| CHAPTER I |
| 1849-1874 EARLY YEARS |
| PAGE |
| Blenheim—Woodstock—Birth and parentage—Childhood—Cheam—Eton—The family borough—Merton—The Blenheim harriers—Life at Oxford—Cowes 1873—Miss Jerome—The Woodstock election—Marriage | 1 |
| CHAPTER II |
| 1874-1880 MEMBER FOR WOODSTOCK |
| The Parliament of 1874—A maiden speech—A social quarrel—Ireland—At the Little Lodge—FitzGibbon and Howth—The Historical Society—Irish politics—Butt and Parnell—The beginnings of obstruction—An unguarded speech—Irish education—The Eastern question—Correspondence with Sir Charles Dilke—The County Government Bill—The Irish Famine Fund—Ministerial embarrassments—Lord Beaconsfield’s letter to the Duke of Marlborough—The General Election of 1880—Mr. Gladstone’s triumph | 58 |
| CHAPTER III |
| 1880-1883 THE FOURTH PARTY |
| Position of parties—Tory depression—Bradlaugh—The origin of the Fourth Party—The four friends—The Employers’ Liability Bill—Fourth Party tactics—Differences with leaders—Sir Stafford Northcote—Activities of the Fourth Party—The Fourth Party and Lord Beaconsfield—Lord Salisbury at Woodstock—Correspondence with Wolff—Joyous days | 119 |
| CHAPTER IV |
| 1881-1882 IRELAND UNDER STORM |
| Outbreak of the storm—The Parnell movement—Irish speeches—The Compensation for Disturbance Bill—The winter of 1880—The Land League—The revolt of the Boers—Coercion—Mr. Forster’s misfortunes—The Kilmainham Treaty—The Closure—Lord Beaconsfield gone | 172 |
| CHAPTER V |
| 1883 ELIJAH’S MANTLE |
| The war in Egypt—The Conservative leaders—Minor tactics in the House of Commons—Correspondence with Sir Stafford Northcote—The Beaconsfield statue—Lord Randolph’s letter to the Times—Party displeasure—Elijah’s mantle—The Affirmation Bill—The Primrose League—An Ishmaelite at bay—His father’s death—An interlude | 224 |
| CHAPTER VI |
| 1882-1885 TORY DEMOCRACY |
| A period of crisis—Conditions in the House of Commons—Conservative paralysis—The new champion—Power and popularity of Lord Randolph Churchill—The Tory Democrat—A ‘Trilogy’ at Edinburgh—The Blackpool speech—The Birmingham candidature—‘Peace, Retrenchment and Reform’—Tory democracy and Fair Trade—Tory democracy and the Constitution—The Church of England—The main achievement | 268 |
| CHAPTER VII |
| 1883-1884 THE PARTY MACHINE |
| A daring enterprise—The Fourth Party: final phase—The National Union and the Central Committee—The conference at Birmingham—The proceedings of the new council—Dispute with Lord Salisbury—Lord Randolph elected chairman—The ‘charter’ letter—‘Notice to quit’—A declaration of war—Close fighting—Lord Randolph resigns—Satisfaction in the House of Commons—Dismay in the Conservative party—Intervention of the provincial leaders—Lord Randolph reinstated—Progress of the conflict | 302 |
| CHAPTER VIII |
| 1884 THE REFORM BILL |
| Embarrassments of the Ministry—‘Too late!’—The advent of the Reform Bill—Divisions in the Conservative party—Lord Randolph and reform—The ‘mud cabin’ argument—Power of Lord Randolph Churchill in the House of Commons—The second vote of censure—The Reform Bill in the Lords—Conflict between the two Houses—The conference of the National Union at Sheffield—Lord Randolph’s victory—Agreement with Lord Salisbury—The autumn campaign—Aston riots—The Aston debate—Correspondence with Chamberlain—Differences with Gorst—An Indian voyage | 332 |
| CHAPTER IX |
| 1885 THE FALL OF THE GOVERNMENT |
| 1885-1785: a comparison—Increasing weakness and perplexities of the Ministry—Lord Randolph returns—His authority over the Conservative party—Penjdeh and the Vote of Credit—Correspondence with Lord Salisbury—Lord Randolph’s attacks upon Mr. Gladstone and Lord Granville—The Crimes Act—A mortal blow—Strange constitutional situation—Relations with the Irish party—Defeat of the Government—A threefold crisis—Formation of Lord Salisbury’s First Administration—Lord Randolph refuses to join—The Interregnum—Lord Randolph’s own account of these transactions—Appeals of various kinds—At the Inns of Court—A Parliamentary incident—Sir Stafford retires—Euthanasia of the Fourth party—Moriturus te saluto | 375 |
| CHAPTER X |
| 1885 THE ‘MINISTRY OF CARETAKERS’ |
| Lord Salisbury’s difficulties—The last of the Woodstock elections—The new ministry—A truce at Westminster—A legislative feat—‘Maamtrasna’ and its consequences—Lord Carnarvon’s opinions—The ‘empty house’ meeting—The Prime Minister’s reticence—The Conservative Cabinet and Home Rule—The election campaign—General confusion—The ‘unauthorised programme’—Parnell’s demand—The lines of battle—Lord Randolph’s exertions and activities—A visit to Dublin—‘Come over and help us’—Dispute with Lord Hartington—The ‘boa-constrictor’ speech—The contest in Birmingham—Popularity of the Conservative Government—The poll—Victories of Tory Democracy in the boroughs—The loss of the counties—The Birmingham Election—‘Low water-mark’ | 423 |
| CHAPTER XI |
| 1885 AT THE INDIA OFFICE |
| A serener sphere—The Council of India—Lord Randolph in office—Railway development in India—Mr. Moore—The Russian crisis—The Afghan boundary—Correspondence with the Queen—Increase of the British and Native Armies in India—Appointment of Sir Frederick Roberts—The Indian Budget in the House of Commons—Lord Randolph and Lord Salisbury as letter-writers—The Bombay command—Resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill—Correspondence—Lord Salisbury yields—Settlement of the dispute—Conquest and annexation of Burma—The New Year’s Proclamation | 474 |
