eminent victorians-第2节

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the　little　boy　came　in　from　the　farmyard；　and　his　mother　asked

him　whether　he　had　seen　the　peacock。　'I　said　yes；　and　the　nurse

said　no；　and　my　mother　made　me　kneel　down　and　beg　God　to　forgive

me　for　not　speaking　the　truth。'　At　the　age　of　four　the　child　was

told　by　a　cousin　of　the　age　of　six　that　'God　had　a　book　in　which

He　wrote　down　everything　we　did　wrong。　This　so　terrified　me　for

days　that　I　remember　being　found　by　my　mother　sitting　under　a

kind　of　writing…table　in　great　fear。　I　never　forgot　this　at　any

time　in　my　life；'　the　Cardinal　tells　us；　'and　it　has　been　a　great

grace　to　me。'　When　he　was　nine　years　old　he　'devoured　the

Apocalypse；　and　I　never　all　through　my　life　forgot　the　〃lake　that

burneth　with　fire　and　brimstone〃。　That　verse　has　kept　me　like　an

audible　voice　through　all　my　life；　and　through　worlds　of　danger

in　my　youth。'



At　Harrow　the　worlds　of　danger　were　already　around　him；　but　yet

he　listened　to　the　audible　voice。　'At　school　and　college　I　never

failed　to　say　my　prayers；　so　far　as　memory　serves　me；　even　for　a

day。'　And　he　underwent　another　religious　experience：　he　read

Paley's　Evidences。　'I　took　in　the　whole　argument；'　wrote　Manning；

when　he　was　over　seventy；　'and　I　thank　God　that　nothing　has　ever

shaken　it。'　Yet　on　the　whole　he　led　the　unspiritual　life　of　an

ordinary　schoolboy。　We　have　glimpses　of　him　as　a　handsome　lad；

playing　cricket；　or　strutting　about　in　tasselled　Hessian　top…

boots。　And　on　one　occasion　at　least　he　gave　proof　of　a　certain

dexterity　of　conduct　which　deserved　to　be　remembered。　He　went　out

of　bounds；　and　a　master；　riding　by　and　seeing　him　on　the　other

side　of　a　field；　tied　his　horse　to　a　gate；　and　ran　after　him。　The

astute　youth　outran　the　master；　fetched　a　circle；　reached　the

gate；　jumped　on　to　the　horse's　back　and　rode　off。　For　this　he　was

very　properly　chastised；　but；　of　what　use　was　chastisement？　No

whipping；　however　severe；　could　have　eradicated　from　little

Henry's　mind　a　quality　at　least　as　firmly　planted　in　it　as　his

fear　of　Hell　and　his　belief　in　the　arguments　of　Paley。



It　had　been　his　father's　wish　that　Manning　should　go　into　the

Church；　but　the　thought　disgusted　him；　and　when　he　reached

Oxford；　his　tastes；　his　ambitions；　his　successes　at　the　Union；

all　seemed　to　mark　him　out　for　a　political　career。　He　was　a　year

junior　to　Samuel　Wilberforce；　and　a　year　senior　to　Gladstone。　In

those　days　the　Union　was　the　recruiting…ground　for　young

politicians；　Ministers　came　down　from　London　to　listen　to　the

debates；　and　a　few　years　later　the　Duke　of　Newcastle　gave

Gladstone　a　pocket　borough　on　the　strength　of　his　speech　at　the

Union　against　the　Reform　Bill。　To　those　three　young　men；　indeed；

the　whole　world　lay　open。　Were　they　not　rich；　well…connected；　and

endowed　with　an　infinite　capacity　for　making　speeches？　The　event

justified　the　highest　expectations　of　their　friends；　for　the

least　distinguished　of　the　three　died　a　bishop。　The　only　danger

lay　in　another　direction。　'Watch；　my　dear　Samuel；'　wrote　the

elder　Wilberforce　to　his　son；　'watch　with　jealousy　whether　you

find　yourself　unduly　solicitous　about　acquitting　yourself；

whether　you　are　too　much　chagrined　when　you　fail；　or　are　puffed

up　by　your　success。　Undue　solicitude　about　popular　estimation　is

a　weakness　against　which　all　real　Christians　must　guard　with　the

utmost　jealous　watchfulness。　The　more　you　can　retain　the

impression　of　your　being　surrounded　by　a　cloud　of　witnesses　of

the　invisible　world；　to　use　the　scripture　phrase；　the　more　you

will　be　armed　against　this　besetting　sin。'　But　suddenly　it　seemed

as　if　such　a　warning　could；　after　all；　have　very　little　relevance

to　Manning；　for；　on　his　leaving　Oxford；　the　brimming　cup　was

dashed　from　his　lips。　He　was　already　beginning　to　dream　of

himself　in　the　House　of　Commons；　the　solitary　advocate　of　some

great　cause　whose　triumph　was　to　be　eventually　brought　about　by

his　extraordinary　efforts；　when　his　father　was　declared　a

bankrupt；　and　all　his　hopes　of　a　political　career　came　to　an　end

forever。



It　was　at　this　time　that　Manning　became　intimate　with　a　pious

lady；　the　sister　of　one　of　his　College　friends；　whom　he　used　to

describe　as　his　Spiritual　Mother。　He　made　her　his　confidante；　and

one　day；　as　they　walked　together　in　the　shrubbery；　he　revealed

the　bitterness　of　the　disappointment　into　which　his　father's

failure　had　plunged　him。　She　tried　to　cheer　him；　and　then　she

added　that　there　were　higher　aims　open　to　him　which　he　had　not

considered。　'What　do　you　mean？'　he　asked。　'The　kingdom　of

Heaven；'　she　answered；　'heavenly　ambitions　are　not　closed　against

you。'　The　young　man　listened；　was　silent；　and　said　at　last　that

he　did　not　know　but　she　was　right。　She　suggested　reading　the

Bible　together；　and　they　accordingly　did　so　during　the　whole　of

that　Vacation；　every　morning　after　breakfast。　Yet；　in　spite　of

these　devotional　exercises；　and　in　spite　of　a　voluminous

correspondence　on　religious　subjects　with　his　Spiritual　Mother；

Manning　still　continued　to　indulge　in　secular　hopes。　He　entered

the　Colonial　Office　as　a　supernumerary　clerk；　and　it　was　only

when　the　offer　of　a　Merton　Fellowship　seemed　to　depend　upon　his

taking　orders　that　his　heavenly　ambitions　began　to　assume　a

definite　shape。　Just　then　he　fell　in　love　with　Miss　Deffell；

whose　father　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　a　young　man　without

prospects；　and　forbade　him　the　house。　It　was　only　too　true；　what

WERE　the　prospects　of　a　supernumerary　clerk　in　the　Colonial

Office？　Manning　went　to　Oxford　and　took　orders。　He　was　elected　to

the　Merton　Fellowship；　and　obtained　through　the　influence　of　the

Wilberforces　a　curacy　in　Sussex。　At　the　last　moment　he　almost

drew　back。　'I　think　the　whole　step　has　been　too　precipitate；'　he

wrote　to　his　brother…in…law。　'I　have　rather　allowed　the　instance

of　my　friends；　and　the　allurements　of　an　agreeable　curacy　in　many

respects；　to　get　the　better　of　my　sober　judgment。'　His　vast

ambitions；　his　dreams　of　public　service；　of　honours；　and　of

power；　was　all　this　to　end　in　a　little　country　curacy　'agreeable

in　many　respects'？　But　there　was　nothing　for　it；　the　deed　was

done；　and　the　Fates　had　apparently　succeeded　very　effectively　in

getting　rid　of　Manning。　All　he　could　do　was　to　make　the　best　of　a

bad　business。



Accordingly；　in　the　first　place；　he　decided　that　he　had　received

a　call　from　God　'ad　veritatem　et　ad　seipsum'；　and；　in　the　second；

forgetting　Miss　Deffell；　he　married　his　rector's　daughter。　Within

a　few　months　the　rector　died；　and　Manning　stepped　into　his　shoes；

and　at　least　it　could　be　said　that　the　shoes　were　not

uncomfortable。　For　the　next　seven　years　he　fulfilled　the

functions　of　a　country　clergyman。　He　was　energetic　and　devout；　he

was　polite　and　handsome；　his　fame　grew　in　the　diocese。　At　last　he

began　to　be　spoken　of　as　the　probable　successor　to　the　old

Archdeacon　of　Chichester。　When　Mrs。　Manning　prematurely　died；　he

was　at　first　inconsolable；　but　he　found　relief　in　the　distraction

of　redoubled　work。　How　could　he　have　guessed　that　one　day　he

would　come　to　number　that　loss　among　'God's　special　mercies？　Yet

so　it　was　to　be。　In　after　years；　the　memory　of　his　wife　seemed　to

be　blotted　from　his　mind；　he　never　spoke　of　her；　every　letter；

every　record；　of　his　married　life　he　destroyed；　and　when　word　was

sent　to　him　that　her　grave　was　falling　into　ruin：　'It　is　best

so；'　the　Cardinal　answered；　'let　it　be。　Time　effaces　all　things。'

But；　when　the　grave　was　yet　fresh；　the　young　Rector　would　sit

beside　it；　day　after　day；　writing　his　sermons。



II



IN　the　meantime；　a　series　of　events　was　taking　place　in　another

part　of　England；　which　was　to　have　a　no　less　profound　effect　upon

Manning's　history　than　the　merciful　removal　of　his　wife。　In　the

same　year　in　which　he　took　up　his　Sussex　curacy；　the　Tracts　for

the　Times　had　begun　to　appear　at　Oxford。　The　'Oxford　Movement'；

in　fact；　had　started　on　its　course。　The　phrase　is　still　familiar；

but　its　meaning　has　become　somewhat　obscured　both　by　the　lapse　of

time　and　the　intrinsic　ambiguity　of　the　subjects　connected　with

it。　Let　us　borrow　for　a　moment　the　wings　of　Historic　Imagination；

and；　hovering　lightly　over　the　Oxford　of　the　thirties；　take　a

rapid　bird's…eye　view。



For　many　generations　the　Church　of　England　had　slept　the　sleep　of

the。。fortable。　The　sullen　murmurings　of　dissent；　the　loud

battle…cry　of　Revolution；　had　hardly　disturbed　her　slumbers。

Portly　divines　subscribed　with　a　sigh　or　a　smile　to　the　Thirty…

nine　Articles；　sank　quietly　into　easy　living；　rode　gaily　to

hounds　of　a　morning　as　gentlemen　should；　and；　as　gentlemen

should；　carried　their　two　bottles　of　an　evening。　To　be　in　the

Church　was　in　fact　simply　to　pursue　one　of　those　professions

which　Nature　and　Society　had　decided　were　proper　to　gentlemen　and

gentlemen　alone。　The　fervours　of　piety；　the　zeal　of　Apostolic

charity；　the　enthusiasm　of　self…renunciation　these　things　were

all　very　well　in　their　way　and　in　th