Lord Salisbury’s difficulties--The last of the Woodstock elections--The new ministry--A truce at Westminster--A legislative feat--‘Maamtrasna’ and its consequences--Lord Carnarvon’s opinions--The ‘empty house’ meeting--The Prime Minister’s reticence--The Conservative Cabinet and Home Rule--The election campaign--General confusion--The ‘unauthorised programme’--Parnell’s demand--The lines of battle--Lord Randolph’s exertions and activities--A visit to Dublin--‘Come over and help us’--Dispute with Lord Hartington--The ‘boa-constrictor’ speech--The contest in Birmingham--Popularity of the Conservative Government--The poll--Victories of Tory Democracy in the boroughs--The loss of the counties--The Birmingham Election--‘Low water-mark’.....423 CHAPTER XI 1885 AT THE INDIA OFFICE A serener sphere--The Council of India--Lord Randolph in office--Railway development in India--Mr. Moore--The Russian crisis--The Afghan boundary--Correspondence with the Queen--Increase of the British and Native Armies in India--Appointment of Sir Frederick Roberts--The Indian Budget in the House of Commons--Lord Randolph and Lord Salisbury as letter-writers--The Bombay command--Resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill--Correspondence--Lord Salisbury yields--Settlement of the dispute--Conquest and annexation of Burma--The New Year’s Proclamation.....474 APPENDICES I. THREE ELECTION ADDRESSES, 1874, 1880, 1885.....527 II. FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE NATIONAL UNION OF CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATIONS.....537 III. LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL’S EXPLANATION OF HIS ACTION IN REGARD TO THE REFORM BILL, 1884.....550 IV. LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL’S LETTERS FROM INDIA, 1885.....554 ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE FIRST VOLUME .....TO FACE PAGE 1. Lord Randolph Churchill, 1886 (Photogravure).....Frontispiece 2. LORD RANDOLPH AT ETON AND AT OXFORD (_Photogravure_).....12 3. {LORD RANDOLPH AND HIS FATHER} (_Photogravure_) {LORD RANDOLPH AND HIS MOTHER}.....28 4. LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL (_Photogravure_).....72 5. MEMBER FOR WOODSTOCK (_Photogravure_).....108 6. THE FOURTH PARTY (’_Vanity Fair_’), by Leslie Ward..... 7. ATHWART THE COURSE (_Cartoon from ‘Punch’_).....232 8. A DREAM OF THE FUTURE (_Cartoon from ‘Punch’_).....252 9. THE FIRST DIPLOMA OF THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE (_facsimile_).....260 10. THE WAITS (_Cartoon from ‘Punch’_).....472 ‘Heard are the voices, Heard are the sages, The worlds and the ages; “Choose well; your choice is Brief and yet endless. Here eyes do regard you, In Eternity’s stillness: Here is all fulness, Ye brave, to reward you; Work and despair not.”’ --_Goethe._ CHAPTER I EARLY YEARS