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[Illustration:  FANCY PORTRAIT.

(Dedicated to Lord Chief Justice Coleridge.)

“THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF NOVA SCOTIA, PRELATE OF THE ORDER OF THE SUN,” CAUGHT CHEATING AT CARDS (HYPOTHETICALLY) BY THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, AND TAKEN, INSTANTANEOUSLY, BY OUR ARTIST.]

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ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.

House of Commons, Monday Night, June 8.—­I knew DYKE first when (good many years ago now) as DIZZY’s whip he hunted in couple with ROWLAND WINN; then always called HART DYKE.  Like many other young men he has in interval lost his HART, and now known as Sir WILLIAM DYKE.  Curious thing, as SARK reminds me, how absorbent is the name of WILLIAM.  Quite probable that before Black-Eyed Susan’s friend came prominently on the stage he had some other Christian name, sunk when he was promoted to shadow of yard-arm.  Certainly there is an equally eminent man sitting opposite DYKE in House to-night, who like him is “Sir WILLIAM” to the present generation, and was VERNON HARCOURT to an elder one.

DYKE, under whatever name, done excellently well to-night.  Holding comparatively minor appointment in Ministry, suddenly finds himself in charge of principal measure of Session.  Handicapped, moreover, with recollections of time when he has uncompromisingly declared himself against the very principle he now embodies in Bill, and invites House to add to Statute Book.

That was first hedge for DYKE to take, and he went over in plucky style that threw the scorner off his trail.  Didn’t live in close communication with DIZZY through six long years for nothing.  Not likely to forget what happened in very earliest days of Parliament of 1874, when DIZZY for first time found himself not only in office but in power.  During election campaign DIZZY, speaking in the safety of Buckinghamshire, had made some wild statement about easing the chains of Ireland.  Simply designed to gain Irish vote; forgotten as soon as spoken.  But ROBERT MONTAGU—­where, by the way, is ROBERT MONTAGU?—­treasured these things up in his heart, and when DIZZY appeared in the House, Leader of triumphant majority, asked him what he was going to do about it?

“It is sometime since the observations referred to were made,” said DIZZY, “and—­er—­a good deal has happened in the interval.”

DYKE, recalling and admitting his former statements on Free Education, did not attempt to minimise their import.  “But.” he said, button-holing House as it were, and treating it quite confidentially, “the fact is we all change our minds.”  House laughed at this as it had laughed at DIZZY seventeen years ago, and DYKE, absolved and encouraged, went forward with his speech.

Not a brilliant oration in any way; neither exordium nor peroration, and the middle occasionally a little mixed.  But a good sensible straightforward speech, and if DYKE had done no more than show that an important Ministerial measure could be explained within limit of an hour, he would not have lived in vain.