John Morley: “Am always feeling how strong is his aversion to seeing more than he can help of what is sordid, mean, ignoble.”

My desire is thoroughly to shake up all the materials of the question.

No: not at all; because there is so much, I will not say of random variety, but there is so much independent use of mind upon the facts that we have to deal with, that I listen with endless edification and instruction.

All alike concerned themselves with its truth or falsehood, with what they counted to be its abstract fitness or unfitness.

If I were going to remain Indian Secretary for some time to come, my every effort would be devoted to an abatement of that enormous amount of writing.