Mr. Stanhope made a speech at Spilsby, in Lincolnshire, on
Wednesday, in which he did justice to Sir William Harcourt's remarkable aptitude for turning round upon himself,—in rela- tion to the Tithes measure. Sir William, he said, was absolutely ready at any time to contradict what he had said the day before, and his action in the House of Commons reminded him forcibly of the proceedings of one of Sir William's ancestors, a certain Lord Harcourt, who was going to fight a duel with another man on account of a lady. Lord Harcourt wished the duel to take place at once ; but his second pointed out to him that it was usual, and would be more proper, to allow a certain time to elapse before the duel was fought. To this Lord Harcourt replied : " No ; I will not wait. I believe I love the lady now, but I am not quite sure that I should love her
to-morrow." So Sir William Harcourt was compelled to fight his political duels at once, on behalf of sentiments which, for anything he knew, he should not hold the next day, if he were to be rash enough to wait till the next day before taking up the quarrel.
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