the way of all flesh-第49节

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！


Testaments。

It　must　be　remembered　that　the　year　1858　was　the　last　of　a　term
during　which　the　peace　of　the　Church　of　England　was　singularly
unbroken。　　Between　1844；　when　〃Vestiges　of　Creation〃　appeared；　and
1859；　when　〃Essays　and　Reviews〃　marked　the　commencement　of　that
storm　which　raged　until　many　years　afterwards；　there　was　not　a
single　book　published　in　England　that　caused　serious　commotion
within　the　bosom　of　the　Church。　　Perhaps　Buckle's　〃History　of
Civilisation〃　and　Mill's　〃Liberty〃　were　the　most　alarming；　but　they
neither　of　them　reached　the　substratum　of　the　reading　public；　and
Ernest　and　his　friends　were　ignorant　of　their　very　existence。　　The
Evangelical　movement；　with　the　exception　to　which　I　shall　revert
presently；　had　become　almost　a　matter　of　ancient　history。
Tractarianism　had　subsided　into　a　tenth　day's　wonder；　it　was　at
work；　but　it　was　not　noisy。　　The　〃Vestiges〃　were　forgotten　before
Ernest　went　up　to　Cambridge；　the　Catholic　aggression　scare　had　lost
its　terrors；　Ritualism　was　still　unknown　by　the　general　provincial
public；　and　the　Gorham　and　Hampden　controversies　were　defunct　some
years　since；　Dissent　was　not　spreading；　the　Crimean　war　was　the　one
engrossing　subject；　to　be　followed　by　the　Indian　Mutiny　and　the
Franco…Austrian　war。　　These　great　events　turned　men's　minds　from
speculative　subjects；　and　there　was　no　enemy　to　the　faith　which
could　arouse　even　a　languid　interest。　　At　no　time　probably　since　the
beginning　of　the　century　could　an　ordinary　observer　have　detected
less　sign　of　coming　disturbance　than　at　that　of　which　I　am　writing。

I　need　hardly　say　that　the　calm　was　only　on　the　surface。　　Older　men；
who　knew　more　than　undergraduates　were　likely　to　do；　must　have　seen
that　the　wave　of　scepticism　which　had　already　broken　over　Germany
was　setting　towards　our　own　shores；　nor　was　it　long；　indeed；　before
it　reached　them。　　Ernest　had　hardly　been　ordained　before　three　works
in　quick　succession　arrested　the　attention　even　of　those　who　paid
least　heed　to　theological　controversy。　　I　mean　〃Essays　and　Reviews；〃
Charles　Darwin's　〃Origin　of　Species；〃　and　Bishop　Colenso's
〃Criticisms　on　the　Pentateuch。〃

This；　however；　is　a　digression；　I　must　revert　to　the　one　phase　of
spiritual　activity　which　had　any　life　in　it　during　the　time　Ernest
was　at　Cambridge；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　remains　of　the　Evangelical
awakening　of　more　than　a　generation　earlier；　which　was　connected
with　the　name　of　Simeon。

There　were　still　a　good　many　Simeonites；　or　as　they　were　more
briefly　called　〃Sims；〃　in　Ernest's　time。　　Every　college　contained
some　of　them；　but　their　headquarters　were　at　Caius；　whither　they
were　attracted　by　Mr　Clayton　who　was　at　that　time　senior　tutor；　and
among　the　sizars　of　St　John's。

Behind　the　then　chapel　of　this　last…named　college；　there　was　a
〃labyrinth〃　（this　was　the　name　it　bore）　of　dingy；　tumble…down　rooms；
tenanted　exclusively　by　the　poorest　undergraduates；　who　were
dependent　upon　sizarships　and　scholarships　for　the　means　of　taking
their　degrees。　　To　many；　even　at　St　John's；　the　existence　and
whereabouts　of　the　labyrinth　in　which　the　sizars　chiefly　lived　was
unknown；　some　men　in　Ernest's　time；　who　had　rooms　in　the　first
court；　had　never　found　their　way　through　the　sinuous　passage　which
led　to　it。

In　the　labyrinth　there　dwelt　men　of　all　ages；　from　mere　lads　to
grey…haired　old　men　who　had　entered　late　in　life。　　They　were　rarely
seen　except　in　hall　or　chapel　or　at　lecture；　where　their　manners　of
feeding；　praying　and　studying；　were　considered　alike　objectionable；
no　one　knew　whence　they　came；　whither　they　went；　nor　what　they　did；
for　they　never　showed　at　cricket　or　the　boats；　they　were　a　gloomy；
seedy…looking　conferie；　who　had　as　little　to　glory　in　in　clothes　and
manners　as　in　the　flesh　itself。

Ernest　and　his　friends　used　to　consider　themselves　marvels　of
economy　for　getting　on　with　so　little　money；　but　the　greater　number
of　dwellers　in　the　labyrinth　would　have　considered　one…half　of　their
expenditure　to　be　an　exceeding　measure　of　affluence；　and　so
doubtless　any　domestic　tyranny　which　had　been　experienced　by　Ernest
was　a　small　thing　to　what　the　average　Johnian　sizar　had　had　to　put
up　with。

A　few　would　at　once　emerge　on　its　being　found　after　their　first
examination　that　they　were　likely　to　be　ornaments　to　the　college；
these　would　win　valuable　scholarships　that　enabled　them　to　live　in
some　degree　of　comfort；　and　would　amalgamate　with　the　more　studious
of　those　who　were　in　a　better　social　position；　but　even　these；　with
few　exceptions；　were　long　in　shaking　off　the　uncouthness　they
brought　with　them　to　the　University；　nor　would　their　origin　cease　to
be　easily　recognisable　till　they　had　become　dons　and　tutors。　　I　have
seen　some　of　these　men　attain　high　position　in　the　world　of　politics
or　science；　and　yet　still　retain　a　look　of　labyrinth　and　Johnian
sizarship。

Unprepossessing　then；　in　feature；　gait　and　manners；　unkempt　and　ill…
dressed　beyond　what　can　be　easily　described；　these　poor　fellows
formed　a　class　apart；　whose　thoughts　and　ways　were　not　as　the
thoughts　and　ways　of　Ernest　and　his　friends；　and　it　was　among　them
that　Simeonism　chiefly　flourished。

Destined　most　of　them　for　the　Church　（for　in　those　days　〃holy
orders〃　were　seldom　heard　of）；　the　Simeonites　held　themselves　to
have　received　a　very　loud　call　to　the　ministry；　and　were　ready　to
pinch　themselves　for　years　so　as　to　prepare　for　it　by　the　necessary
theological　courses。　　To　most　of　them　the　fact　of　becoming　clergymen
would　be　the　entree　into　a　social　position　from　which　they　were　at
present　kept　out　by　barriers　they　well　knew　to　be　impassable；
ordination；　therefore；　opened　fields　for　ambition　which　made　it　the
central　point　in　their　thoughts；　rather　than　as　with　Ernest；
something　which　he　supposed　would　have　to　be　done　some　day；　but
about　which；　as　about　dying；　he　hoped　there　was　no　need　to　trouble
himself　as　yet。

By　way　of　preparing　themselves　more　completely　they　would　have
meetings　in　one　another's　rooms　for　tea　and　prayer　and　other
spiritual　exercises。　　Placing　themselves　under　the　guidance　of　a　few
well…known　tutors　they　would　teach　in　Sunday　Schools；　and　be
instant；　in　season　and　out　of　season；　in　imparting　spiritual
instruction　to　all　whom　they　could　persuade　to　listen　to　them。

But　the　soil　of　the　more　prosperous　undergraduates　was　not　suitable
for　the　seed　they　tried　to　sow。　　The　small　pieties　with　which　they
larded　their　discourse；　if　chance　threw　them　into　the　company　of　one
whom　they　considered　worldly；　caused　nothing　but　aversion　in　the
minds　of　those　for　whom　they　were　intended。　　When　they　distributed
tracts；　dropping　them　by　night　into　good　men's　letter　boxes　while
they　were　asleep；　their　tracts　got　burnt；　or　met　with　even　worse
contumely；　they　were　themselves　also　treated　with　the　ridicule　which
they　reflected　proudly　had　been　the　lot　of　true　followers　of　Christ
in　all　ages。　　Often　at　their　prayer　meetings　was　the　passage　of　St
Paul　referred　to　in　which　he　bids　his　Corinthian　converts　note
concerning　themselves　that　they　were　for　the　most　part　neither　well…
bred　nor　intellectual　people。　　They　reflected　with　pride　that　they
too　had　nothing　to　be　proud　of　in　these　respects；　and　like　St　Paul；
gloried　in　the　fact　that　in　the　flesh　they　had　not　much　to　glory。

Ernest　had　several　Johnian　friends；　and　came　thus　to　hear　about　the
Simeonites　and　to　see　some　of　them；　who　were　pointed　out　to　him　as
they　passed　through　the　courts。　　They　had　a　repellent　attraction　for
him；　he　disliked　them；　but　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　leave　them
alone。　　On　one　occasion　he　had　gone　so　far　as　to　parody　one　of　the
tracts　they　had　sent　round　in　the　night；　and　to　get　a　copy　dropped
into　each　of　the　leading　Simeonites'　boxes。　　The　subject　he　had
taken　was　〃Personal　Cleanliness。〃　　Cleanliness；　he　said；　was　next　to
godliness；　he　wished　to　know　on　which　side　it　was　to　stand；　and
concluded　by　exhorting　Simeonites　to　a　freer　use　of　the　tub。　　I
cannot　commend　my　hero's　humour　in　this　matter；　his　tract　was　not
brilliant；　but　I　mention　the　fact　as　showing　that　at　this　time　he
was　something　of　a　Saul　and　took　pleasure　in　persecuting　the　elect；
not；　as　I　have　said；　that　he　had　any　hankering　after　scepticism；　but
because；　like　the　farmers　in　his　father's　village；　though　he　would
not　stand　seeing　the　Christian　religion　made　light　of；　he　was　not
going　to　see　it　taken　seriously。　　Ernest's　friends　thought　his
dislike　for　Simeonites　was　due　to　his　being　the　son　of　a　clergyman
who；　it　was　known；　bullied　him；　it　is　more　likely；　however；　that　it
rose　from　an　unconscious　sympathy　with　them；　which；　as　in　St　Paul's
case；　in　the　end　drew　him　into　the　ranks　of　those　whom　he　had　most
despised　and　hated。



CHAPTER　XLVIII



Once；　recently；　when　he　was　down　at　home　after　taking　his　degree；
his　mother　had　had　a　short　conversation　with　him　about　his　becoming
a　clergyman；　set　on　thereto　by　Theobald；　who　shrank　from　the　subject
himself。　　This　time　it　was　during　a　turn　taken　in　the　garden；　and
not　on　the　sofawhich　was　reserved　for　supreme　occasions。

〃You　know；　my　dearest　boy；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃that　papa〃　（she　always
called　Theobald　〃papa〃　when　talking　to　Ern