the way of all flesh-第55节

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His　rector　was　a　moderate　High　Churchman　of　no　very　pronounced
viewsan　elderly　man　who　had　had　too　many　curates　not　to　have　long
since　found　out　that　the　connection　between　rector　and　curate；　like
that　between　employer　and　employed　in　every　other　walk　of　life；　was
a　mere　matter　of　business。　　He　had　now　two　curates；　of　whom　Ernest
was　the　junior；　the　senior　curate　was　named　Pryer；　and　when　this
gentleman　made　advances；　as　he　presently　did；　Ernest　in　his　forlorn
state　was　delighted　to　meet　them。

Pryer　was　about　twenty…eight　years　old。　　He　had　been　at　Eton　and　at
Oxford。　　He　was　tall；　and　passed　generally　for　good…looking；　I　only
saw　him　once　for　about　five　minutes；　and　then　thought　him　odious
both　in　manners　and　appearance。　　Perhaps　it　was　because　he　caught　me
up　in　a　way　I　did　not　like。　　I　had　quoted　Shakespeare　for　lack　of
something　better　to　fill　up　a　sentenceand　had　said　that　one　touch
of　nature　made　the　whole　world　kin。　　〃Ah；〃　said　Pryer；　in　a　bold；
brazen　way　which　displeased　me；　〃but　one　touch　of　the　unnatural
makes　it　more　kindred　still；〃　and　he　gave　me　a　look　as　though　he
thought　me　an　old　bore　and　did　not　care　two　straws　whether　I　was
shocked　or　not。　　Naturally　enough；　after　this　I　did　not　like　him。

This；　however；　is　anticipating；　for　it　was　not　till　Ernest　had　been
three　or　four　months　in　London　that　I　happened　to　meet　his　fellow…
curate；　and　I　must　deal　here　rather　with　the　effect　he　produced　upon
my　godson　than　upon　myself。　　Besides　being　what　was　generally
considered　good…looking；　he　was　faultless　in　his　get…up；　and
altogether　the　kind　of　man　whom　Ernest　was　sure　to　be　afraid　of　and
yet　be　taken　in　by。　　The　style　of　his　dress　was　very　High　Church；
and　his　acquaintances　were　exclusively　of　the　extreme　High　Church
party；　but　he　kept　his　views　a　good　deal　in　the　background　in　his
rector's　presence；　and　that　gentleman；　though　he　looked　askance　on
some　of　Pryer's　friends；　had　no　such　ground　of　complaint　against　him
as　to　make　him　sever　the　connection。　　Pryer；　too；　was　popular　in　the
pulpit；　and；　take　him　all　round；　it　was　probable　that　many　worse
curates　would　be　found　for　one　better。　　When　Pryer　called　on　my
hero；　as　soon　as　the　two　were　alone　together；　he　eyed　him　all　over
with　a　quick　penetrating　glance　and　seemed　not　dissatisfied　with　the
resultfor　I　must　say　here　that　Ernest　had　improved　in　personal
appearance　under　the　more　genial　treatment　he　had　received　at
Cambridge。　　Pryer；　in　fact；　approved　of　him　sufficiently　to　treat
him　civilly；　and　Ernest　was　immediately　won　by　anyone　who　did　this。
It　was　not　long　before　he　discovered　that　the　High　Church　party；　and
even　Rome　itself；　had　more　to　say　for　themselves　than　he　had
thought。　　This　was　his　first　snipe…like　change　of　flight。

Pryer　introduced　him　to　several　of　his　friends。　　They　were　all　of
them　young　clergymen；　belonging　as　I　have　said　to　the　highest　of　the
High　Church　school；　but　Ernest　was　surprised　to　find　how　much　they
resembled　other　people　when　among　themselves。　　This　was　a　shock　to
him；　it　was　ere　long　a　still　greater　one　to　find　that　certain
thoughts　which　he　had　warred　against　as　fatal　to　his　soul；　and　which
he　had　imagined　he　should　lose　once　for　all　on　ordination；　were
still　as　troublesome　to　him　as　they　had　been；　he　also　saw　plainly
enough　that　the　young　gentlemen　who　formed　the　circle　of　Pryer's
friends　were　in　much　the　same　unhappy　predicament　as　himself。

This　was　deplorable。　　The　only　way　out　of　it　that　Ernest　could　see
was　that　he　should　get　married　at　once。　　But　then　he　did　not　know
any　one　whom　he　wanted　to　marry。　　He　did　not　know　any　woman；　in
fact；　whom　he　would　not　rather　die　than　marry。　　It　had　been　one　of
Theobald's　and　Christina's　main　objects　to　keep　him　out　of　the　way
of　women；　and　they　had　so　far　succeeded　that　women　had　become　to　him
mysterious；　inscrutable　objects　to　be　tolerated　when　it　was
impossible　to　avoid　them；　but　never　to　be　sought　out　or　encouraged。
As　for　any　man　loving；　or　even　being　at　all　fond　of　any　woman；　he
supposed　it　was　so；　but　he　believed　the　greater　number　of　those　who
professed　such　sentiments　were　liars。　　Now；　however；　it　was　clear
that　he　had　hoped　against　hope　too　long；　and　that　the　only　thing　to
do　was　to　go　and　ask　the　first　woman　who　would　listen　to　him　to　come
and　be　married　to　him　as　soon　as　possible。

He　broached　this　to　Pryer；　and　was　surprised　to　find　that　this
gentleman；　though　attentive　to　such　members　of　his　flock　as　were
young　and　good…looking；　was　strongly　in　favour　of　the　celibacy　of
the　clergy；　as　indeed　were　the　other　demure　young　clerics　to　whom
Pryer　had　introduced　Ernest。



CHAPTER　LII



〃You　know；　my　dear　Pontifex；〃　said　Pryer　to　him；　some　few　weeks
after　Ernest　had　become　acquainted　with　him；　when　the　two　were
taking　a　constitutional　one　day　in　Kensington　Gardens；　〃You　know；　my
dear　Pontifex；　it　is　all　very　well　to　quarrel　with　Rome；　but　Rome
has　reduced　the　treatment　of　the　human　soul　to　a　science；　while　our
own　Church；　though　so　much　purer　in　many　respects；　has　no　organised
system　either　of　diagnosis　or　pathologyI　mean；　of　course；
spiritual　diagnosis　and　spiritual　pathology。　　Our　Church　does　not
prescribe　remedies　upon　any　settled　system；　and；　what　is　still
worse；　even　when　her　physicians　have　according　to　their　lights
ascertained　the　disease　and　pointed　out　the　remedy；　she　has　no
discipline　which　will　ensure　its　being　actually　applied。　　If　our
patients　do　not　choose　to　do　as　we　tell　them；　we　cannot　make　them。
Perhaps　really　under　all　the　circumstances　this　is　as　well；　for　we
are　spiritually　mere　horse　doctors　as　compared　with　the　Roman
priesthood；　nor　can　we　hope　to　make　much　headway　against　the　sin　and
misery　that　surround　us；　till　we　return　in　some　respects　to　the
practice　of　our　forefathers　and　of　the　greater　part　of　Christendom。〃

Ernest　asked　in　what　respects　it　was　that　his　friend　desired　a
return　to　the　practice　of　our　forefathers。

〃Why；　my　dear　fellow；　can　you　really　be　ignorant？　　It　is　just　this；
either　the　priest　is　indeed　a　spiritual　guide；　as　being　able　to　show
people　how　they　ought　to　live　better　than　they　can　find　out　for
themselves；　or　he　is　nothing　at　allhe　has　no　raison　d'etre。　　If
the　priest　is　not　as　much　a　healer　and　director　of　men's　souls　as　a
physician　is　of　their　bodies；　what　is　he？　　The　history　of　all　ages
has　shownand　surely　you　must　know　this　as　well　as　I　dothat　as
men　cannot　cure　the　bodies　of　their　patients　if　they　have　not　been
properly　trained　in　hospitals　under　skilled　teachers；　so　neither　can
souls　be　cured　of　their　more　hidden　ailments　without　the　help　of　men
who　are　skilled　in　soul…craftor　in　other　words；　of　priests。　　What
do　one　half　of　our　formularies　and　rubrics　mean　if　not　this？　　How　in
the　name　of　all　that　is　reasonable　can　we　find　out　the　exact　nature
of　a　spiritual　malady；　unless　we　have　had　experience　of　other
similar　cases？　　How　can　we　get　this　without　express　training？　　At
present　we　have　to　begin　all　experiments　for　ourselves；　without
profiting　by　the　organised　experience　of　our　predecessors；　inasmuch
as　that　experience　is　never　organised　and　co…ordinated　at　all。　　At
the　outset；　therefore；　each　one　of　us　must　ruin　many　souls　which
could　be　saved　by　knowledge　of　a　few　elementary　principles。〃

Ernest　was　very　much　impressed。

〃As　for　men　curing　themselves；〃　continued　Pryer；　〃they　can　no　more
cure　their　own　souls　than　they　can　cure　their　own　bodies；　or　manage
their　own　law　affairs。　　In　these　two　last　cases　they　see　the　folly
of　meddling　with　their　own　cases　clearly　enough；　and　go　to　a
professional　adviser　as　a　matter　of　course；　surely　a　man's　soul　is
at　once　a　more　difficult　and　intricate　matter　to　treat；　and　at　the
same　time　it　is　more　important　to　him　that　it　should　be　treated
rightly　than　that　either　his　body　or　his　money　should　be　so。　　What
are　we　to　think　of　the　practice　of　a　Church　which　encourages　people
to　rely　on　unprofessional　advice　in　matters　affecting　their　eternal
welfare；　when　they　would　not　think　of　jeopardising　their　worldly
affairs　by　such　insane　conduct？〃

Ernest　could　see　no　weak　place　in　this。　　These　ideas　had　crossed　his
own　mind　vaguely　before　now；　but　he　had　never　laid　hold　of　them　or
set　them　in　an　orderly　manner　before　himself。　　Nor　was　he　quick　at
detecting　false　analogies　and　the　misuse　of　metaphors；　in　fact　he
was　a　mere　child　in　the　hands　of　his　fellow　curate。

〃And　what；〃　resumed　Pryer；　〃does　all　this　point　to？　　Firstly；　to　the
duty　of　confessionthe　outcry　against　which　is　absurd　as　an　outcry
would　be　against　dissection　as　part　of　the　training　of　medical
students。　　Granted　these　young　men　must　see　and　do　a　great　deal　we
do　not　ourselves　like　even　to　think　of；　but　they　should　adopt　some
other　profession　unless　they　are　prepared　for　this；　they　may　even
get　inoculated　with　poison　from　a　dead　body　and　lose　their　lives；
but　they　must　stand　their　chance。　　So　if　we　aspire　to　be　priests　in
deed　as　well　as　name；　we　must　familiarise　ourselves　with　the
minutest　and　most　repulsive　details　of　all　kinds　of　sin；　so　that　we
may　recognise　it　in　all　its　stages。　　Some　of　us　must　doubtlessly
perish　spiritually　in　such　investigations。　　We　cannot　help　it；　all
science　must　have　its　ma