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A CHAPTER OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY.




                                   A
                       CHAPTER OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

                                  BY

                    THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE.

      "Blame not, before thou hast examined the truth: understand
      first, and then rebuke."--ECCLESIASTICUS, ch. ii.

                                LONDON:

                    JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

                                 1868.

             _The right of Translation is reserved._

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, DUKE STREET, STAMFORD
STREET, AND CHARING CROSS.




INTRODUCTION.


At a time when the Established Church of Ireland is on her trial, it is
not unfair that her assailants should be placed upon their trial too:
most of all, if they have at one time been her sanguine defenders.

But if not the matter of the indictment against them, at any rate that
of their defence, should be kept apart, as far as they are concerned,
from the public controversy, that it may not darken or perplex the
greater issue.

It is in the character of the author of a book called 'The State in
its Relations with the Church,' that I offer these pages to those who
may feel a disposition to examine them. They were written at the date
attached to them; but their publication has been delayed until after
the stress of the General Election.




A CHAPTER OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY.


Autobiography is commonly interesting; but there can, I suppose, be
little doubt that, as