eminent victorians-第15部分

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the　Scriptures；　which　was　to　be　a　monument　of　Catholic

scholarship　and　an　everlasting　glory　to　Mother　Church。　He　made

elaborate　preparations；　he　collected　subscriptions；　engaged

contributors；　and　composed　a　long　and　learned　prolegomena　to　the

work。　It　was　all　useless；　Cardinal　Wiseman　began　to　think　of

other　things；　and　the　scheme　faded　imperceptibly　into　thin　air。

Then　a　new　task　was　suggested　to　him：　〃The　Rambler〃；　a　Catholic

periodical；　had　fallen　on　evil　days；　would　Dr　Newman　come　to　the

rescue；　and　accept　the　editorship？　This　time　he　hesitated　rather

longer　than　usual；　he　had　burned　his　fingers　so　often　he　must

be

specially　careful　now。　'I　did　all　I　could　to　ascertain　God's

Will；'　he　said；　and　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　his

duty

to　undertake　the　work。　He　did　so；　and　after　two　numbers　had

appeared；　Dr。　Ullathorne；　the　Bishop　of　Birmingham；　called　upon

him；　and　gently　hinted　that　he　had　better　leave　the　paper　alone。

Its　tone　was　not　liked　at　Rome；　it　had　contained　an　article

criticising　St。　Pius　V；　and；　most　serious　of　all；　the　orthodoxy

of

one　of　Newman's　own　essays　had　appeared　to　be　doubtful。　He

resigned；　and　in　the　anguish　of　his　heart；　determined　never　to

write　again。　One　of　his　friends　asked　him　why　he　was　publishing

nothing。　'Hannibal's　elephants；'　he　replied；　'never　could　learn

the　goose…step。'



Newman　was　now　an　old　manhe　was　sixty…three　years　of　age。　What

had　he　to　look　forward　to？　A　few　last　years　of　insignificance　and

silence。　What　had　he　to　look　back　upon？　A　long　chronicle　of

wasted　efforts；　disappointed　hopes；　neglected　possibilities；

unappreciated　powers。　And　now　all　his　labours　had　ended　by　his

being　accused　at　Rome　of　lack　of　orthodoxy。　He　could　no　longer

restrain　his　indignation；　and　in　a　letter　to　one　of　his　lady

penitents；　he　gave　vent　to　the　bitterness　of　his　soul。　When　his

Rambler　article　had　been　complained　of；　he　said；　there　had　been

some　talk　of　calling　him　to　Rome。　'Call　me　to　Rome；'　he　burst

out'what　does　that　mean？　It　means　to　sever　an　old　man　from　his

home；　to　subject　him　to　intercourse　with　persons　whose

languages　are　strange　to　him　to　food　and　to　fashions　which　are

almost　starvation　on　the　one　hand；　and　involve　restless　days　and

nights　on　the　otherit　means　to　oblige　him　to　dance　attendance

on　Propaganda　week　after　week　and　month　after　monthit　means

his　death。　（It　was　the　punishment　on　Dr。　Baines；　1840…1；　to　keep

him　at　the　door　of　Propaganda　for　a　year。）



'This　is　the　prospect　which　I　cannot　but　feel　probable；　did　I　say

anything　which　one　Bishop　in　England　chose　to　speak　against　and

report。　Others　have　been　killed　before　me。　Lucas　went　of　his　own

accord　indeedbut　when　he　got　there；　oh！'　How　much　did　he；　as

loyal　a　son　of　the　Church　and　the　Holy　See　as　ever　was；　what　did

he　suffer　because　Dr。　Cullen　was　against　him？　He　wandered　（as　Dr。

Cullen　said　in　a　letter　he　published　in　a　sort　of　triumph）；　he

wandered　from　Church　to　Church　without　a　friend；　and　hardly　got

an　audience　from　the　Pope。　'And　I　too　should　go　from　St。　Philip

to

Our　Lady；　and　to　St。　Peter　and　St。　Paul；　and　to　St。　Laurence　and

to

St。　Cecilia；　and；　if　it　happened　to　me　as　to　Lucas；　should　come

back　to　die。'



Yet；　in　spite　of　all；　in　spite　of　these　exasperations　of　the

flesh；　these　agitations　of　the　spirit；　what　was　there　to　regret？

Had　he　not　a　mysterious　consolation　which　outweighed　every　grief？

Surely；　surely；　he　had。



'Unveil；　0　Lord；　and　on　us　shine；

In　glory　and　in　grace；'



he　exclaims　in　a　poem　written　at　this　time；　called　'The　Two

Worlds'：



'This　gaudy　world　grows　pale　before

The　beauty　of　Thy　face。



'Till　Thou　art　seen　it　seems　to　he

A　sort　of　fairy　ground；

Where　suns　unsetting　light　the　sky；

And　flowers　and　fruit　abound。



'But　when　Thy　keener；　purer　beam

Is　poured　upon　our　sight；

It　loses　all　its　power　to　charm；

And　what　was　day　is　night。。。



'And　thus；　when　we　renounce　for　Thee

Its　restless　aims　and　fears；

The　tender　memories　of　the　past；

The　hopes　of　coming　years；



'Poor　is　our　sacrifice；　whose　eyes

Are　lighted　from　above；

We　offer　what　we　cannot　keep；

What　we　have　ceased　to　love。'



Such　were　Newman's　thoughts　when　an　unexpected　event　occurred

which　produced　a　profound　effect　upon　his　life：　Charles　Kingsley

attacked　his　good　faith；　and　the　good　faith　of　Catholics　in

general；　in　a　magazine　article。　Newman　protested；　and　Kingsley

rejoined　in　an　irate　pamphlet。　Newman's　reply　was　the　Apologia

pro　Vita　Sua；　which　he　wrote　in　seven　weeks；　sometimes　working

twenty…two　hours　at　a　stretch；　'constantly　in　tears；　and

constantly　crying　out　with　distress'。　The　success　of　the　book；

with　its　transparent　candour；　its　controversial　brilliance；　the

sweep　and　passion　of　its　rhetoric；　the　depth　of　its　personal

feeling；　was　immediate　and　overwhelming；　it　was　recognised　at

once　as　a　classic；　not　only　by　Catholics；　but　by　the　whole

English　world。　From　every　side　expressions　of　admiration；

gratitude；　and　devotion　poured　in。　It　was　impossible　for　one　so

sensitive　as　Newman　to　the　opinions　of　other　people　to　resist　the

happy　influence　of　such　an　unlooked…for；　such　an　enormous

triumph。　The　cloud　of　his　dejection　began　to　lift；　et　l'espoir

malgre　lui　s'est　glisse　dans　son　coeur。



It　was　only　natural　that　at　such　a　moment　his　thoughts　should

return　to　Oxford。　For　some　years　past　proposals　had　been　on　foot

for　establishing　there　a　Hall；　under　Newman's　leadership；　for

Catholic　undergraduates。　The　scheme　had　been　looked　upon　with

disfavour　in　Rome；　and　it　had　been　abandoned；　but　now　a　new

opportunity　presented　itself　some　land　in　a　suitable　position

came　into　the　market。　Newman；　with　his　reviving　spirits；　felt

that　he　could　not　let　this　chance　go　by；　and　bought　the　land。　It

was　his　intention　to　build　there　not　a　Hall；　but　a　Church；　and　to

set　on　foot　a　'House　of　the　Oratory'。　What　possible　objection

could　there　be　to　such　a　scheme？　He　approached　the　Bishop　of

Birmingham；　who　gave　his　approval；　in　Rome　itself　there　was　no

hostile　sign。　The　laity　were　enthusiastic　and　subscriptions　began

to　flow　in。　Was　it　possible　that　all　was　well　at　last？　Was　it

conceivable　that　the　strange　and　weary　pilgrimage　of　so　many

years　should　end　at　length　in　quietude；　if　not　in　happiness；

where　it　had　begun？



It　so　happened　that　it　was　at　this　very　time　that　Manning　was

appointed　to　the　See　of　Westminster。　The　destinies　of　the　two

men；　which　had　run　parallel　to　one　another　in　so　strange　a

fashion　and　for　so　many　years；　were　now　for　a　moment　suddenly　to

converge。　Newly　clothed　with　all　the　attributes　of　ecclesiastical

supremacy；　Manning　found　himself　face　to　face　with　Newman；　upon

whose　brows　were　glittering　the　fresh　laurels　of　spiritual

victorythe　crown　of　an　apostolical　life。　It　was　the　meeting　of

the　eagle　and　the　dove。　What　followed　showed；　more　clearly

perhaps　than　any　other　incident　in　his　career；　the　stuff　that

Manning　was　made　of。　Power　had　come　to　him　at　last；　and　he　seized

it　with　all　the　avidity　of　a　born　autocrat；　whose　appetite　for

supreme　dominion　had　been　whetted　by　long　years　of　enforced

abstinence　and　the　hated　simulations　of　submission。　He　was　the

ruler　of　Roman　Catholic　England；　and　he　would　rule。　The　nature　of

Newman's　influence　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　understand；　but

he　saw　that　it　existed；　for　twenty　years　he　had　been　unable　to

escape　the　unwelcome　itterations　of　that　singular；　that　alien；

that　rival　renown；　and　now　it　stood　in　his　path；　alone　and

inexplicable；　like　a　defiant　ghost。　'It　is　remarkably

interesting；'　he　observed　coldly；　when　somebody　asked　him　what　he

thought　of　the　Apologia：　'it　is　like　listening　to　the　voice　of

one　from　the　dead。'　And　such　voices；　with　their　sepulchral

echoes；　are　apt　to　be　more　dangerous　than　living　ones；　they

attract　too　much　attention；　they　must　be　silenced　at　all　costs。

It　was　the　meeting　of　the　eagle　and　the　dove；　there　was　a

hovering；　a　swoop；　and　then　the　quick　beak　and　the　relentless

talons　did　their　work。



Even　before　his　accession　to　the　Archbishopric；　Manning　had

scented　a　peculiar　peril　in　Newman's　Oxford　scheme；　and　so　soon

as　he　came　into　power；　he　privately　determined　that　the　author　of

the　Apologia　should　never　be　allowed　to　return　to　his　old

University。　Nor　was　there　any　lack　of　excellent　reasons　for　such

a　decision。　Oxford　was　by　this　time　a　nest　of　liberalism；　it　was

no　fit　place　for　Catholic　youths；　and　they　would　inevitably　be

attracted　there　by　the　presence　of　Father　Newman。　And　then；　had

not　Father　Newman's　orthodoxy　been　impugned？　Had　he　not　been

heard　to　express　opinions　of　most　doubtful　propriety　upon　the

question　of　the　Temporal　Power？　Was　it　not　known　that　he　might

almost　be　said　to　have　an　independent　mind？　An　influence？　Yes；　he

had　an　influence　no　doubt；　but　what　a　fatal　kind　of　influence　to

which　to　subject　the　rising　generation　of　Catholic　Englishmen！



Such　were　the　reflections　which　Manning　was　careful　to　pour　into

the　receptive　car　of　Monsignor　Talbot。　That　useful　priest；　at　his

post　of　vantage　in　the　Vatican；　was　more　than　ever　the　devoted

servant　of　the　new　Archbishop。　A　league；　offensive　and　defensive；

had　been　established　between　the　two　friends。　'I　daresay　I　shall

have　many　opportunities　to　serve　you　in　Rome；'　wrote　Monsignor

Talbot　modestly；　'and　I　do　not　think　any　support　will　be　useless

to　you；　especially　on　account　of　the　peculiar　character　of　the

Pope；　and　the　spirit　which　pervades　Propaganda；　therefore；　I　wish

you　to　understand　that　a　compact　exists　between　us；　if　you　help

me；　I　shall　help　you。'　And　a　little　later　he　added；　'I　am　glad

you　accept　the　league。　As　I　have　already　done　for　years；　I　shall

support　you；　and　I　have　a　hundred　ways　of　doing　so。　A　word

dropped　at　the　proper　occasion　works　wonders。'　Perhaps　it　was

hardly　necessary　to　remind　his　correspondent　of　that。



So　far　as　Newman　was　concerned；　it　so　fell