Gladstone as "Herod" appeared
to me a self-conscious joke, and not, as some earnest Liberals seemed to
think, a gross, foul, and deliberate insult. Indeed, I believed--and
subsequent events have confirmed that view--that Joe was thinking a good
deal more of himself as the centre of a dramatic and historic scene than
of wounding Mr. Gladstone. And, then, the use of the word "Judas" must
be taken with the context. Mr. Chamberlain was talking of the "days of
Herod," and when I called out "Judas," what I really meant was why not
select Judas, and not Herod, who was his contemporary, if you will refer
to this particular epoch of human history. I say all these things, not
by way of extenuation; for really I regard the incident as closed; not
by way of defending myself from rancour, for I felt none; but with a
view to preventing an entirely incorrect view and impression of an
historical evening from being stereotyped.
[Sidenote: "I used it on purpose."]
And I can call a very potent and trustworthy witness as to this being
the proper view of the incident; for I understand that, almost
immediately after the scene, a good-natured Liberal said to Mr.
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