Sharing Gladstone's politics both in Church and State, he was in all secular matters a strong Liberal, and his hatred of Disraeli struck even Liberals as bordering on fanaticism.

Yet his hatred of Disraeli was as nothing to his hatred of Froude.

By nature "so over-violent or over-civil that every man with him was God or devil," he had erected Froude into his demon incarnate.

Other men might be, Froude must be, wrong.

He detested Froude's opinions.