The Life of William Ewart Gladstone: Index — Reading Notes

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Authors: Morley, John, 1838-1923 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2013 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart), 1809-1898; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1837-1901; Indexes; Liberal Party (Great Britain) -- Biography; Prime ministers -- Great Britain -- Biography Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

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John Morley's index to his multi-volume Gladstone biography, revealing the biographer's choices in diction, structure, and emphasis through its selection of entries, cross-references, and page citations.

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Aberdare, Lord (Henry Austin Bruce), home secretary (1868), ii. 644; on Collier affair, ii. 385; on Ewelmcase, ii. 387; Licensing bill of, ii. 389-390; on _Alabama_ case, ii. 409 _note_; on Irish University bill, ii. 439; Gladstone's appreciation of, ii. 462; president of the council (1873), ii. 463 _note_, 645; describes last cabinet meeting (1874), ii. 497; otherwise mentioned, ii. 421, 504; iii. 386.

---- papers, extract from, on position in 1872, ii. 389.

Aberdeen, Gladstone presented with freedom of, ii. 378.

Aberdeen, 4th Earl of:-- _Chronology_--on Wellington's anti-reform speech, i. 69; Gladstone's visit to (1836), i. 137; at Canada meeting, i. 641; party meetings, i. 239; on Maynooth resignation, i. 273; Gladstone's relations with, i. 280; estimate of Peel, i. 283; on Peel's eulogium of Cobden, i. 292; on freedom in official position, i. 298; home and foreign policy of, contrasted, i. 367; learns Gladstone's views of Neapolitan tyranny, i. 390, 393-395; on Don Pacifico case, i. 395; Gladstone's Letters to, i. 392, 394 _and note_, 396, 398, 399 _note 2_, 400, 401 _note 3_, 641, 642; views on papal aggression question, i. 405, 407; asked to form a government (1851), i. 405 _and note_; leader of Peelites, i. 408; Reform bill of (1852), ii. 238; attitude of, towards first Derby administration, i. 417, 419, 429; on Gladstone's attitude towards Disraeli, i. 432; on possible heads for Peelite government, i. 443; Irish attitude towards, i. 444; undertakes to form a government, i. 445; Gladstone's budget, i. 464-466; letter to Prince Albert on Gladstone's speech, i. 468; letter to Gladstone, i. 469; attitude towards Turkey in 1828, i. 480; Crimean war, preliminary negotiations, i. 481-484, 487, 490; on Gladstone's Manchester speech, i. 483; on effect of Crimean war, i. 484; suggests retirement, i. 491-492; opposes postponement of Reform bill, i. 648; regrets of, regarding the war, i. 494, 536-537; defeat of, ii. 653; Gladstone's consultations with, in ministerial crisis (1855), i. 526, 530-535; on position of premier, ii. 416; Gladstone's projected letters to, on Sebastopol committee, i. 542 _note_; discourages Gladstone's communicating with Derby, i. 556; Lewis's budget, i. 560; Divorce bill, i. 570; Conspiracy bill, i. 575; approves Gladstone's refusals to join Derby, i. 578, 586; uneasiness regarding Gladstone's position, i. 581; Gladstone's visit to, i. 594; discourages Ionian project, i. 595; desires closer relations between Gladstone and government, i. 596; Arthur Gordon's letter to, i. 604; Bright's visit to, i. 626 _note 2_; death of, ii. 87. Foreign influence of, i. 392, 529; foreign estimate of, ii. 351; iii. 321. Gladstone's estimate of, i. 124, 393, 417; ii. 87, 639-644; his estimate of Gladstone, i. 613; ii. 170, 203; Gladstone's letters to, i. 425-426, 429, 463, 549; ii. 3. Palmerston contrasted with, i. 530. Patience of, with colleagues' quarrels, i. 520; loyalty to colleagues, ii. 639-640. Sobriquet of, i. 177. Trustfulness of, i. 197; ii. 113, 640, 642-643, Otherwise mentioned, i. 139, 142 _note_, 270, 293, 294, 367, 420, 437, 458, 460, 482 _note_, 520, 539, 543, 548, 584; ii. 184, 194; iii. 228.

Aberdeen, 7th Earl of, iii. 385, 517.

Abeken, H., ii. 332-333 _and note_.

Abercromby, Sir Ralph, iii. 314.

Abolition, _see_ slave-holding.

Acland, A. H. D., iii. 495 _and note_.

---- Arthur, i. 54, 59 _note_, 74.

---- Sir H. W., iii. 421.

---- Sir Thomas, member of W E G, i. 59 _note_; brotherhood formed by Gladstone and, i. 99; advice to Gladstone on Jewish disabilities question, i. 376; correspondence with Gladstone on popular discontent, ii. 172-174; on Gladstone's position (1867), ii. 227; otherwise mentioned, i. 54, 74, 148; ii. 280, 430, 431; iii, 495.

Act of Uniformity bill (1872), ii. 410.

Acton, Lord, recommended by Gladstone for a peerage, ii. 430; correspondence with Gladstone on Vaticanism, ii. 509, 511, 515, 519-521; compared with Döllinger, ii. 558; letter on Gladstone's proposed retirement, iii. 172; elected fellow of All Souls', iii. 421; Gladstone's letters to, i. 481, 628; ii. 1, 214; iii. 355-359, 413-416, 422, 456, 457, 544; criticism of Gladstone, iii. 360-361; otherwise mentioned, ii. 254, 617; iii. 103, 351, 462.

Adam, W. P., commissioner of public works, ii. 463 _note_; supports Gladstone's Midlothian candidature, ii. 584-585; otherwise mentioned, ii. 586, 602, 620.

Adams, Charles Francis (American minister), hints withdrawal, ii. 80 and _note 2_, 83; Evarts coadjutor to, ii. 189; breakfasts with Gladstone, ii. 212-213; on _Alabama_ case, ii. 395-396; work on the arbitration board, ii. 411-412.

Adderley, C. B., quoted, i. 362 _note 2_.

Adullamites, ii. 205, 211, 224, 225.

Advertisements, tax on, i. 459, 462 _and note_.

Affirmation bill (1883), i. 414 _note_; iii. 14, 18-20, 107 note, 312.

Afghanistan:-- Cavagnari in, iii. 151. Reversal of conservative policy in, iii. 10. Russian action in (1885), iii. 178, 183-185, 208 _note_. War with, ii. 583; Gladstone's references to, ii. 592, 595.

Africa South:-- Cape Colony-- Dutch sympathy in, with Transvaal, iii. 39-40 _and note 2_, 42 _note 2_, 43. Representatives from, on South African situation, iii. 33. Cape of Good Hope petition, ii. 545. Confederation scheme, iii. 22-24, 31. Frere in, iii. 2, 6. Native affairs in, committee on, i. 358. Orange Free State-- Advice from, iii. 32-33. Sympathy in with Transvaal, iii. 39-40 _and note 2_, 43. Transvaal-- Administration of, by Great Britain, iii. 31 _and note 1_. Annexation of (1877), iii. 25; Boer resistance to annexation, iii. 25-26, 31; Gladstone's attitude towards, iii. 27; Hartington's attitude to, iii. 27. Cabinet abstentions on division regarding, iii. 35. Commission suggested by Boers, iii. 35; suggestion accepted, iii. 36 _and note 1_, 40; constitution of commission, iii. 41; Boer requests regarding, refused, iii. 41; parliamentary attack on appointment, iii. 41-42; Boer attitude towards, iii. 44; Pretoria convention concluded by, iii. 44-45. Conventions with, iii. 45 _and note_. Forces in, iii. 31, _note 2_. Midlothian reference to (1879), ii. 595; (1885), iii. 248. Misrepresentations regarding Boers, iii. 31. Native struggles with Boers in, iii. 24. Rising of, iii. 31-32; course of hostilities, iii. 34-37; armistice, iii. 39. Self-government promised to, iii. 25, 28 _and note 2_, 29, 30 _and note 2_; promises evaded, iii. 30, 33. W. H. Smith's view of proceedings in, ii. 601. Suzerainty question, iii. 45 _and note_. Sympathy with, from South African Dutch, iii. 39-40 _and note 2_, 42 _note 2_, 43.

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John Morley's index to his monumental life of William Ewart Gladstone is far more than a mechanical list of names and page numbers. Its entries reveal the biographer's hand: which episodes earn subheadings, which figures receive cross-references, and how the index's structure mirrors Morley's own narrative priorities. The index foregrounds political and ecclesiastical affairs—Gladstone's budgets, the Maynooth grant, Vatican decrees—while threading in personal connections, such as the repeated appearances of J. R. Hope-Scott as a confidant. Morley's diction in the index entries, though compressed, carries evaluative weight: he notes Gladstone's 'appreciation' of Lord Aberdare and his 'estimate' of Lord Iddesleigh, signaling a biographer who judges as he catalogues.

The Biographer's Lexicon of Judgment

Morley's index entries frequently employ verbs of evaluation that go beyond neutral listing. Gladstone is said to have held an 'estimate' of Aberdeen (i. 124, 393, 417) and of Iddesleigh (iii. 356, 465, 466); the word appears repeatedly for figures across the political spectrum. Similarly, Morley records Gladstone's 'appreciation' of Aberdare (ii. 462) and his 'estimate' of Manning (ii. 562; iii. 536). These terms are not merely descriptive—they imply a biographer who curates his subject's judgments. The index also notes when others estimated Gladstone, as with Aberdeen's 'estimate of Gladstone' (i. 613; ii. 170, 203) and Iddesleigh's (i. 333 note 1). This reciprocal framing turns the index into a subtle record of reputation and regard.

Structural Choices: What Earns a Subheading

The index's hierarchy of entries reveals Morley's narrative emphases. Major figures like Aberdeen receive extensive chronological subheadings spanning multiple lines, while others are dismissed with a single page reference. For example, Aberdeen's entry includes subentries on the Crimean war, Reform bills, and his death—each a node in Morley's story. By contrast, minor figures such as 'Horsman, E.' receive only a terse 'ii. 444 note, 445.' The index also clusters events under thematic headings: 'Home rule, see under Ireland' signals a major topic, while 'Holidays' (ii. 379, 421-422) appears as a standalone entry, hinting at Morley's interest in Gladstone's private life. These choices shape how a reader navigates the biography.

Cross-References as Narrative Threads

Morley uses cross-references to connect episodes across volumes, effectively guiding the reader's path. The entry for 'Aberdeen, 4th Earl of' includes a cross-reference to 'Foreign influence of, i. 392, 529; foreign estimate of, ii. 351; iii. 321.' This links the earl's diplomatic reputation across the work. Similarly, 'Hope-Scott, J. R.' is cross-referenced to multiple contexts: Gladstone's book, the Jerusalem bishopric, and the Gorham case. The index also employs 'see under' directives, as with 'Home rule, see under Ireland,' which forces the reader to follow Morley's categorization. These devices transform the index from a simple finding aid into a map of the biography's argumentative terrain.

Omissions and Silences: What the Index Leaves Out

Given the index's scope, certain absences are telling. The excerpts show no entry for 'Ireland' as a main heading—only 'Home rule, see under Ireland'—suggesting that Morley subsumed Irish affairs under the home rule debate rather than treating them as a separate theme. Similarly, there is no entry for 'Empire' or 'Imperialism,' despite the prominence of colonial questions like the Alabama case and the Khartoum affair. The index also omits entries for literary or intellectual influences beyond Homeric studies and a few classical authors (Horace, iii. 482, 492, 510, 512). These gaps reflect Morley's focus on political and ecclesiastical history, sidelining cultural or economic contexts that a modern reader might expect.

Readers approaching Morley's index should treat it as a deliberate editorial artifact rather than a neutral reference tool. Its entries, cross-references, and omissions collectively shape an interpretation of Gladstone's life. By attending to the biographer's choices in diction and structure, one can discern the contours of Morley's own historical judgment. This index rewards those who read it not merely to locate facts, but to understand how a Victorian biographer constructed a statesman's legacy.

The rain kept me inside with Morley’s index to Gladstone, tracing how one biographer’s small emphases tilt an entire life. Later, flipping pages, I found myself thinking of governance as personal record, and picked up Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 2 (of 7) — Themes and Context, where statecraft becomes quiet annotation. The afternoon slipped into evening, slowly, the way notes do.