eminent victorians-第8部分

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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　the　Readership　of

Lincoln's　Inn；　but；　owing　chiefly　to　the　hostile　influence　of　the

Record；　the　appointment　had　gone　elsewhere。　A　little　later；　a

more　important　position　was　offered　to　him　the　office　of　sub…

almoner　to　the　Queen；　which　had　just　been　vacated　by　the

Archbishop　of　York；　and　was　almost　certain　to　lead　to　a　mitre。

The　offer　threw　Manning　into　an　agony　of　self…examination。　He

drew　up　elaborate　tables；　after　the　manner　of　Robinson　Crusoe；

with　the　reasons　for　and　against　his　acceptance　of　the　post：



　　　　　　　　　　　FOR　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AGAINST1。　That　it　comes

unsought。　　1。　Not　therefore　to　be　accepted。　Such　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　

things　are　trials　as　well　as　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

leadings。2。　That　it　is　honourable。　　　2。　Being　what　I　am；　ought　I　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

not　therefore　to　decline　it　…　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（1）

as　humiliation；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（2）　as　revenge　on

myself　for　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lincoln's　Inn；　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

（3）　as　a　testimony？



And　so　on。　He　found　in　the　end　ten　'negative　reasons'；　with　no

affirmative　ones　to　balance　them；　and；　after　a　week's

deliberation；　he　rejected　the　offer。



But　peace　of　mind　was　as　far　off　from　him　as　ever。　First　the

bitter　thought　came　to　him　that　'in　all　this　Satan　tells　me　I　am

doing　it　to　be　thought　mortified　and　holy'；　and　then　he　was

obsessed　by　the　still　bitterer　feelings　of　ineradicable

disappointment　and　regret。　He　had　lost　a　great　opportunity；　and

it　brought　him　small　comfort　to　consider　that　'in　the　region　of

counsels；　self…chastisement；　humiliation；　self…discipline；

penance；　and　of　the　Cross'；　he　had　perhaps　done　right。



The　crisis　passed；　but　it　was　succeeded　by　a　fiercer　one。　Manning

was　taken　seriously　ill；　and　became　convinced　that　he　might　die

at　any　moment。　The　entries　in　his　Diary　grew　more　elaborate　than

ever；　his　remorse　for　the　past；　his　resolutions　for　the　future；

his　protestations　of　submission　to　the　will　of　God；　filled　page

after　page　of　parallel　columns；　headings　and　sub…headings；

numbered　clauses；　and　analytical　tables。　'How　do　I　feel　about

Death？'　he　wrote。　'Certainly　great　fear：



1。　Because　of　the　uncertainty　of　our　state　before　God。　2。　Because

of　the　consciousness…（1）　of　great　sins　past；　（2）　　of　great

sinfulness；　（3）　　　　　of　most　shallow　repentance。　What　shall　I　do？'



He　decided　to　mortify　himself；　to　read　St　Thomas　Aquinas；　and　to

make　his　'night　prayers　forty　instead　of　thirty　minutes'。　He

determined　during　Lent　'to　use　no　pleasant　bread　（except　on

Sundays　and　feasts）　such　as　cake　and　sweetmeat'；　but　he　added　the

proviso　'I　do　not　include　plain　biscuits'。　Opposite　this　entry

appears　the　word　'KEPT'。　And　yet　his　backslidings　were　many。

Looking　back　over　a　single　week；　he　was　obliged　to　register

'petulance　twice'　and　'complacent　visions'。　　He　heard　his　curate

being　commended　for　bringing　so　many　souls　to　God