little time to show that there could never be any
return to hope. The days that might still be left
to him must henceforth be conquered day by day
from death. In the extremity of ruin and defeat
he found a higher fidelity and a perfect strength.
The way of success was closed, the way of coura-
geous effort still lay open. Touched with the spirit
of that impassioned patriotism which animated all
his powers, he believed that before he died some
faithful work might yet be accomplished for those
who should come after him. At the moment of
his greatest bodily weakness, when fear had deep-
ened into the conviction that he had scarcely a few
weeks to live, his decision was made. The old
plans for work were taken out, and from these a
new scheme was rapidly drawn up in such a form
that if strength lasted it might be wrought into a
continuous narrative, while if life failed some fin-
ished part of it might be embodied in the earlier
"History." Thus, under the shadow of death, the
"Making of England" was begun. During the five
summer months in which it was written that shadow
never lifted. It was the opinion of his doctors that
life was only prolonged from day to day throughout
that time by the astonishing force of his own will,
by the constancy of a resolve that had wholly set
aside all personal aims. His courage took no touch
of gloom or disappointment; every moment of com-
parative ease was given to his task; when such mo-
ments failed, hours of languor and distress were given

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