Philip Rose, who was his solicitor, his friend, his executor; who
had stuck by him "per angusta ad augusta," was of priceless service in
placing before him, from time to time, the facts, affecting
Confederation, as I collected them.
My first acquaintance with Mr. Disraeli was the consequence of my
connection, as an honorary secretary, with the "Manchester Athenaeum," a
literary institute, originated in 1835 by Richard Cobden, on his return
from a visit to his brother in the United States, a country at that
time on the rage for social clubs with classic names. The "Manchester
Athenaeum," owing partly to defective management and architectural
costliness, partly to some years of bad trade and deficient employment,
and partly to an unfortunate sectarian conflict, had fallen into debt
and difficulty; and a few of the younger members, who had profited by
the existence of the institution, came to the rescue, and by various
methods got rid of its debts, and set it fairly on the way again. One
method was, the holding of a great literary soiree in the Manchester
Free Trade Hall. The audience was more than 4,000. The President was
Charles Dickens.
On the morning of the day before the soiree, which took place on
Thursday, the 5th of October, 1843, I received a note, in these terms,
from Mr.
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