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carried a resolution declaring that the Oblates of St。 Charles

had intruded themselves illegally into the Seminary。 The Cardinal

quashed the proceedings of the Chapter; whereupon; the Chapter

appealed to Rome。 Dr。 Errington; carried away by the fury of the

controversy; then appeared as the avowed opponent of the Provost

and the Cardinal。 With his own hand he drew up a document

justifying the appeal of the Chapter to Rome by Canon Law and the

decrees of the Council of Trent。 Wiseman was deeply pained: 'My

own coadjutor;' he exclaimed; 'is acting as solicitor against me

in a lawsuit。' There was a rush to Rome; where; for several

ensuing years; the hostile English parties were to wage a furious

battle in the antechambers of the Vatican。 But the dispute over

the Oblates now sank into insignificance beside the rage of

contention which centred round a new and far more deadly

question; for the position of Dr。 Errington himself was at stake。

The Cardinal; in spite of illness; indolence; and the ties of

friendship; had been brought at last to an extraordinary step

he was petitioning the Pope for nothing less than the deprivation

and removal of the Archbishop of Trebizond。



The precise details of what followed are doubtful。 It is only

possible to discern with clearness; amid a vast cloud of official

documents and unofficial correspondences in English; Italian; and

Latin; of Papal decrees and voluminous scritture; of confidential

reports of episcopal whispers and the secret agitations of

Cardinals; the form of Manning; restless and indomitable;

scouring like a stormy petrel the angry ocean of debate。 Wiseman;

dilatory; unbusinesslike; and infirm; was ready enough to leave

the conduct of affairs in his hands。 Nor was it long before

Manning saw where the key of the whole position lay。 As in the

old days; at Chichester; he had secured the goodwill of Bishop

Shuttleworth by cultivating the friendship of Archdeacon Hare; so

now; on this vaster scale of operations; his sagacity led him

swiftly and unerringly up the little winding staircase in the

Vatican and through the humble door which opened into the cabinet

of Monsignor Talbot; the private secretary of the Pope。 Monsignor

Talbot was a priest who embodied in a singular manner; if not the

highest; at least the most persistent traditions of the Roman

Curia。 He was a master of various arts which the practice of ages

has brought to perfection under the friendly shadow of the triple

tiara。 He could mingle together astuteness and holiness without

any difficulty; he could make innuendoes as naturally as an

ordinary man makes statements of fact; he could apply flattery

with so unsparing a hand that even Princes of the Church found it

sufficient; and; on occasion; he could ring the changes of

torture on a human soul with a tact which called forth universal

approbation。 With such accomplishments; it could hardly be

expected that Monsignor Talbot should be remarkable either for a

delicate sense of conscientiousness or for an extreme refinement

of feeling; but then it was not for those qualities that Manning

was in search when he went up the winding stair。 He was looking

for the man who had the ear of Pio Nono; and; on the other side

of the low…arched door; he found him。 Then he put forth all his

efforts; his success was complete; and an alliance began which

was destined to have the profoundest effect upon Manning's

career; and was only dissolved when; many years later; Monsignor

Talbot was unfortunately obliged to exchange his apartment in the

Vatican for a private lunatic asylum at Passy。



It was determined that the coalition should be ratified by the

ruin of Dr。 Errington。 When the moment of crisis was seen to be

approaching; Wiseman was summoned to Rome; where he began to draw

up an immense scrittura containing his statement of the case。 For

months past; the redoubtable energies of the Archbishop of

Trebizond had been absorbed in a similar task。 Folio was being

piled upon folio; when a sudden blow threatened to put an end to

the whole proceeding in a summary manner。 The Cardinal was seized

by violent illness; and appeared to be upon his deathbed。 Manning

thought for a moment that his labours had been in vain and that

all was lost。 But the Cardinal recovered; Monsignor Talbot used

his influence as he alone knew how; and a papal decree was issued

by which Dr。 Errington was 'liberated' from the Coadjutorship of

Westminster; together with the right of succession to the See。



It was a supreme act of authoritya 'colpo di stato di

Dominiddio'; as the Pope himself saidand the blow to the Old

Catholics was correspondingly severe。 They found themselves

deprived at one fell swoop both of the influence of their most

energetic supporter and of the certainty of coming into power at

Wiseman's death。 And in the meantime; Manning was redoubling his

energies at Bayswater。 Though his Oblates had been checked over

St。 Edmund's; there was still no lack of work for them to do。

There were missions to be carried on; schools to be managed;

funds to be collected。 Several new churches were built; a

community of most edifying nuns of the Third Order of St。 Francis

was established; and £30;000; raised from Manning's private

resources and from those of his friends; was spent in three

years。 'I hate that man;' one of the Old Catholics exclaimed; 'he

is such a forward piece。' The words were reported to Manning; who

shrugged his shoulders。 'Poor man;' he said; 'what is he made of?

Does he suppose; in his foolishness; that after working day and

night for twenty years in heresy and schism; on becoming a

Catholic; I should sit in an easy…chair and fold my hands all the

rest of my life?' But his secret thoughts were of a different

caste。 'I am conscious of a desire;' he wrote in his Diary; 'to

be in such a position: (I) as I had in times past; (2) as my

present circumstances imply; (3) as my friends think me fit for;

and (4) as I feel my own faculties tend to。



'But; God being my helper; I will not seek it by the lifting of a

finger or the speaking; of a word。'



So Manning wrote; and thought; and prayed; but what are words;

and thoughts; and even prayers; to the mysterious and relentless

powers of circumstance and character? Cardinal Wiseman was slowly

dying; the tiller of the Church was slipping from his feeble

hand; and Manning was beside him; the one man with the energy;

the ability; the courage; and the conviction to steer the ship

upon her course。 More than that; there was the sinister figure of

a Dr。 Errington crouching close at hand; ready to seize the helm

and make straightwho could doubt it?for the rocks。 In such a

situation the voice of self…abnegation must needs grow still and

small indeed。 Yet it spoke on; for it was one of the paradoxes in

Manning's soul that that voice was never silent。 Whatever else he

was; he was not unscrupulous。 Rather; his scruples deepened with

his desires; and he could satisfy his most exorbitant ambitions

in a profundity of self…abasement。 And so now he vowed to Heaven

that he would SEEK nothing no; not by the lifting of a finger

or the speaking of a word。 But; if something came to him? He

had vowed not to seek; he had not vowed not to take。 Might it not

be his plain duty to take? Might it not be the will of God?



Something; of course; did come to him; though it seemed for a

moment that it would elude his grasp。 Wiseman died; and there

ensued in Rome a crisis of extraordinary intensity。 'Since the

creation of the hierarchy;' Monsignor Talbot wrote; it is the

greatest moment for the Church that I have yet seen。' It was the

duty of the Chapter of Westminster to nominate three candidates

for succession to the Archbishopric; they made one last effort;

and had the temerity to place upon the list; besides the names of

two Old Catholic bishops; that of Dr。 Errington。 It was a fatal

blunder。 Pius IX was furious; the Chapter had committed an

'insulta al Papa'; he exclaimed; striking his breast three times

in his rage。 'It was the Chapter that did it;' said Manning;

afterwards; but even after the Chapter's indiscretion; the fatal

decision hung in the balance for weeks。 'The great point of

anxiety with me; wrote Monsignor Talbot to Manning; 'is whether a

Congregation will be held; or whether the Holy Father will

perform a Pontifical act。 He himself is doubting。 I therefore say

mass and pray every morning that he may have the courage to

choose for himself; instead of submitting the matter to a

Congregation。 Although the Cardinals are determined to reject Dr。

Errington; nevertheless I am afraid that they should select one

of the others。 You know very well that Congregations are guided

by the documents that are placed before them; it is for this

reason that I should prefer the Pope's acting himself。'



But the Holy Father himself was doubting。 In his indecision; he

ordered a month of 

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