eminent victorians-第7章

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

Neot；　St。　Ninian；　and　Cunibert　the　Hermit。　Their　austerities；

their　virginity；　and　their　miraculous　powers　were　described　in

detail。　The　public　learned　with　astonishment　that　St　Ninian　had

turned　a　staff　into　a　tree；　that　St。　German　had　stopped　a　cock

from　crowing；　and　that　a　child　had　been　raised　from　the　dead　to

convert　St。　Helier。　The　series　has　subsequently　been　continued　by

a　more　modern　writer　whose　relation　of　the　history　of　the　blessed

St。　Mael　contains；　perhaps；　even　more　matter　for　edification　than

Newman's　biographies。



At　the　time；　indeed；　those　works　caused　considerable　scandal。

Clergymen　denounced　them　in　pamphlets。　St。　Cuthbert　was　described

by　his　biographer　as　having　'carried　the　jealousy　of　women；

characteristic　of　all　the　saints；　to　an　extraordinary　pitch'。　An

example　was　given；　whenever　he　held　a　spiritual　conversation　with

St　Ebba；　he　was　careful　to　spend　the　ensuing　ours　of　darkness　'in

prayer；　up　to　his　neck　in　water'。　'Persons　who　invent　such

tales；'　wrote　one　indignant　commentator；　'cast　very　grave　and

just　suspicions　on　the　purity　of　their　own　minds。　And　young

persons；　who　talk　and　think　in　this　way；　are　in　extreme　danger　of

falling　into　sinful　habits。　As　to　the　volumes　before　us；　the

authors　have；　in　their　fanatical　panegyrics　of　virginity；　made

use　of　language　downright　profane。'



One　of　the　disciples　at　Littlemore　was　James　Anthony　Froude；　the

younger　brother　of　Hurrell；　and　it　fell　to　his　lot　to　be

responsible　for　the　biography　of　St。　Neot。　While　he　was　composing

it；　he　began　to　feel　some　qualms。　Saints　who　lighted　fires　with

icicles；　changed　bandits　into　wolves；　and　floated　across　the

Irish　Channel　on　altar…stones；　produced　a　disturbing　effect　on

his　historical　conscience。　But　he　had　promised　his　services　to

Newman；　and　he　determined　to　carry　through　the　work　in　the　spirit

in　which　he　had　begun　it。　He　did　so；　but　he　thought　it　proper　to

add　the　following　sentence　by　way　of　conclusion：　'This　is　all；

and　indeed　rather　more　than　all；　that　is　known　to　men　of　the

blessed　St。　Neot；　but　not　more　than　is　known　to　the　angels　in

heaven。'



Meanwhile；　the　English　Roman　Catholics　were　growing　impatient；

was　the　great　conversion　never　coming；　for　which　they　had　prayed

so　fervently　and　so　long？　Dr。　Wiseman；　at　the　head　of　them；　was

watching　and　waiting　with　special　eagerness。　His　hand　was　held

out　under　the　ripening　fruit；　the　delicious　morsel　seemed　to　be

trembling　on　its　stalk；　and　yet　it　did　not　fall。　At　last；　unable

to　bear　the　suspense　any　longer；　he　dispatched　to　Littlemore

Father　Smith；　an　old　pupil　of　Newman's；　who　had　lately　joined　the

Roman　communion；　with　instructions　that　he　should　do　his　best；

under　cover　of　a　simple　visit　of　friendship；　to　discover　how　the

land　lay。　Father　Smith　was　received　somewhat　coldly；　and　the

conversation　ran　entirely　on　topics　which　had　nothing　to　do　with

religion。　When　the　company　separated　before　dinner；　he　was

beginning　to　think　that　his　errand　had　been　useless；　but；　on

their　reassembling；　he　suddenly　noticed　that　Newman　had　changed

his　trousers；　and　that　the　colour　of　the　pair　which　he　was　now

wearing　was　grey。　At　the　earliest　moment；　the　emissary　rushed

back　post…haste　to　Dr。　Wiseman。　'All　is　well；'　he　exclaimed；

'Newman　no　longer　considers　that　he　is　in　Anglican　orders。〃

Praise　be　to　God！'　answered　Dr　Wiseman。　'But　how　do　you　know？'

Father　Smith　described　what　he　had　seen。　'Oh；　is　that　all？　My

dear　father；　how　can　you　be　so　foolish？'　But　Father　Smith　was　not

to　be　shaken。　'I　know　the　man；'　he　said；　and　I　know　what　it

means。　Newman　will　come；　and　he　will　come　soon。'



And　Father　Smith　was　right。　A　few　weeks　later；　Newman　suddenly

slipped　off　to　a　priest；　and　all　was　over。　Perhaps　he　would　have

hesitated　longer　still；　if　he　could　have　foreseen　how　he　was　to

pass　the　next　thirty　years　of　his　unfortunate　existence；　but　the

future　was　hidden；　and　all　that　was　certain　was　that　the　past　had

gone　forever；　and　that　his　eyes　would　rest　no　more　upon　the

snapdragons　of　Trinity。



The　Oxford　Movement　was　now　ended。　The　University　breathed　such　a

sigh　of　relief　as　usually　follows　the　difficult　expulsion　of　a

hard　piece　of　matter　from　a　living　organism；　and　actually　began

to　attend　to　education。　As　for　the　Church　of　England；　she　had

tasted　blood；　and　it　was　clear　that　she　would　never　again　be

content　with　a　vegetable　diet。　Her　clergy；　however；　maintained

their　reputation　for　judicious　compromise；　for　they　followed

Newman　up　to　the　very　point　beyond　which　his　conclusions　were

logical；　and；　while　they　intoned；　confessed；　swung　incense；　and

burned　candles　with　the　exhilaration　of　converts；　they　yet

managed　to　do　so　with　a　subtle　nuance　which　showed　that　they　had

nothing　to　do　with　Rome。　Various　individuals　underwent　more

violent　changes。　Several　had　preceded　Newman　into　the　Roman　fold；

among　others　an　unhappy　Mr。　Sibthorpe；　who　subsequently　changed

his　mind；　and　returned　to　the　Church　of　his　fathers；　and　then

perhaps　it　was　only　natural　changed　his　mind　again。　Many　more

followed　Newman；　and　Dr。　Wiseman　was　particularly　pleased　by　the

conversion　of　a　Mr。　Morris；　who；　as　he　said；　was　'the　author　of

the　essay；　which　won　the　prize　on　the　best　method　of　proving

Christianity　to　the　Hindus'。　Hurrell　Froude　had　died　before

Newman　had　read　the　fatal　article　on　St。　Augustine；　but　his

brother；　James　Anthony；　together　with　Arthur　Clough；　the　poet；

went　through　an　experience　which　was　more　distressing　in　those

days　than　it　has　since　become；　they　lost　their　faith。　With　this

difference；　however；　that　while　in　Froude's　case　the　loss　of　his

faith　turned　out　to　be　rather　like　the　loss　of　a　heavy

portmanteau；　which　one　afterwards　discovers　to　have　been　full　of

old　rags　and　brickbats；　Clough　was　made　so　uneasy　by　the　loss　of

his　that　he　went　on　looking　for　it　everywhere　as　long　as　he

lived；　but　somehow　he　never　could　find　it。　On　the　other　hand；

Keble　and　Pusey　continued　for　the　rest　of　their　lives　to　dance　in

an　exemplary　manner　upon　the　tight…rope　of　High　Anglicanism；　in

such　an　exemplary　manner；　indeed；　that　the　tightrope　has　its

dancers　still。



IV



MANNING　was　now　thirty…eight；　and　it　was　clear　that　he　was　the

rising　man　in　the　Church　of　England。　He　had　many　powerful

connections：　he　was　the　brother…in…law　of　Samuel　Wilberforce；　who

had　been　lately　made　a　bishop；　he　was　a　close　friend　of　Mr。

Gladstone；　who　was　a　Cabinet　Minister；　and　he　was　becoming　well

known　in　the　influential　circles　of　society　in　London。　His　talent

for　affairs　was　recognised　not　only　in　the　Church；　but　in　the

world　at　large；　and　he　busied　himself　with　matters　of　such　varied

scope　as　National　Education；　the　administration　of　the　Poor　Law；

and　the　Employment　of　Women。　Mr。　Gladstone　kept　up　an　intimate

correspondence　with　him　on　these　and　on　other　subjects；　mingling

in　his　letters　the　details　of　practical　statesmanship　with　the

speculations　of　a　religious　thinker。　'Sir　James　Graham；'　he

wrote；　in　a　discussion　of　the　bastardy　clauses　of　the　Poor　Law；

'is　much　pleased　with　the　tone　of　your　two　communications。　He　is

disposed；　without　putting　an　end　to　the　application　of　the

workhouse　test　against　the　mother；　to　make　the　remedy　against　the

putative　father　〃real　and　effective〃　for　expenses　incurred　in　the

workhouse。　I　am　not　enough　acquainted　to　know　whether　it　would　be

advisable　to　go　further。　You　have　not　proposed　it；　and　I　am

disposed　to　believe　that　only　with　a　revived　and　improved

discipline　in　the　Church　can　we　hope　for　any　generally　effective

check　upon　lawless　lust。'　'I　agree　with　you　EMINENTLY；'　he

writes；　in　a　later　letter；　'in　your　doctrine　of　FILTRATION。　But

it　sometimes　occurs　to　me；　though　the　question　may　seem　a　strange

one；　how　far　was　the　Reformation；　but　especially　the　Continental

Reformation；　designed　by　God；　in　the　region　of　final　causes；　for

that　purification　of　the　Roman　Church　which　it　has　actually

realised？'



In　his　archdeaconry；　Manning　lived　to　the　full　the　active　life　of

a　country　clergyman。　His　slim；　athletic　figure　was　seen

everywhere　in　the　streets　of　Chichester；　or　on　the　lawns　of　the

neighbouring　rectories；　or　galloping　over　the　downs　in　breeches

and　gaiters；　or　cutting　brilliant　figures　on　the　ice。　He　was　an

excellent　judge　of　horse…flesh；　and　the　pair　of　greys　which　drew

his　hooded　phaeton　so　swiftly　through　the　lanes　were　the

admiration　of　the　county。　His　features　were　already　beginning　to

assume　their　ascetic　cast；　but　the　spirit　of　youth　had　not　yet

fled　from　them；　so　that　he　seemed　to　combine　the　attractions　of

dignity　and　grace。　He　was　a　good　talker；　a　sympathetic　listener；

a　man　who　understood　the　difficult　art　of　preserving　all　the

vigour　of　a　manly　character　and　yet　never　giving　offence。　No

wonder　that　his　sermons　drew　crowds；　no　wonder　that　his　spiritual

advice　was　sought　for　eagerly　by　an　ever…growing　group　of

penitents；　no　wonder　that　men　would　say；　when　his　name　was

mentioned；　'Oh；　Manning！　No　power　on　earth　can　keep　HIM　from　a

bishopric！'



Such　was　the　fair　outward　seeming　of　the　Archdeacon's　life；　but；

the　inward　reality　was　different。　The　more　active；　the　more

fortunate；　the　more　full　of　happy　promise　his　existence　became；

the　more　persistently　was　his　secret　imagination　haunted　by　a

dreadful　visionthe　lake　that　burneth　forever　with　brimstone　and

fire。　The　temptations　of　the　Evil　One　are　many；　Manning　knew；　and

he　knew　also　that；　for　him　at　least；　the　most　subtle　and　terrible

of　all　temptations　was　the　temptation　of　worldly　success。　He

tried　to　reassure　himself；　but　it　was　in　vain。　He　committed　his

thoughts　to　a　diary；　weighing　scrupulously　his　every　motive；

examining　with　relentless　searchings　into　the　depths　of　his

heart。　Perhaps；　after　all；　his　longings　for　preferment　were

merely　legitimatehopes　for　'an　elevation　into　a　sphere　of　higher

usefulness'。　But　no。　there　was　something　more　than　that。　'I　do

feel　pleasure；'　he　noted；　'in　honour；　precedence；　elevation；　the

society　of　great　people；　and　all　this　is　very　shameful　and　mean。'



After　Newman's　conversion；　he　almost　convinced　himself　that　his

'visions　of　an　ecclesiastical　future'　were　justified　by　the　role

that　he　would　play　as　a　'healer　of　the　breach　in　the　Church　of

England'。　Mr。　Gladstone　agreed　with　him；　but　there　was　One　higher

than　Mr。　Gladstone；　and　did　He　agree？　'I　am　pierced　by　anxious

thoughts。　God　knows　what　my　desires　have　been　and　are；　and　why

they　are　crossed。　。。。　I　am　flattering　myself　with　a　fancy　about

depth　and　reality。　。。。　The　great　question　is：　Is　God　enough　for

you　now？　And　if　you　are　as　now　even　to　the　end　of　life；　will　it

suffice　you？　。。。　Certainly　I　would　rather　choose　to　be　stayed　on

God；　than　to　be　in　the　thrones　of　the　world　and　the　Church。

Nothing　else　will　go　into　Eternity。'



In　a　moment　of　ambition；　he　had　applied　for