THE LATE MR. AUBERON HERBERT.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.".1 remember hearing from my dear friend North Pinder, now, alas ! gone over to the majority, a curious anecdote of Mr. Auberon Herbert. He was staying at Finder's house, Rotherfield Greys Vicarage, near Henley-on-Thames, and there were other guests in the house. High debate was held on various questions, social and political ; and Auberon Herbert took, as was his habit in those days, a strong Tory line. One night, on retiring to bed, he asked for a book, to read when he should wake in the morning, and Pinder sup- plied him with a volume of Carlyle,—I wish that I could give the title. He came down to breakfast next day con- verted to Radicalism, if Radicalism is the right word for the political opinions which he held thenceforward. Possibly Anarchism would be better. It was a ease of instantaneous conversion, and it had this characteristic of conversion, that the "old man" was put away utterly and at once. This was Auberon Herbert's way; and I remember another remarkable instance of it,—I give the recollection in '8.4s.intely, good faith, but with reserve, for the thing happened many years ago... He was for some time a Founder's Kin Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, resident for a time and acting as a Lecturer, but afterwards non-resident. It was borne in upon him, after a while, that this was wrong, and he resigned his Fellowship. On the very day of his resignation he addressed a letter to the Vice-Chancellor strongly denouncing the whole system. No man could be more con- spicuously honest and sincere than Anberon Herbert, but these absolute breaks with the past, so admirable, and even necessary, in the province of morals, are apt to be misunder- stood in other regions of life.—I am, Sir, &c., ALFRED J. CHURCH.
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