prevented outbursts of party passion.