From  the  last  entry  in  the  diary,  and  from  the  letter
which  follows  it,  it  is  clear  that  the  Bishop  had  no  expec
tation  of  succeeding  to  the  Archbishopric.  This  is  further
borne  out  by  a  sentence  taken  from  a  letter,  written  the
same  day,  to  Sir  Charles  Anderson :  '  That  fear  I  spoke  to
you  of  lest  he  should  injure  his  election  cry  is  so  likely  to  pre
vent  Disraeli,  in  this,  doing  what,  from  his  convictions,  would
be  his  own  course.'  A  day  or  two  after  the  Bishop  thus  writes
to  his  dear  friend  Bishop  Hamilton :  '  It  is,  indeed,  time  for
prayer.  I  am  daily  praying  that  we  may  have  in  mercy  the
right  man,  not  in  judgment  another.  It  can  hardly  be  that
under  any  possible  Archbishop  /  can  act  as  I  have  done
for  the  last  six  years,  so  that  I  feel  shelved  as  to  the  general
work  of  the  Church.  It  is  curious,  with  the  impressions  of
Churchmen's  unpopularity,  that  th$  workmen  yesterday  at


LIFE  OP  BistfoP  WiLBbttFORcz  333

Liverpool  turned  out,  filled  the  street,  and  welcomed  me  with
the  heartiest  cheers.'

What  others  thought  is  shown  by  a  letter  from  Dean  Hook
to  Sir  Charles  Anderson  : —

The  Deanery,  Chichester,  Oct.  30,  1868,

My  dear  Sir  Charles, — Oxford  for  Canterbury.  Do  write  to  me,
and  say  whether  we  can  do  anything.  He  may  refuse  the  place,
but  it  ought  to  be  offered  to  him.  It  is  his  due  from  the  Church,
and,  if  offered,  for  the  Church's  sake  he  ought  to  accept  it,  though,
if  he  does  accept,  I  doubt  whether  he  will  die  in  his  bed.  I  expect
a  fearful  persecution  of  the  clergy.  I  am  under  the  deepest  obliga
tions  to  our  dear  Bishop,  and  if  you  will  tell  me  what  I  (who  have
for  ten  years  retired  from  the  world)  can  do,  I  will  attempt  it.  My
wife,  like  yours,  is  on  a  sick  bed  and  never  likely  to  be  again  robust.
