18o MEMORIES OF MY LIFE
years of the Hon. George Brodrick, in his later years Warden of Merton, whose memoirs are probably known to most of my readers. When I first knew him he was reputed one of the foremost of those rising men at Oxford who were contemporaries with my brother-in-law, Arthur Butler, and among whom was Goschen. Brodrick became a distinguished journalist, for many years on the staff of the Times. H e had a strong taste for geography, partly through being sent in his youth on a long voyage to India and back, for the sake of his health. Becoming a member of the Council of the Royal Geographical Society, he gave important help to the introduction of Geography into the curriculum of his University. He was always a warm friend to me, and I enjoyed not a few brief visits to Merton College when he was established there as its Warden. His eccentricities were all amiable, and gave harmless amusement to his friends ; especially his reluctance in accepting the proferred Wardenship of Merton, for which his friends thought he was exactly suited. He, however, considered it to have a serious drawback in depriving him of the possibility of a Parliamentary career, to which most of them considered him unsuited. Moreover, he had twice been an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in Parliament. I do not attempt more in these few lines than to express my grateful remembrance of him, and my appreciation of his many great qualities, including a large capacity for steadfast friendships and a highly religious mind very tolerant of the differing opinions of others.
A grateful intimacy grew up between my wife and myself and Mr. Frederick North of Rougham, in
