For over forty years Lord Knollys played that great part in great affairs which will occupy his Biographer with Admiration of his Self-Effacement and unerring Judgment. Myself I owe him gratitude inexpressible. For myself, those Great Three ever live in my heart and ever will. There are no such that I know of who are left to us to rise in their place. CHAPTER II “THE MOON SWAYS OCEANS AND PROVOKES THE HOUND.” The hound keeps baying at the moon but gets no answer from her, and she continues silently her mighty influence in causing the tides of the earth, such a mighty influence as I have seen in the Bay of Fundy, and on the coast of Arcadia where the tide rises some 40 feet--you see it like a high wall rolling in towards you on the beach! It exalts one, and the base things of earth vanish from one’s thoughts. So also may the contents of this book be like-minded by a mighty silence against baying hounds! I hope to name no living name except for praise, and even against envy I hope I may be silent. Envy caused the first murder. It was the biggest and nastiest of all Cæsar’s wounds: “See what a rent the _envious_ Casca made.” My impenetrable armour is Contempt and Fortitude. Well, yesterday September 7th, 1919, we completed our conversations for the six articles in _The Times_, and to-day we begin this book with similar talks. My reluctance to this book being published before my death is increasingly definite; but I have put my hand to the plough, because of the overbearing argument that I cannot resist, that I shall be helping to (_a_) Avoid national bankruptcy. (_b_) Avert the insanity and wickedness of building a Navy against the United States. (_c_) Establish a union with America, as advocated by John Bright and Mr. Roosevelt. (_d_) Enable the United States and British Navies to say to all other Navies “If you build more, we will fight you, here and now. We’ll ‘Copenhagen’ you, without remorse.” This is why I have consented, with such extreme reluctance, to write letters to _The Times_ and dictate six articles; and having thus entered into the fight, I follow the advice of Polonius--_Vestigia nulla retrorsum_. And so, to-day, I will begin this book--not an autobiography, but a collection of memories of a life-long war against limpets, parasites, sycophants, and jellyfish--at one time there were 19½ millions sterling of ’em. At times they stung; but that only made me more relentless, ruthless and remorseless.