Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/280

 standpoint the grandest, the most successful because well organised. During a short period of little less than three weeks (Feb. 1918) he delivered lectures at 30 places and collected one hundred and fifty thousand Rupees, He travelled one thousand miles by motor and an equal distance by railway. It was a triumph of will power pure and simple; for his body, old, weakened and ailing was utterly unable to bear the strain.

In a monemt of exhaustion he once said '* People can't possibly realise that I feel so weak. When the moment comes I lecture. But the body is all the while breaking under the strain. The lecture over, I retire from the crowds and sleep over my fatigue. Only my will supports me. The body is done up." Extensive tours — especially those that call forth constant crowds and require frequent lectures try the strength of the youngest and the most energetic. Mr. Tilak at 61 did not hesitate to undertake a long and busy tour, prepara- tory to his voyage to England. What an iron will he had!

The Home Rule Deputation was turned back from Colombo at the last moment and Mr. Tilak had to wait for some time more. In the meanwhile his defamation suit against Sir Valentine Chirol was hanging fire ; finding that it could not reasonably be postponed, the Government had to permit Mr. Tilak to proceed to England. The Bureaucracy, however, took special care to send Mr. Tilak with a gag on his mouth and a slur on his loyalty. He was required to give a pledge that he would not address any meetings while in England and a couple of months before Mr. Tilak proceeded to England he was prohibited from speaking in India with-