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GLADIOLUS

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GLADSTONE

contests. They were finally stopped by the splendid daring of Telemachus, an Asiatic monk, who in 404 journeyed to Rome and there, rushing into the arena, strove to part two gladiators. The spectators stoned him to death, but the Emperor Honorius proclaimed him a martyr and issued an edict suppressing such exhibitions.

Gladi'olus, an ornamental plant of the iris family. It has beautiful spikes of flowers, sword - shaped leaves and a flattened solid bulb from which the stem grows. Sword-lily and corn-flag are names sometimes applied to these plants. There are both hardy arid tender kinds. Several kinds are European, but the majority are from the Cape of Good Hope. They are raised from bulbs or from seed, and in this way many hybrids or mixed sorts have been produced. Among the tender kinds which are grown in pots in winter or planted in the open ground in spring, the most popular P^\ and brilliant are these hy-'& } brids. In size, beauty of form and variety of flower - coloring they far excel any of the other kinds and are constantly improving. The colors range from pure white through rose to crimson, scarlet and violet; some have yellow as the prevailing color; and some are variously striped, shaded and stained in the most brilliant combinations. See Robinson's Flower-Gar den.

Gladstone (glad'stun}, Herbert J., M. P. for Leeds, West, in the English Parliament, is the fourth son of the late Wm. Ewart Gladstone, in whose last government he held office as Under Home-Secretary and later as First Commissioner of Works, besides acting for a time as private secretary to his distinguished father. In the Liberal ministry of Campbell-Bannerman, Mr. Gladstone held the portfolio of Secretary of State for Home Affairs: he also was a member of Lord Roseberry's ministry in 1904-05. Mr. Gladstone was born in London in 1854, and educated at Eton and at University College, Oxford. From 1877 to 1880 he was lecturer on modern history at Keble College, after which he went into politics during his father's regime, and successively became a junior H>rd of the Treasury, financial secretary in

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the War office and, finally, Under Home-Secretary etc. and member for Leeds.

Gladstone, William Ewart, a British statesman, author and orator, was born of

Scottish descent at Liverpool, Dec. 29, 1809; and dfed at Ha-warden Castle, May 19, 1898. He studied at Eton, and graduated at Oxford as double first-class, the highest honor and one rarely attained. He entered parliament in 1832 as a Conservative,

and became known as a young man of brilliant promise. (Lord Macaulay called him "the rising hope of the stern and unbending Tories.") He was soon called upon to hold office. In 1834 he was made junior lord of the treasury, and the next year under-secretary for the colonies, by Sir Robert Peel, and the two men became close political and personal friends. Gladstone was not a member of the parliament during the period when England.^ veered to free trade, but he was in favor of the new policy. In 1847, still a Tory, he was chosen one of the representatives from the University of Oxford. The death of Peel in 1850 brought Gladstone more directly to the front. His first great speech was made in answer to Disraeli, and from that hour he was recognized as one of the great historic orators of the English parliament. With that speech began the long parliamentary duel between these two masters of debate, which was carried on for twenty-four years. As chancellor of the exchequer, Gladstone made his first budget-speech, which which was said to be the finest explanation of financial questions ever made by a British statesman, and people came to look forward to these speeches with the same interest with which the performance of a great composer is awaited, In 1858 Gladstone was sent on a mission to the Ionian Islands, and about 1859 he became classed as an advanced Liberal. In 1865 the death of Palmerston made Gladstone leader of the house of commons

He now began to turn his attention to the distracted state of Ireland. In 1868 he became prime minister, and immediately a multitude of reform-measures followed. But by 1874 the wave of reform had subsided, the reaction came, and he resigned and retired from the leadership of the house of commons. For some time he occupied himself with literary and historical studies. But he was soon called back to power, and in 1880 again became prime-minister*

WILLIAM  E. GLADSTONE