eminent victorians-第18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！





The　confederates　matured　their　plans。　While　Newman　was　making　his

arrangements　for　the　Oxford　Oratory；　Cardinal　Reisach　visited

London。　'Cardinal　Reisach　has　just　left；'　wrote　Manning　to

Monsignor　Talbot：　'he　has　seen　and　understands　all　that　is　going

on　in　England。'　But　Newman　had　no　suspicions。　It　was　true　that

persistent　rumours　of　his　unorthodoxy　and　his　anti…Roman　leanings

had　begun　to　float　about；　and　these　rumours　had　been　traced　to

Rome。　But　what　were　rumours？　Then；　too；　Newman　found　out　that

Cardinal　Reisach　had　been　to　Oxford　without　his　knowledge；　and

had　inspected　the　land　for　the　Oratory。　That　seemed　odd；　but　all

doubts　were　set　at　rest　by　the　arrival　from　Propaganda　of　an

official　ratification　of　his　scheme。　There　would　be　nothing　but

plain　sailing　now。　Newman　was　almost　happy；　radiant　visions　came

into　his　mind　of　a　wonderful　future　in　Oxford；　the　gradual　growth

of　Catholic　principles；　the　decay　of　liberalism；　the　inauguration

of　a　second　Oxford　Movement；　the　conversionwho　knows？of　Mark

Pattison；　the　triumph　of　the　Church。。。。　'Earlier　failures　do　not

matter　now；'　he　exclaimed　to　a　friend。　'I　see　that　I　have　been

reserved　by　God　for　this。'



Just　then　a　long　blue　envelope　was　brought　into　the　room。　Newman

opened　it。　'All　is　over；'　he　said；　'I　am　not　allowed　to　go。'　The

envelope　contained　a　letter　from　the　Bishop　announcing　that；

together　with　the　formal　permission　for　an　Oratory　at　Oxford；

Propaganda　had　issued　a　secret　instruction　to　the　effect　that

Newman　himself　was　by　no　means　to　reside　there。　If　he　showed

signs　of　doing　so；　he　was　blandly　and　suavely　（'blande

suaviterque'　were　the　words　of　the　Latin　instrument）　to　be

prevented。　And　now　the　secret　instruction　had　come　into

operation　blande　suaviterque：　Dr。　Newman's　spirit　had　been

crushed。



His　friends　made　some　gallant　efforts　to　retrieve　the　situation；

but；　it　was　in　vain。　Father　St。　John　hurried　to　Rome　and　the

indignant　laity　of　England；　headed　by　Lord　Edward　Howard；　the

guardian　of　the　young　Duke　of　Norfolk；　seized　the　opportunity　of

a　particularly　virulent　anonymous　attack　upon　Newman；　to　send　him

an　address　in　which　they　expressed　their　feeling　that　'every

blow　that　touches　you　inflicts　a　wound　upon　the　Catholic　Church

in　this　country'。　The　only　result　was　an　outburst　of　redoubled

fury　upon　the　part　of　Monsignor　Talbot。　The　address；　he　declared；

was　an　insult　to　the　Holy　See。　'What　is　the　province　of　the

laity？'　he　interjected。　'To　hunt；　to　shoot；　to　entertain。　These

matters　they　understand；　but　to　meddle　with　ecclesiastical

matters　they　have　no　right　at　all。'　Once　more　he　warned　Manning

to　be　careful。　'Dr。　Newman　is　the　most　dangerous　man　in　England；

and　you　will　see　that　he　will　make　use　of　the　laity　against　your

Grace。　You　must　not　be　afraid　of　him。　It　will　require　much

prudence；　but　you　must　be　firm。　The　Holy　Father　still　places　his

confidence　in　you；　but　if　you　yield　and　do　not　fight　the　battle

of　the　Holy　See　against　the　detestable　spirit　growing　up　in

England；　he　will　begin　to　regret　Cardinal　Wiseman；　who　knew　how

to　keep　the　laity　in　order。'　Manning　had　no　thought　of

'yielding'；　but；　he　pointed　out　to　his　agitated　friend　that　an

open　conflict　between　himself　and　Newman　would　be　'as　great　a

scandal　to　the　Church　in　England；　and　as　great　a　victory　to　the

Anglicans；　as　could　be'。　He　would　act　quietly；　and　there　would　be

no　more　difficulty。　The　Bishops　were　united；　and　the　Church　was

sound。



On　this；　Monsignor　Talbot　hurried　to　Father　St。　John's

lodgings　in　Rome　to　express　his　regret　at　the　misunderstanding

that　had　arisen；　to　wonder　how　it　could　possibly　have　occurred；

and　to　hope　that　Dr。　Newman　might　consent　to　be　made　a

Protonotary

Apostolic。　That　was　all　the　satisfaction　that　Father　St。　John　was

to　obtain　from　his　visit　to　Rome。　A　few　weeks　later；　the　scheme

of

the　Oxford　Oratory　was　finally　quashed。



When　all　was　over；　Manning　thought　that　the　time　had　come　for　a

reconciliation。　He　made　advances　through　a　common　friend；　what

had　he　done；　he　asked；　to　offend　Dr。　Newman？　Letters　passed；　and；

naturally　enough；　they　only　widened　the　breach。　Newman　was　not

the　man　to　be　polite。　'I　can　only　repeat；'　he　wrote　at　last；

'what　I　said　when　you　last　heard　from　me。　I　do　not　know　whether　I

am　on　my　head　or　my　heels　when　I　have　active　relations　with　you。

In　spite　of　my　friendly　feelings；　this　is　the　judgment　of　my

intellect。'　'Meanwhile；'　he　concluded；　'I　propose　to　say　seven

masses　for　your　intention　amid　the　difficulties　and　anxieties　of

your　ecclesiastical　duties。'　And　Manning　could　only　return　the

compliment。



At　about　this　time；　the　Curate　of　Littlemore　had　a　singular

experience。　As　he　was　passing　by　the　Church　he　noticed　an　old

man；　very　poorly　dressed　in　an　old　grey　coat　with　the　collar

turned　up；　leaning　over　the　lych　gate；　in　floods　of　tears。　He　was

apparently　in　great　trouble；　and　his　hat　was　pulled　down　over　his

eyes　as　if　he　wished　to　hide　his　features。　For　a　moment；

however；　he　turned　towards　the　Curate；　who　was　suddenly　struck　by

something　familiar　in　the　face。　Could　it　be？　A　photograph　hung

over　the　Curate's　mantelpiece　of　the　man　who　had　made　Littlemore

famous　by　his　sojourn　there　more　than　twenty　years　ago　he　had

never　seen　the　original；　but　now；　was　it　possible？　He　looked

again；　and　he　could　doubt　no　longer。　It　was　Dr。　Newman。　He　sprang

forward；　with　proffers　of　assistance。　Could　he　be　of　any　use？　'Oh

no；　no！'　was　the　reply。　'Oh　no；　no！'　But　the　Curate　felt　that　he

could　not　run　away　and　leave　so　eminent　a　character　in　such

distress。　'Was　it　not　Dr。　Newman　he　had　the　honour　of

addressing？'

he　asked；　with　all　the　respect　and　sympathy　at　his　command。　'Was

there　nothing　that　could　be　done？'　But　the　old　man　hardly　seemed

to　understand　what　was　being　said　to　him。　'Oh　no；　no！'　he

repeated；　with　the　tears　streaming　down　his　face；　'Oh　no；　no！'



VII



MEANWHILE；　a　remarkable　problem　was　absorbing　the　attention　of

the

Catholic　Church。　Once　more；　for　a　moment；　the　eyes　of　all

Christendom　were　fixed　upon　Rome。　The　temporal　Power　of　the　Pope

had　now　almost　vanished；　but；　as　his　worldly　dominions　steadily

diminished；　the　spiritual　pretensions　of　the　Holy　Father　no　less

steadily　increased。　For　seven　centuries　the　immaculate　conception

of　the　Virgin　had　been　highly　problematical；　Pio　Nono　spoke；　and

the　doctrine　became　an　article　of　faith。　A　few　years　later；　the

Court　of　Rome　took　another　step：　a　Syllabus　Errorum　was　issued；

in　which　all　the　favourite　beliefs　of　the　modern　world　the

rights　of　democracies；　the　claims　of　science；　the　sanctity　of

free　speech；　the　principles　of　toleration　were　categorically

denounced；　and　their　supporters　abandoned　to　the　Divine　wrath。



Yet　it　was　observed　that　the　modern　world　proceeded　as　before。

Something　more　drastic　appeared　to　be　necessary　some　bold　and

striking　measure　which　should　concentrate　the　forces　of　the

faithful；　and　confound　their　enemies。　The　tremendous　doctrine　of

Papal　Infallibility；　beloved　of　all　good　Catholics；　seemed　to

offer　just　the　opening　that　was　required。　Let　that　doctrine　be

proclaimed；　with　the　assent　of　the　whole　Church；　an　article　of

faith；　and；　in　the　face　of　such　an　affirmation；　let　the　modern

world　do　its　worst！　Accordingly；　a　General　Council　the　first　to

be　held　since　the　Council　of　Trent　more　than　300　years　before

was　summoned　to　the　Vatican；　for　the　purpose；　so　it　was

announced；　of　providing　'an　adequate　remedy　to　the　disorders；

intellectual　and　moral；　of　Christendom'。　The　programme　might　seem

a　large　one；　even　for　a　General　Council；　but　everyone　knew　what

it　meant。



Everyone；　however；　was　not　quite　of　one　mind。　There　were　those

to　whom　even　the　mysteries　of　infallibility　caused　some

searchings　of　heart。　It　was　true；　no　doubt；　that　Our　Lord；　by

saying　to　Peter；　'Thou　art　Cephas；　which　is　by　interpretation　a

stone'；　thereby　endowed　that　Apostle　with　the　supreme　and　full

primacy　and　principality　over　the　Universal　Catholic　Church；　it

was　equally　certain　that　Peter　afterwards　became　the　Bishop　of

Rome；　nor　could　it　be　doubted　that　the　Roman　Pontiff　was　his

successor。　Thus　it　followed　directly　that　the　Roman　Pontiff　was

the　head；　heart；　mind；　and　tongue　of　the　Catholic　Church；　and

moreover；　it　was　plain　that　when　Our　Lord　prayed　for　Peter　that

his　faith　should　not　fail；　that　prayer　implied　the　doctrine　of

Papal　Infallibility。　All　these　things　were　obvious；　and　yetand

yet　might　not　the　formal　declaration　of　such　truths　in　the　year

of　his　grace　1870　be；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　inopportune？　Might

it

not　come　as　an　offence；　as　a　scandal　even；　to　those　unacquainted

with　the　niceties　of　Catholic　dogma？　Such　were　the　uneasy

reflections　of　grave　and　learned　ecclesiastics　and　theologians　in

England；　France；　and　Germany。　Newman　was　more　than　usually　upset；

Monseigneur　Dupanloup　was　disgusted；　and　Dr。　Dollinger　prepared

himself　for　resistance