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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