Mr. Gladstone in lecturing last Monday on Dr. Hook,—the late
Dean of Chichester,—and in delineating his great talents and great virtues, yet described him as naturally a regular John Bull. " Sixty years ago it was the duty of every Englishman to hate the French," and " Dr. Hook, wishing to do his duty as an English- man, hated the French." "It was part then of every English- man's creed to hate the Pope, and Dr. Hook hated him also."
He had prejudices of that kind, but they were all upon the sur- face, and his character was such that had either a Frenchman or the Pope ever stood in any need in which Dr. Hook could have helped him, he would have done so, with all his heart." That is a -fine type of character, and capable perhaps of more successful work than characters of less easy prejudices ; but it is hardly the most spiritual type. These strong prejudices imbibed from the social atmosphere, are resisted by men the roots of whose sympathies go deeper and depend more directly on spiritual standards of life, and accordingly we doubt whether, noble as Dr. Hook's life was, it was one of the most *alp religious type. It was rather that of the devoted servant of duty,—plain, transparent, disinterested, courageous, unwearied,—than of the highest type of religious teacher. Dr. Hook was a John Bull, and John Bull, with many excellent qualities, can hardly be justly con- sidered great in spiritual discernment.
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