the way of all flesh-第57节

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ago；　the　aim　of　which　shall　be　at　once　to　outbid　Rome　on　the　one
hand；　and　scepticism　on　the　other。　　For　this　purpose　I　see　nothing
better　than　the　foundation　of　an　institution　or　college　for　placing
the　nature　and　treatment　of　sin　on　a　more　scientific　basis　than　it
rests　at　present。　　We　wantto　borrow　a　useful　term　of　Pryer'sa
College　of　Spiritual　Pathology　where　young　men〃　（I　suppose　Ernest
thought　he　was　no　longer　young　by　this　time）　〃may　study　the　nature
and　treatment　of　the　sins　of　the　soul　as　medical　students　study
those　of　the　bodies　of　their　patients。　　Such　a　college；　as　you　will
probably　admit；　will　approach　both　Rome　on　the　one　hand；　and　science
on　the　otherRome；　as　giving　the　priesthood　more　skill；　and
therefore　as　paving　the　way　for　their　obtaining　greater　power；　and
science；　by　recognising　that　even　free　thought　has　a　certain　kind　of
value　in　spiritual　enquiries。　　To　this　purpose　Pryer　and　I　have
resolved　to　devote　ourselves　henceforth　heart　and　soul。

〃Of　course；　my　ideas　are　still　unshaped；　and　all　will　depend　upon
the　men　by　whom　the　college　is　first　worked。　　I　am　not　yet　a　priest；
but　Pryer　is；　and　if　I　were　to　start　the　College；　Pryer　might　take
charge　of　it　for　a　time　and　I　work　under　him　nominally　as　his
subordinate。　　Pryer　himself　suggested　this。　　Is　it　not　generous　of
him？

〃The　worst　of　it　is　that　we　have　not　enough　money；　I　have；　it　is
true；　5000　pounds；　but　we　want　at　least　10；000　pounds；　so　Pryer
says；　before　we　can　start；　when　we　are　fairly　under　weigh　I　might
live　at　the　college　and　draw　a　salary　from　the　foundation；　so　that
it　is　all　one；　or　nearly　so；　whether　I　invest　my　money　in　this　way
or　in　buying　a　living；　besides　I　want　very　little；　it　is　certain
that　I　shall　never　marry；　no　clergyman　should　think　of　this；　and　an
unmarried　man　can　live　on　next　to　nothing。　　Still　I　do　not　see　my
way　to　as　much　money　as　I　want；　and　Pryer　suggests　that　as　we　can
hardly　earn　more　now　we　must　get　it　by　a　judicious　series　of
investments。　　Pryer　knows　several　people　who　make　quite　a　handsome
income　out　of　very　little　or；　indeed；　I　may　say；　nothing　at　all；　by
buying　things　at　a　place　they　call　the　Stock　Exchange；　I　don't　know
much　about　it　yet；　but　Pryer　says　I　should　soon　learn；　he　thinks；
indeed；　that　I　have　shown　rather　a　talent　in　this　direction；　and
under　proper　auspices　should　make　a　very　good　man　of　business。
Others；　of　course；　and　not　I；　must　decide　this；　but　a　man　can　do
anything　if　he　gives　his　mind　to　it；　and　though　I　should　not　care
about　having　more　money　for　my　own　sake；　I　care　about　it　very　much
when　I　think　of　the　good　I　could　do　with　it　by　saving　souls　from
such　horrible　torture　hereafter。　　Why；　if　the　thing　succeeds；　and　I
really　cannot　see　what　is　to　hinder　it；　it　is　hardly　possible　to
exaggerate　its　importance；　nor　the　proportions　which　it　may
ultimately　assume；〃　etc。；　etc。

Again　I　asked　Ernest　whether　he　minded　my　printing　this。　　He　winced；
but　said　〃No；　not　if　it　helps　you　to　tell　your　story：　　but　don't　you
think　it　is　too　long？〃

I　said　it　would　let　the　reader　see　for　himself　how　things　were　going
in　half　the　time　that　it　would　take　me　to　explain　them　to　him。

〃Very　well　then；　keep　it　by　all　means。〃

I　continue　turning　over　my　file　of　Ernest's　letters　and　find　as
follows　…


〃Thanks　for　your　last；　in　answer　to　which　I　send　you　a　rough　copy　of
a　letter　I　sent　to　the　Times　a　day　or　two　back。　　They　did　not　insert
it；　but　it　embodies　pretty　fully　my　ideas　on　the　parochial
visitation　question；　and　Pryer　fully　approves　of　the　letter。　　Think
it　carefully　over　and　send　it　back　to　me　when　read；　for　it　is　so
exactly　my　present　creed　that　I　cannot　afford　to　lose　it。

〃I　should　very　much　like　to　have　a　viva　voce　discussion　on　these
matters：　　I　can　only　see　for　certain　that　we　have　suffered　a
dreadful　loss　in　being　no　longer　able　to　excommunicate。　　We　should
excommunicate　rich　and　poor　alike；　and　pretty　freely　too。　　If　this
power　were　restored　to　us　we　could；　I　think；　soon　put　a　stop　to　by
far　the　greater　part　of　the　sin　and　misery　with　which　we　are
surrounded。〃


These　letters　were　written　only　a　few　weeks　after　Ernest　had　been
ordained；　but　they　are　nothing　to　others　that　he　wrote　a　little
later　on。

In　his　eagerness　to　regenerate　the　Church　of　England　（and　through
this　the　universe）　by　the　means　which　Pryer　had　suggested　to　him；　it
occurred　to　him　to　try　to　familiarise　himself　with　the　habits　and
thoughts　of　the　poor　by　going　and　living　among　them。　　I　think　he　got
this　notion　from　Kingsley's　〃Alton　Locke；〃　which；　High　Churchman
though　he　for　the　nonce　was；　he　had　devoured　as　he　had　devoured
Stanley's　Life　of　Arnold；　Dickens's　novels；　and　whatever　other
literary　garbage　of　the　day　was　most　likely　to　do　him　harm；　at　any
rate　he　actually　put　his　scheme　into　practice；　and　took　lodgings　in
Ashpit　Place；　a　small　street　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Drury　Lane
Theatre；　in　a　house　of　which　the　landlady　was　the　widow　of　a　cabman。

This　lady　occupied　the　whole　ground　floor。　　In　the　front　kitchen
there　was　a　tinker。　　The　back　kitchen　was　let　to　a　bellows…mender。
On　the　first　floor　came　Ernest；　with　his　two　rooms　which　he
furnished　comfortably；　for　one　must　draw　the　line　somewhere。　　The
two　upper　floors　were　parcelled　out　among　four　different　sets　of
lodgers：　　there　was　a　tailor　named　Holt；　a　drunken　fellow　who　used
to　beat　his　wife　at　night　till　her　screams　woke　the　house；　above　him
there　was　another　tailor　with　a　wife　but　no　children；　these　people
were　Wesleyans；　given　to　drink　but　not　noisy。　　The　two　back　rooms
were　held　by　single　ladies；　who　it　seemed　to　Ernest　must　be
respectably　connected；　for　well…dressed　gentlemanly…looking　young
men　used　to　go　up　and　down　stairs　past　Ernest's　rooms　to　call　at　any
rate　on　Miss　SnowErnest　had　heard　her　door　slam　after　they　had
passed。　　He　thought；　too；　that　some　of　them　went　up　to　Miss
Maitland's。　　Mrs　Jupp；　the　landlady；　told　Ernest　that　these　were
brothers　and　cousins　of　Miss　Snow's；　and　that　she　was　herself
looking　out　for　a　situation　as　a　governess；　but　at　present　had　an
engagement　as　an　actress　at　the　Drury　Lane　Theatre。　　Ernest　asked
whether　Miss　Maitland　in　the　top　back　was　also　looking　out　for　a
situation；　and　was　told　she　was　wanting　an　engagement　as　a　milliner。
He　believed　whatever　Mrs　Jupp　told　him。



CHAPTER　LIV



This　move　on　Ernest's　part　was　variously　commented　upon　by　his
friends；　the　general　opinion　being　that　it　was　just　like　Pontifex；
who　was　sure　to　do　something　unusual　wherever　he　went；　but　that　on
the　whole　the　idea　was　commendable。　　Christina　could　not　restrain
herself　when　on　sounding　her　clerical　neighbours　she　found　them
inclined　to　applaud　her　son　for　conduct　which　they　idealised　into
something　much　more　self…denying　than　it　really　was。　　She　did　not
quite　like　his　living　in　such　an　unaristocratic　neighbourhood；　but
what　he　was　doing　would　probably　get　into　the　newspapers；　and　then
great　people　would　take　notice　of　him。　　Besides；　it　would　be　very
cheap；　down　among　these　poor　people　he　could　live　for　next　to
nothing；　and　might　put　by　a　great　deal　of　his　income。　　As　for
temptations；　there　could　be　few　or　none　in　such　a　place　as　that。
This　argument　about　cheapness　was　the　one　with　which　she　most
successfully　met　Theobald；　who　grumbled　more　suo　that　he　had　no
sympathy　with　his　son's　extravagance　and　conceit。　　When　Christina
pointed　out　to　him　that　it　would　be　cheap　he　replied　that　there　was
something　in　that。

On　Ernest　himself　the　effect　was　to　confirm　the　good　opinion　of
himself　which　had　been　growing　upon　him　ever　since　he　had　begun　to
read　for　orders；　and　to　make　him　flatter　himself　that　he　was　among
the　few　who　were　ready　to　give　up　ALL　for　Christ。　　Ere　long　he　began
to　conceive　of　himself　as　a　man　with　a　mission　and　a　great　future。
His　lightest　and　most　hastily　formed　opinions　began　to　be　of
momentous　importance　to　him；　and　he　inflicted　them；　as　I　have
already　shown；　on　his　old　friends；　week　by　week　becoming　more　and
more　entete　with　himself　and　his　own　crotchets。　　I　should　like　well
enough　to　draw　a　veil　over　this　part　of　my　hero's　career；　but　cannot
do　so　without　marring　my　story。

In　the　spring　of　1859　I　find　him　writing　…


〃I　cannot　call　the　visible　Church　Christian　till　its　fruits　are
Christian；　that　is　until　the　fruits　of　the　members　of　the　Church　of
England　are　in　conformity；　or　something　like　conformity；　with　her
teaching。　　I　cordially　agree　with　the　teaching　of　the　Church　of
England　in　most　respects；　but　she　says　one　thing　and　does　another；
and　until　excommunicationyes；　and　wholesale　excommunicationbe
resorted　to；　I　cannot　call　her　a　Christian　institution。　　I　should
begin　with　our　Rector；　and　if　I　found　it　necessary　to　follow　him　up
by　excommunicating　the　Bishop；　I　should　not　flinch　even　from　this。

〃The　present　London　Rectors　are　hopeless　people　to　deal　with。　　My
own　is　one　of　the　best　of　them；　but　the　moment　Pryer　and　I　show
signs　of　wanting　to　attack　an　evil　in　a　way　not　recognised　by
routine；　or　of　remedying　anything　about　which　no　outcry　has　been
made；　we　are　met　with；　'I　cannot　think　what　you　mean　by　all　this
disturbance；　nobody　else　among　the　clergy　sees　these　things；　and　I
have