eminent victorians-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　his　venerable　age；　it　was　easy　enough　to　trace　the　mingled

qualities　of　the　patriarch；　the　prophet；　and　the　demagogue。　As；

in　his　soiled　and　shabby　garments；　the　old　man　harangued　the

crowds　of　Bermondsey　or　Peckham　upon　the　virtues　of　Temperance；

assuring　them；　with　all　the　passion　of　conviction；　as　a　final

argument；　that　the　majority　of　the　Apostles　were　total

abstainers；　this　Prince　of　the　Church　might　have　passed　as　a

leader　of　the　Salvation　Army。　His　popularity　was　immense；

reaching　its　height　during　the　great　Dock　Strikes　of　1889；　when；

after　the　victory　of　the　men　was　assured；　Manning　was　able；　by

his　persuasive　eloquence　and　the　weight　of　his　character；　to

prevent　its　being　carried　to　excess。　After　other　conciliators

among　whom　was　the　Bishop　of　London　had　given　up　the　task　in

disgust；　the　octogenarian　Cardinal　worked　on　with　indefatigable

resolution。　At　last；　late　at　night；　in　the　schools　in　Kirby

Street；　Bermondsey；　he　rose　to　address　the　strikers。　An

enthusiastic　eye…witness　has　described　the　scene：　'Unaccustomed

tears　glistened　in　the　eyes　of　his　rough　and　work…stained　hearers

as　the　Cardinal　raised　his　hand　and　solemnly　urged　them　not　to

prolong　one　moment　more　than　they　could　help　the　perilous

uncertainty　and　the　sufferings　of　their　wives　and　children。　Just

above　his　uplifted　hand　was　a　figure　of　the　Madonna　and　Child；

and　some　among　the　men　tell　how　a　sudden　light　seemed　to　swim

around　it　as　the　speaker　pleaded　for　the　women　and　children。　When

he　sat　down　all　in　the　room　knew　that　he　had　won　the　day；　and

that；　so　far　as　the　Strike　Committee　was　concerned；　the　matter

was　at　an　end。'



In　those　days；　there　were　strange　visitors　at　the　Archbishop's

House。

Careful　priests　and　conscientious　secretaries　wondered　what　the

world　was　coming　to　when　they　saw　labour　leaders　like　M。r　John

Burns　and　Mr。　Ben　Tillett；　and　land…reformers　like　Mr。　Henry

George；　being　ushered　into　the　presence　of　his　Eminence。　Even　the

notorious　Mr。　Stead　appeared；　and　his　scandalous　paper　with　its

unspeakable　revelations　lay　upon　the　Cardinal's　table。　This

proved　too　much　for　one　of　the　faithful　tonsured　dependents　of

the　place；　and　he　ventured　to　expostulate　with　his　master。　But

he　never　did　so　again。



When　the　guests　were　gone；　and　the　great　room　was　empty；　the　old

man　would　draw　himself　nearer　to　the　enormous　fire；　and　review

once　more；　for　the　thousandth　time；　the　long　adventure　of　his

life。　He　would　bring　out　his　diaries　and　his　memoranda；　he　would

rearrange　his　notes；　he　would　turn　over　again　the　yellow　leaves

of　faded　correspondences；　seizing　his　pen；　he　would　pour　out　his

comments　and　reflections；　and　fill；　with　an　extraordinary

solicitude；　page　after　page　with　elucidations；　explanations；

justifications；　of　the　vanished　incidents　of　a　remote　past。　He

would　snip　with　scissors　the　pages　of　ancient　journals；　and　with

delicate　ecclesiastical　fingers；　drop　unknown　mysteries　into　the

flames。



Sometimes　he　would　turn　to　the　four　red　folio　scrapbooks　with

their　collection　of　newspaper　cuttings；　concerning　himself；　over

a

period　of　thirty　years。　Then　the　pale　cheeks　would　flush　and　the

close…drawn　lips　would　grow　even　more　menacing　than　before。

'Stupid；

mulish　malice；'　he　would　note。　'Pure　lyingconscious；　deliberate

and　designed。'　'Suggestive　lying。　Personal　animosity　is　at　the

bottom　of　this。'



And　then　he　would　suddenly　begin　to　doubt。　After　all；　where　was

he？　What　had　he　accomplished？　Had　any　of　it　been　worthwhile？　Had

he　not　been　out　of　the　world　all　his　life！　Out　of　the　world！

'Croker's　〃Life　and　Letters〃；　and　Hayward's　〃Letters〃；'　he　notes；

'are　so　full　of　politics；　literature；　action；　events；　collision

of　mind　with　mind；　and　that　with　such　a　multitude　of　men　in　every

state　of　life；　that　when　I　look　back；　it　seems　as　if　I　had　been

simply　useless。'　And　again；　'The　complete　isolation　and　exclusion

from　the　official　life　of　England　in　which　I　have　lived；　makes　me

feel　as　if　I　had　done　nothing'。　He　struggled　to　console　himself

with　the　reflexion　that　all　this　was　only　'the　natural　order'。

'If　the　natural　order　is　moved　by　the　supernatural　order；　then　I

may　not　have　done　nothing。　Fifty　years　of　witness　for　God　and　His

Truth；　I　hope；　has　not　been　in　vain。'　But　the　same　thoughts

recurred。　'In　reading　Macaulay's　life　I　had　a　haunting　feeling

that　his　had　been　a　life　of　public　utility　and　mine　a　vita

umbratilis；　a　life　in　the　shade。'　Ah！　it　was　God's　will。　'Mine

has　been　a　life　of　fifty　years　out　of　the　world　as　Gladstone's

has　been　in　it。　The　work　of　his　life　in　this　world　is　manifest。　I

hope　mine　may　be　in　the　next。　I　suppose　our　Lord　called　me　out　of

the　world　because　He　saw　that　I　should　lose　my　soul　in　it。'

Clearly；　that　was　the　explanation。



And　yet　he　remained　sufficiently　in　the　world　to　discharge　with

absolute　efficiency　the　complex　government　of　his　diocese　almost

up　to　the　last　moment　of　his　existence。　Though　his　bodily

strength　gradually　ebbed；　the　vigour　of　his　mind　was　undismayed。

At　last；　supported　by　cushions；　he　continued；　by　means　of　a

dictated　correspondence；　to　exert　his　accustomed　rule。　Only

occasionally　would　he　lay　aside　his　work　to　plunge　into　the　yet

more　necessary　duties　of　devotion。　Never　again　would　he　preach；

never　again　would　he　put　into　practice　those　three　salutary　rules

of　his　in　choosing　a　subject　for　a　sermon：　'（1）　asking　God　to

guide　the　choice；　（2）　applying　the　matter　to　myself；　（3）　making

the　sign　of　the　cross　on　my　head　and　heart　and　lips　in　honour　of

the　Sacred　Mouth；'　but　he　could　still　pray；　he　could　turn

especially　to　the　Holy　Ghost。　'A　very　simple　but　devout　person；'

he　wrote　in　one　of　his　latest　memoranda；　'asked　me　why　in　my

first　volume　of　sermons　I　said　so　little　about　the　Holy　Ghost。　I

was　not　aware　of　it；　but　I　found　it　to　be　true。　I　at　once

resolved　that　I　would　make　a　reparation　every　day　of　my　life　to

the　Holy　Ghost。　This　I　have　never　failed　to　do　to　this　day。　To

this　I　owe　the　light　and　faith　which　brought　me　into　the

truefold。　I　bought　all　the　books　I　could　about　the　Holy　Ghost。　I

worked　out　the　truths　about　His　personality；　His　presence；　and

His　office。　This　made　me　understand　the　last　paragraph　in　the

Apostles'　Creed；　and　made　me　a　Catholic　Christian。'



So；　though　Death　came　slowly；　struggling　step　by　step　with　that

bold　and　tenacious　spirit；　when　he　did　come　at　last　the　Cardinal

was　ready。　Robed　in　his　archiepiscopal　vestments；　his　rochet；　his

girdle；　and　his　mozzetta；　with　the　scarlet　biretta　on　his　head；

and　the　pectoral　cross　upon　his　breast；　he　made　his　solemn

Profession　of　Faith　in　the　Holy　Roman　Church。　A　crowd　of　lesser

dignitaries；　each　in　the　garments　of　his　office；　attended　the

ceremonial。　The　Bishop　of　Salford　held　up　the　Pontificale　and　the

Bishop　of　Amycla　bore　the　wax　taper。　The　provost　of　Westminster；

on　his　knees；　read　aloud　the　Profession　of　Faith；　surrounded　by

the　Canons　of　the　Diocese。　Towards　those　who　gathered　about　him；

the　dying　man　was　still　able　to　show　some　signs　of　recognition；

and　even；　perhaps；　of　affection；　yet　it　seemed　that　his　chief

preoccupation；

up　to　the　very　end；　was　with　his　obedience　to　the　rules

prescribed　by

the　Divine　Authority。　'I　am　glad　to　have　been　able　to　do

everything　in

due　order'；　were　among　his　last　words。　'Si　fort　qu'on　soit；'　says

one

of　the　profoundest　of　the　observers　of　the　human　heart；　'on　peut

eprouver

le　besoin　de　s'incliner　devant　quelqu'un　ou　quelque　chose。

S'incliner　devant

Dieu；　c'est　toujours　le　moins　humiliant。'



Manning　died　on　January　14th；　1892；　in　the　eighty…fifth　year　of

his　age。　A　few　days　later　Mr。　Gladstone　took　occasion；　in　a

letter

to　a　friend；　to　refer　to　his　relations　with　the　late　Cardinal。

Manning's　conversion　was；　he　said；　'altogether　the　severest　blow

that　ever　befell　me。　In　a　late　letter　the　Cardinal　termed　it　a

quarrel；　but　in　my　reply　I　told　him　it　was　not　a　quarrel；　but　a

death；　and　that　was　the　truth。　Since　then　there　have　been

vicissitudes。　But　I　am　quite　certain　that　to　the　last　his

personal　feelings　never　changed；　and　I　believe　also　that　he　kept

a　promise　made　in　1851；　to　remember　me　before　God　at　the　most

solemn　moments；　a　promise　which　I　greatly　valued。　The　whole

subject　is　to　me　at　once　of　extreme　interest　and　of　considerable

restraint。'　'His　reluctance　to　die；'　concluded　Mr。　Gladstone；

'may

be　explained　by　an　intense　anxiety　to　complete　unfulfilled

service。'



The　funeral　was　the　occasion　of　a　popular　demonstration　such　as

has　rarely　been　witnessed　in　the　streets　of　London。　The　route　of

the　procession　was　lined　by　vast　crowds　of　working　people；　whose

imaginations；　in　some　instinctive　manner；　had　been　touched。　Many

who　had　hardly　seen　him　declared　that　in　Cardinal　Manning　they

had　lost　their　best　friend。　Was　it　the　magnetic　vigour　of　the

dead　man's　spirit　that　moved　them？　Or　was　it　his　valiant

disregard　of　common　custom　and　those　conventional　reserves　and

poor　punctilios　which　are　wont　to　hem　about　the　great？　Or　was　it

something　untameable　in　his　glances　and　in　his　gestures？　Or　was

it；　perhaps；　the　mysterious　glamour　lingering　about　him；　of　the

antique　organisation　of　Rome？　For　whatever　cause；　the　mind　of　the

people　had　been　impressed；　and　yet；　after　all；　the　impression　was

more　acute　than　lasting。　The　Cardinal's　memory　is　a　dim　thing

today。

And　he　who　descends　into　the　crypt　of　that　Cathedral　which

Manning　never　lived　to　see；　will　observe；　in　the　quiet　niche　with

the　sepulchral　monument；　that　the　dust　lies　thick　on　the　strange；

the　incongruous；　the　almost　impossible　object　which；　with　its

elaborations　of　dependent　tassels；　hangs　down　from　the　dim　vault

like　some　forlorn　and　forgotten　trophy　the　Hat。





BIBLIOGRAPHY



E。　S。　Purcell。　Life　of　Cardinal　Manning。

A。　W。　Hutton。　Cardinal　Manning。

J。　E。　C。　Bodley。　Cardinal　Manning　and　Other　Essays。

F。　W。　Cornish。　The　English　Church　in