Gladstone as a Man of Letters

Abstract

Expanded version of 1981 Bryce Lecture by a professor emeritus of history, Somerville College, Oxford. Examines Gladstone’s motivation for writing. Traces his career as a literary figure from his early articles published in various reviews in the 1840s to his later work in the same publications. Lengthy analysis of his work on Homer. Sees Gladstone qualifying as a “man of letters” because he read widely and was able to write eloquently about his considered opinions on literature, history, and politics.