but avoiding the necessity of undeceiving one another,
and covering their disagreements and miscalculations
by concessions or by silence. A rare example of in-
telligence and patient moderation in an incurably-
false position; a position which could not continue
without growing worse as it became more clear, but
which, thanks to the exercise of these political virtues,
could and did last for a long while yet! In Parlia-
ment, light was beginning to be thrown on this danger;
in the country two important facts, the Anti-Corn
Law League and the condition of Ireland, hastened
the progress of events, and constrained Sir Robert
Peel to proceed more rapidly in the course on which
he had entered.

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