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room　of　some　inconspicuous　lodging…house；　by　a　sunset　rendezvous

in　the　Borghese　Gardens　between　a　Cardinal　and　a　Diplomatist　by　a

whispered　conference　in　an　alcove　at　a　Princess's　evening　party；

with　the　gay　world　chattering　all　about。　And；　of　course；　on　such

momentous　occasions　as　these；　Manning　was　in　his　element。　None

knew　those　difficult　ropes　better　than　he；　none　used　them　with　a

more　serviceable　and　yet　discreet　alacrity。　In　every　juncture　he

had　the　right　word；　or　the　right　silence；　his　influence　ramified

in　all　directions；　from　the　Pope's　audience　chamber　to　the

English　Cabinet。　'Il　Diavolo　del　Concilio'　his　enemies　called

him；　and　he　gloried　in　the　name。



The　real　crux　of　the　position　was　less　ecclesiastical　than

diplomatic。　The　Papal　Court；　with　its　huge　majority　of　Italian

Bishops；　could　make　sure　enough；　when　it　came　to　the　point；　of

carrying　its　wishes　through　the　Council；　what　was　far　more

dubious　was　the　attitude　of　the　foreign　Governments

especially　those　of　France　and　England。　The　French　Government

dreaded　a　schism　among　its　Catholic　subjects；　it　disliked　the

prospect　of　an　extension　of　the　influence　of　the　Pope　over　the

mass　of　the　population　of　France；　and；　since　the　very　existence

of　the　last　remnant　of　the　Pope's　Temporal　Power　depended　upon

the　French　army；　it　was　able　to　apply　considerable　pressure　upon

the　Vatican。　The　interests　of　England　were　less　directly

involved；　but　it　happened　that　at　this　moment　Mr。　Gladstone　was

Prime　Minister；　and　Mr。　Gladstone　entertained　strong　views　upon

the　Infallibility　of　the　Pope。　His　opinions　upon　the　subject　were

in　part　the　outcome　of　his　friendship　with　Lord　Acton；　a

historian　to　whom　learning　and　judgment　had　not　been　granted　in

equal　proportions；　and　who；　after　years　of　incredible　and　indeed

well…nigh　mythical　research；　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the

Pope　could　err。　In　this　Mr。　Gladstone　entirely　concurred；　though

he　did　not　share　the　rest　of　his　friend's　theological　opinions；

for　Lord　Acton；　while　straining　at　the　gnat　of　Infallibility；　had

swallowed　the　camel　of　the　Roman　Catholic　Faith。　'Que　diable

allait…il　faire　dans　cette　galere？'　one　cannot　help　asking；　as

one　watched　that　laborious　and　scrupulous　scholar；　that　lifelong

enthusiast　for　liberty；　that　almost　hysterical　reviler　of

priesthood　and　persecution；　trailing　his　learning　so　discrepantly

along　the　dusty　Roman　way。　　But；　there　are　some　who　know　how　to

wear　their　Rome　with　a　difference；　and　Lord　Acton　was　one　of

these。



He　was　now　engaged　in　fluttering　like　a　moth　round　the　Council

and　in　writing　long　letters　to　Mr。　Gladstone；　impressing　upon　him

the　gravity　of　the　situation；　and　urging　him　to　bring　his

influence　to　bear。　If　the；　Dogma　were　carried　he　declared；　no

man　who　accepted　it　could　remain　a　loyal　subject　and　Catholics

would　everywhere　become　'irredeemable　enemies　of　civil　and

religious　liberty'。　In　these　circumstances；　was　it　not　plainly

incumbent　upon　the　English　Government；　involved　as　it　was　with

the　powerful　Roman　Catholic　forces　in　Ireland；　to　intervene？　Mr。

Gladstone　allowed　himself　to　become　convinced；　and　Lord　Acton

began　to　hope　that　his　efforts　would　be　successful。　But；　he　had

forgotten　one　element　in　the　situation；　he　had　reckoned　without

the　Archbishop　of　Westminster。　The　sharp　nose　of　Manning　sniffed

out　the　whole　intrigue。　Though　he　despised　Lord　Acton　almost　as

much　as　he　disliked　him'such　men；'　he　said；　'are　all　vanity：

they　have　the　inflation　of　German　professors；　and　the　ruthless

talk　of　undergraduates'yet　he　realised　clearly　enough　the

danger　of　his　correspondence　with　the　Prime　Minister；　and

immediately　took　steps　to　counteract　it。　There　was　a　semi…

official　agent　of　the　English　Government　in　Rome；　Mr。　Odo

Russell；

and　around　him　Manning　set　to　work　to　spin　his　spider's　web　of

delicate　and　clinging　diplomacy。　Preliminary　politenesses　were

followed　by　long　walks　upon　the　Pincio；　and　the　gradual

interchange　of　more　and　more　important　and　confidential

communications。　Soon　poor　Mr。　Russell　was　little　better　than　a

fly

buzzing　in　gossamer。　And　Manning　was　careful　to　see　that　he

buzzed　on　the　right　note。　In　his　dispatches　to　the　Foreign

Secretary；　Lord　Clarendon；　Mr。　Russell　explained　in　detail　the

true　nature　of　the　Council；　that　it　was　merely　a　meeting　of　a

few　Roman　Catholic　prelates　to　discuss　some　internal　matters　of

Church　discipline；　that　it　had　no　political　significance

whatever；　that　the　question　of　Infallibility；　about　which　there

had　been　so　much　random　talk；　was　a　purely　theological　question；

and　that；　whatever　decision　might　be　come　to　on　the　subject；　the

position　of　Roman　Catholics　throughout　the　world　would　remain

unchanged。



Whether　the　effect　of　these　affirmations　upon　Lord　Clarendon　was

as　great　as　Manning　supposed　is　somewhat　doubtful；　but　it　is　at

any　rate　certain　that　Mr。　Gladstone　failed　to　carry　the　Cabinet

with

him；　and；　when　at　last　a　proposal　was　definitely　made　that　the

English

Government　should　invite　the　Powers　of　Europe　to　intervene　at　the

Vatican；

it　was　rejected。　Manning　always　believed　that　this　was　the　direct

result

of　Mr。　Russell's　dispatches；　which　had　acted　as　an　antidote　to

the　poison

of　Lord　Acton's　letters；　and　thus　carried　the　day。　If　that　was

so；　the

discretion　of　biographers　has　not　yet　entirely　lifted　the　veil

from　these　proceedings　Manning　had　assuredly　performed　no　small

service　for　his　cause。　Yet　his　modesty　would　not　allow　him　to

assume　for　himself　a　credit　which；　after　all；　was　due　elsewhere；

and　when　he　told　the　story　of　those　days；　he　would　add；　with　more

than　wonted　seriousness；　'It　was　by　the　Divine　Will　that　the

designs　of　His　enemies　were　frustrated'。



Meanwhile；　in　the　North　Transept　of　St。　Peter's　a　certain　amount

of　preliminary　business　had　been　carried　through。　Various

miscellaneous　points　in　Christian　doctrine　had　been

satisfactorily　determined。　Among　others；　the　following　Canons

were　laid　down　by　the　Fathers：　'If　anyone　does　not　accept　for

sacred　and　canonical　the　whole　and　every　part　of　the　Books　of

Holy　Scripture；　or　deny　that　they　are　divinely　inspired；　let　him

be　anathema。'　'If　anyone　says　that　miracles　cannot　be；　and

therefore；　the　accounts　of　them；　even　those　in　Holy　Scriptures

must　be　assigned　a　place　among　fables　and　myths；　or　that　the

divine　origin　of　the　Christian　religion　cannot　rightly　be　proved

from　them；　let　him　be　anathema。'　'If　anyone　says　that　the

doctrines　of　the　Church　can　ever　receive　a　sense　in　accordance

with　the　progress　of　science；　other　than　that　sense　which　the

Church　has　understood　and　still　understands；　let　him　be

anathema。'

'If　anyone　says　that　it　is　not　possible；　by　the　natural　light　of

human　reason；　to　acquire　a　certain　knowledge　of　the　One　and　True

God；　let　him　be　anathema。'　In　other　words；　it　became　an　article

of　Faith　that　Faith　was　not　necessary　for　a　true　knowledge　of

God。　Having　disposed　of　these　minor　matters；　the　Fathers　found

themselves　at　last　approaching　the　great　question　of

Infallibility。



Two　main　issues；　it　soon　appeared；　were　before　them：　the。　Pope's

infallibility　was　admitted；　ostensibly　at　least；　by　all；　what

remained

to　be　determined　was：　（1）　whether　the　definition　of　the　Pope's

Infallibility

was　opportune；　and　（2）　what　the　definition　of　the　Pope's

Infallibility　was。



（1）　It　soon　became　clear　that　the　sense　of　the　Council　was

overwhelmingly

in　favour　of　a　definition。　The　Inopportunists　were　a　small

minority；

they　were　outvoted；　and　they　were　obliged　to　give　way。　It　only

remained；　therefore；　to　come　to　a　decision　upon　the　second

question　what　the　definition　should　actually　be。



（2）　It　now　became　the　object　of　the　Inopportunists　to　limit　the

scope

of　the　definition　as　much　as　possible；　while　the　Infallibilists

were

no　less　eager　to　extend　it。　Now　everyone；　or　nearly　everyone；　was

ready

to　limit　the　Papal　Infallibility　to　pronouncements　ex

cathedrathat　is

to　say；　to　those　made　by　the　Pope　in　his　capacity　of　Universal

Doctor；

but　this　only　served　to　raise　the　ulterior；　the　portentous；　and

indeed

the　really　crucial　questionto　WHICH　of　the　Papal　pronouncements

ex　cathedra

did　Infallibility　adhere？



The　discussions　which　followed　were；　naturally　enough；　numerous；

complicated；

and　embittered；　and　in　all　of　them　Manning　played　a　conspicuous

part。　For

two　months　the　Fathers　deliberated；　through　fifty　sessions　they

sought　the

guidance　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　The　wooden　seats；　covered　though　they

were　with　Brussels　carpet；　grew　harder　and　harder；　and　still　the

mitred　Councillors　sat　on。　The　Pope　himself　began　to　grow

impatient；　for　one　thing；　he　declared；　he　was　being　ruined　by　the

mere　expense　of　lodging　and　keeping　the　multitude　of　his

adherents。　'Questi　infallibilisti　mi　faranno　fallire'；　said　his

Holiness。　At　length　it　appeared　that　the　Inopportunists　were

dragging　out　the　proceedin