primitive man which are to be found on the wolds and moors of Yorkshire. They appealed strongly to his antiquarian instincts, and he often looked forward to the time when he could study them carefully at leisure. His old enemy, asthma, re-appeared at this time and gave him much trouble. He left Wrea Head in the middle of October "with rather a heavy heart, not quite up to the mark physically and not quite knowing what shall befall me." On his way up to town he was cheered by a visit to Hucknall where he addressed his constituents. These meetings with old friends always stirred him to the core and brought up memories of the past on which he loved to dwell. With a nature full of tenderness and affection he was more keenly sensible than most men of similar feeling in others. "The one thread that never breaks is their extraordinary kindness," he says of the Rushcliffe electors. A few weeks later an occasion arose which more than ever showed the place he held in their hearts. In recognition of his having attained his majority as member for the division. of Rushcliffe a presentation, which took the form of his portrait painted by Mr. Percy Bigland, was made to him in the Mechanics' Hall, Nottingham, on December 1. The large building was crowded to its utmost limits, and when Ellis rose to accept the gift the enthusiasm was indescribable, the vast audience rising to their feet and cheering for several minutes. In a speech recounting many incidents of his twentyone years' membership Ellis with considerable feeling expressed his gratitude. Many present were old friends who had voted for him in his first contest and who had continued their confidence in him by supporting him that year. During the twenty-one years of his membership for the division he had had six contests each with 1906] CARES OF OFFICE a different opponent. The only other member of the Government who had equalled this record was Mr. Herbert Gladstone.1 Another fact which he could not help noting was that Sir Charles Seely who had proposed him as a candidate for the division in 1884 and had afterwards voted Unionist had also voted for him in 1906. In the last few lines of a diary kept for over half a century Mr. Gladstone had written, "I have perhaps through life been over careless of symbols." The speaker felt that the true value of the portrait which they had given him was in its being a sign and symbol of the unwavering support of a great constituency and, as had been said by others at the meeting, of the growing, increasing and strengthening ties of affection between him and them. In the midst of such scenes indications were not lacking that the responsibilities of representing the division, the cares of office and the indifferent health to which he had been a prey, were making themselves felt. To a friend he writes in October : I am not feeling at all well and that of course as you know has much to do with one's outlook. Although one must try and rise above it, it is a factor to be reckoned with in coming to conclusions. No man can do his duty if his body and mind drag. It has not come to the latter yet, but it might. In November he reviewed the situation most carefully, and was convinced that the time had come when the burden of toil must be lessened. He writes: : London, 13 Nov. 1906. In about a month I shall have completed my first year of office and then intend to take a quiet and serious review of the whole position (official, political, 1 Now Lord Gladstone. parliamentary, commercial, family, &c., &c.) in all its aspects and come to a conclusion. After some 21 years of pretty strenuous public life, no one can I think wonder if now and again, when a little below par, I begin to long for rest. This year has been a very heavy one, and cannot be repeated. But for these next four or five weeks I intend to go quietly on, doing the day's work, and I am sure I shall get through all right. From this it was but a step to a decision of far importance the resignation of office. To Jesse Hind. greater India Office, 11 Dec. 1906. After careful consideration I am resigning my post here. The reasons are various and cumulative; health, the peculiar duties of this office which make it almost essential that its holder should not leave London for more than short intervals, and those few and far between, other claims and duties in Notts and Yorks. During 1906 my work has dragged and been as a matter of fact, heavier in its draught on mind and body, than ever before in my life. Doubts began to rise in my mind even in July but they crystallised and became a conviction in October. My wife fully concurs, I need hardly say. I have talked matters over with J. Morley and Campbell-Bannerman. Nothing could be pleasanter than both of them, especially the latter. It is a pain to me to sever my official connection with him. But he remarked, "I think you may help me, perhaps even more, when in your position again, watching and advising." As often happens since the die was finally cast (about ten days ago) my health and tone have steadily improved. 1906] To J. R. RESIGNATION Scalby, 15 Dec. 1906. A most delightful letter from the Prime Minister, altogether one could not have had a pleasanter wind-up from office. Special circumstances connected with his own private affairs conduced to make the year both an anxious and trying one. A large new Colliery of which he was the Chairman of the Directors, had been opened at Sherwood, and his cousin, F. N. Ellis, who had the direct management of the whole concern, was laid aside by a long and severe illness. As a consequence, John Ellis was obliged to take up the onerous business cares from which he had expected to be free when he first took office. There is no doubt that this had a prejudicial effect on his health, and accounts for the overstrain often referred to in his letters at this time, and eventually caused him to carry out the advice he often gave to others, i.e., " Measure your strength; a hundred acres well cultivated is better than a thousand badly done." CHAPTER XIV OUT OF HARNESS A HOLIDAY tour in the South of France and Italy at the beginning of 1907 helped to recruit Ellis's health. During it his antiquarian instincts were again aroused. He records (January 5): "To Dr. W. A. Sturge's to lunch. A most interesting man and probably one of the highest authorities in Europe as to prehistoric man, especially as to his possession and use of stone implements. Dr. Sturge's collection wonderful. Such axes, adzes, spears, sickles, and spear heads from stones weighing many pounds to elfin darts of less than an ounce. Many notes of a similar kind follow, and later in the year he writes to his brother-in-law:"Some time when I am less fit for other things, if Providence thinks fit to keep me here, I must try to give a little more time to these fascinating things. How one would like to know the real story of that monolith at Rudstone! Of one thing I am quite certain, that man was a much more highly civilised being long before the dawn of history Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldee or whatever you like, than is probably even now recognised." But his life was destined to be strenuous one to the |