eminent victorians-第6章

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Naples；　and　the　miraculous　circumstances　connected　with　the

liquefaction　of　St。　Januarius's　blood；　'the　feast　of　St。　Gennaro

was　coming　on；　and　the　Jesuits　were　eager　for　us　to　stopthey

have　the　utmost　confidence　in　the　miracleand　were　the　more

eager　because　many　Catholics；　till　they　have　seen　it；　doubt　it。

Our　father　director　here　tells　us　that　before　he　went　to　Naples

he　did　not　believe　it。　That　is；　they　have　vague　ideas　of　natural

means；　exaggeration；　etc。；　not　of　course　imputing　fraud。　They　say

conversions　often　take　place　in　consequence。　It　is　exposed　for

the　Octave；　and　the　miracle　continuesit　is　not　simple

liquefaction；　but　sometimes　it　swells；　sometimes　boils；　sometimes

meltsno　one　can　tell　what　is　going　to　take　place。　They　say　it

is　quite　overcoming　…　and　people　cannot　help　crying　to　see　it。　I

understand　that　Sir　H。　Davy　attended　everyday；　and　it　was　this

extreme　variety　of　the　phenomenon　which　convinced　him　that

nothing　physical　would　account　for　it。　Yet　there　is　this

remarkable　fact　that　liquefactions　of　blood　are　common　at　Naples…

…and；　unless　it　is　irreverent　to　the　Great　Author　of　Miracles　to

be　obstinate　in　the　inquiry；　the　question　certainly　rises　whether

there　is　something　in　the　air。　（Mind；　I　don't　believe　there　is

and；　speaking　humbly；　and　without　having　seen　it；　think　it　a　true

miracle　but　I　am　arguing。）　We　saw　the　blood　of　St　Patrizia；

half　liquid；　i。e。　liquefying；　on　her　feast　day。　St　John　Baptist's

blood　sometimes　liquefies　on　the　29th　of　August；　and　did　when　we

were　at　Naples；　but　we　had　not　time　to　go　to　the　church。　We　saw

the　liquid　blood　of　an　Oratorian　Father；　a　good　man；　but　not　a

saint；　who　died　two　centuries　ago；　I　think；　and　we　saw　the　liquid

blood　of　Da　Ponte；　the　great　and　holy　Jesuit；　who；　I　suppose；　was

almost　a　saint。　But　these　instances　do　not　account　for

liquefaction　on　certain　days；　if　this　is　the　case。　But　the　most

strange　phenomenon　is　what　happens　at　Ravello；　a　village　or　town

above　Amalfi。　There　is　the　blood　of　St。　Pantaleon。　It　is　in　a

vessel　amid　the　stonework　of　the　Altar　…　it　is　not　touched　but　on

his　feast　in　June　it　liquefies。　And　more；　there　is　an

excommunication　against　those　who　bring　portions　of　the　True

Cross　into　the　Church。　Why？　Because　the　blood　liquefies；　whenever



it　is　brought。　A　person　I　know；　not　knowing　the　prohibition；

brought　in　a　portion；　and　the　Priest　suddenly　said；　who　showed

the　blood；　〃Who　has　got　the　Holy　Cross　about　him？〃　I　tell　you

what　was　told　me　by　a　grave　and　religious　man。　It　is　a　curious

coincidence　that　in　telling　this　to　our　Father　Director　here；　he

said；　〃Why；　we　have　a　portion　of　St。　Pantaleon's　blood　at　the

Chiesa　Nuova；　and　it　is　always　liquid。〃'



After　leaving　Naples；　Newman　visited　Loreto；　and　inspected　the

house　of　the　Holy　Family；　which；　as　is　known　to　the　faithful；　was

transported　thither；　in　three　hops；　from　Palestine。　'I　went　to

Loreto；'　he　wrote；　'with　a　simple　faith；　believing　what　I　still

more　believed　when　I　saw　it。　I　have　no　doubt　now。　If　you　ask　me

why　I　believe　it；　it　is　because　everyone　believes　it　at　Rome；

cautious　as　they　are　and　sceptical　about　some　other　things。　I

have　no　antecedent　difficulty　in　the　matter。　He　who　floated　the

Ark　on　the　surges　of　a　world…wide　sea；　and　enclosed　in　it　all

living　things；　who　has　hidden　the　terrestrial　paradise；　who　said

that　faith　might　move　mountains；　who　sustained　thousands　for

forty　years　in　a　sterile　wilderness；　who　transported　Elias　and

keeps　him　hidden　till　the　end；　could　do　this　wonder　also。'



Here；　whatever　else　there　may　be；　there　is　certainly　no　trace　of

a　desire　to　deceive。　Could　a　state　of　mind；　in　fact；　be　revealed

with　more　absolute　transparency？



When　Newman　was　a　child　he　'wished　that　he　could　believe　the

Arabian　Nights　were　true'。　When　he　came　to　be　a　man；　his　wish

seems　to　have　been　granted。



Tract　No。　90　was　officially　condemned　by　the　authorities　at

Oxford；　and　in　the　hubbub　that　followed；　the　contending　parties

closed　their　ranks；　henceforward；　any　compromise　between　the

friends　and　the　enemies　of　the　Movement　was　impossible。

Archdeacon　Manning　was　in　too　conspicuous　a　position　to　be　able

to　remain　silent；　he　was　obliged　to　declare　himself；　and　he　did

not　hesitate。　In　an　archidiaconal　charge；　delivered　within　a　few

months　of　his　appointment；　he　firmly　repudiated　the　Tractarians。

But　the　repudiation　was　not　deemed　sufficient；　and　a　year　later

he　repeated　it　with　greater　emphasis。　Still；　however；　the　horrid

rumours　were　afloat。　The　〃Record〃　began　to　investigate　matters；

and　its　vigilance　was　soon　rewarded　by　an　alarming　discovery：　the

sacrament　had　been　administered　in　Chichester　Cathedral　on　a

weekday；　and　'Archdeacon　Manning；　one　of　the　most　noted　and

determined　of　the　Tractarians；　had　acted　a　conspicuous　part　on

the　occasion'。　It　was　clear　that　the　only　way　of　silencing　these

malevolent　whispers　was　by　some　public　demonstration　whose　import

nobody　could　doubt。　The　annual　sermon　preached　on　Guy　Fawkes　Day

before　the　University　of　Oxford　seemed　to　offer　the　very

opportunity　that　Manning　required。　He　seized　it；　got　himself

appointed　preacher；　and　delivered　from　the　pulpit　of　St。　Mary's　a

virulently　Protestant　harangue。　This　time　there　could　indeed　be

no　doubt　about　the　matter：　Manning　had　shouted　'No　Popery！'　in

the　very　citadel　of　the　Movement；　and　every　one；　including

Newman；　recognised　that　he　had　finally　cut　himself　off　from　his

old　friends。　Everyone；　that　is　to　say；　except　the　Archdeacon

himself。　On　the　day　after　the　sermon；　Manning　walked　out　to　the

neighbouring　village　of　Littlemore；　where　Newman　was　now　living

in　retirement　with　a　few　chosen　disciples；　in　the　hope　of　being

able　to　give　a　satisfactory　explanation　of　what　he　had　done。　But

he　was　disappointed；　for　when；　after　an　awkward　interval；　one　of

the　disciples　appeared　at　the　door；　he　was　informed　that　Mr。

Newman　was　not　at　home。



With　his　retirement　to　Littlemore；　Newman　had　entered　upon　the

final　period　of　his　Anglican　career。　Even　he　could　no　longer　help

perceiving　that　the　end　was　now　only　a　matter　of　time。　His

progress　was　hastened　in　an　agitating　manner　by　the　indiscreet

activity　of　one　of　his　proselytes；　W。　G。　Ward。　a　young　man　who

combined　an　extraordinary　aptitude　for　a　priori　reasoning　with　a

passionate　devotion　to　Opera　Bouffe。　It　was　difficult；　in　fact；

to　decide　whether　the　inner　nature　of　Ward　was　more　truly

expressing　itself　when　he　was　firing　off　some　train　of　scholastic

paradoxes　on　the　Eucharist　or　when　he　was　trilling　the　airs　of

Figaro　and　plunging　through　the　hilarious　roulades　of　the　Largo

al　Factotum。　Even　Dr。　Pusey　could　riot　be　quite　sure；　though　he

was　Ward's　spiritual　director。　On　one　occasion　his　young　penitent

came　to　him；　and　confessed　that　a　vow　which　he　had　taken　to

abstain　from　music　during　Lent　was　beginning　to　affect　his

health。　Could　Dr。　Pusey　see　his　way　to　releasing　him　from　the

vow？　　The　Doctor　decided　that　a　little　sacred　music　would　not　be

amiss。　Ward　was　all　gratitude；　and　that　night　a　party　was

arranged　in　a　friend's　rooms。　The　concert　began　with　the　solemn

harmonies　of　Handel；　which　were　followed　by　the　holy　strains　of

the　'0h　Salutaris'　of　Cherubini。　Then　came　the　elevation　and　the

pomp　of　'Possenti　Numi'　from　the　Magic　Flute。　But；　alas！　there

lies　much　danger　in　Mozart。　The　page　was　turned　and　there　was　the

delicious　duet　between　Papageno　and　Papagena。　Flesh　and　blood

could　not　resist　that；　then　song　followed　song；　the　music　waxed

faster　and　lighter；　until；　at　last　Ward　burst　into　the

intoxicating　merriment　of　the　Largo　al　Factotum。　When　it　was

over；　a　faint　but　persistent　knocking　made　itself　heard　upon　the

wall；　and　it　was　only　then　that　the　company　remembered　that　the

rooms　next　door　were　Dr。　Pusey's。



The　same　entrain　which　carried　Ward　away　when　he　sat　down　to　a

piano　possessed　him　whenever　he　embarked　on　a　religious

discussion。　'The　thing　that　was　utterly　abhorrent　to　him；'　said

one　of　his　friends；　'was　to　stop　short。'　Given　the　premises；　he

would　follow　out　their　implications　with　the　mercilessness　of　a

medieval　monk；　and　when　he　had　reached　the　last　limits　of

argument；　be　ready　to　maintain　whatever　propositions　he　might

find　there　with　his　dying　breath。　He　had　the　extreme　innocence　of

a　child　and　a　mathematician。　Captivated　by　the　glittering　eye　of

Newman；　he　swallowed　whole　the　supernatural　conception　of　the

universe　which　Newman　had　evolved；　accepted　it　as　a　fundamental

premise；　and　'began　at　once　to　deduce　from　it　whatsoever　there

might　be　to　be　deduced。'　His　very　first　deductions　included

irrefutable　proofs　of　（I）　God's　particular　providence　for

individuals；　（2）　the　real　efficacy　of　intercessory　prayer；　（3）

the　reality　of　our　communion　with　the　saints　departed；　（4）　the　

constant　presence　and　assistance　of　the　angels　of　God。　　Later　on

he　explained　mathematically　the　importance　of　the　Ember　Days：

'Who　can　tell；'　he　added；　'the　degree　of　blessing　lost　to　us　in

this　land　by　neglecting；　as　we　alone　of　Christian　Churches　do

neglect；　these　holy　days？'　He　then　proceeded　to　convict　the

Reformers；　not　only　of　rebellion；　but'for　my　own　part　I　see　not

how　we　can　avoid　addingof　perjury。'　Every　day　his　arguments

became　more　extreme；　more　rigorously　exact；　and　more　distressing

to　his　master。　Newman　was　in　the　position　of　a　cautious

commander…in…chief　being　hurried　into　an　engagement　against　his

will　by　a　dashing　cavalry　officer。　Ward　forced　him　forward　step

by　step　towards　…　no！　he　could　not　bear　it；　he　shuddered　and　drew

back。　But　it　was　of　no　avail。　In　vain　did　Keble　and　Pusey　wring

their　hands　and　stretch　forth　their　pleading　arms　to　their　now

vanishing　brother。　The　fatal　moment　was　fast　approaching。　Ward　at

last　published　a　devastating　book　in　which　he　proved

conclusively；　by　a　series　of　syllogisms；　that　the　only　proper

course　for　the　Church　of　England　was　to　repent　in　sackcloth　and

ashes　her　separation　from　the　Communion　of　Rome。　The　reckless

author　was　deprived　of　his　degree　by　an　outraged　University；　and

a　few　weeks　later　was　received　into　the　Catholic　Church。



Newman；　in　a　kind　of　despair；　had　flung　himself　into　the　labours

of　historical　compilation。　His　views　of　history　had　changed　since

the　days　when；　as　an　undergraduate；　he　had　feasted　on　the　worldly

pages　of　Gibbon。　'Revealed　religion；'　he　now　thought；　'furnishes

facts　to　other　sciences；　which　those　sciences；　left　to

themselves；　would　never　reach。　Thus；　in　the　science　of　history；

the　preservation　of　our　race　in　Noah's　Ark　is　an　historical　fact；

which　history　never　would　arrive　at　without　revelation。'　With

these　principles　to　guide　him；　he　plunged　with　his　disciples　into

a　prolonged　study　of　the　English　Saints。　Biographies　soon

appeared　of　St。　Bega；　St。　Adamnan；　St。　Gundleus；　St。　Guthlake；

Brother　Drithelm；　St。　Amphibalus；　St。　WuIstan；　St。　Ebba；　St。

Neot；　St。　Ninian；　and　Cunibert　the　Hermit