eminent victorians-第43节

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Arnold's　active　mind　was　diverted　from　political　and　theological

speculations　to　the　study　of　philology；　and　to　historical

composition。　His　Roman　History；　which　he　regarded　as　'the　chief

monument　of　his　historical　fame'；　was　based　partly　upon　the

researches　of　Niebuhr；　and　partly　upon　an　aversion　to　Gibbon。　'My

highest　ambition；'　he　wrote；　'is　to　make　my　history　the　very

reverse　of　Gibbon　in　this　respect；　that　whereas　the　whole　spirit

of　his　work；　from　its　low　morality；　is　hostile　to　religion；

without　speaking　directly　against　it；　so　my　greatest　desire　would

be；　in　my　History；　by　its　high　morals　and　its　general　tone；　to　be

of　use　to　the　cause　without　actually　bringing　it　forward。'　These

efforts　were　rewarded；　in　1841；　by　the　Professorship　of　Modern

History　at　Oxford。　Meanwhile；　he　was　engaged　in　the　study　of　the

Sanskrit　and　Slavonic　languages；　bringing　out　an　elaborate

edition　of　Thucydides；　and　carrying　on　a　voluminous

correspondence　upon　a　multitude　of　topics　with　a　large　circle　of

men　of　learning。　At　his　death；　his　published　works；　composed

during　such　intervals　as　he　could　spare　from　the　management　of　a

great　public　school；　filled；　besides　a　large　number　of　pamphlets

and　articles；　no　less　than　seventeen　volumes。　It　was　no　wonder

that　Carlyle；　after　a　visit　to　Rugby；　should　have　characterised

Dr。　Arnold　as　a　man　of　'unhasting；　unresting　diligence'。



Mrs。　Arnold；　too；　no　doubt　agreed　with　Carlyle。　During　the　first

eight　years　of　their　married　life；　she　bore　him　six　children；　and

four　more　were　to　follow。　In　this　large　and　growing　domestic

circle　his　hours　of　relaxation　were　spent。　There　those　who　had

only　known　him　in　his　professional　capacity　were　surprised　to

find　him　displaying　the　tenderness　and　jocosity　of　a　parent。　The

dignified　and　stern　headmaster　was　actually　seen　to　dandle

infants　and　to　caracole　upon　the　hearthrug　on　all　fours。　Yet；　we

are　told；　'the　sense　of　his　authority　as　a　father　was　never　lost

in　his　playfulness　as　a　companion'。　On　more　serious　occasions；

the　voice　of　the　spiritual　teacher　sometimes　made　itself　heard。

An　intimate　friend　described　how　'on　a　comparison　having　been

made　in　his　family　circle；　which　seemed　to　place　St。　Paul　above

St。　John；'　the　tears　rushed　to　the　Doctor's　eyes　and　how；

repeating　one　of　the　verses　from　St。　John；　he　begged　that　the

comparison　might　never　again　be　made。　The　longer　holidays　were

spent　in　Westmorland；　where；　rambling　with　his　offspring　among

the　mountains；　gathering　wild　flowers；　and　pointing　out　the

beauties　of　Nature；　Dr。　Arnold　enjoyed；　as　he　himself　would　often

say；　'an　almost　awful　happiness'。　Music　he　did　not　appreciate；

though　he　occasionally　desired　his　eldest　boy；　Matthew；　to　sing

him　the　Confirmation　Hymn　of　Dr。　Hinds；　to　which　he　had　become

endeared；　owing　to　its　use　in　Rugby　Chapel。　But　his　lack　of　ear

was；　he　considered；　amply　recompensed　by　his　love　of　flowers：

'they　are　my　music；'　he　declared。　Yet；　in　such　a　matter；　he　was

careful　to　refrain　from　an　excess　of　feeling；　such　as；　in　his

opinion；　marked　the　famous　lines　of　Wordsworth：



'To　me　the　meanest　flower　that　blows　can　give　Thoughts　that　do

often　lie　too　deep　for　tears。'



He　found　the　sentiment　morbid。　'Life；'　he　said；　'is　not　long

enough　to　take　such　intense　interest　in　objects　in　themselves　so

little。'　As　for　the　animal　world；　his　feelings　towards　it　were　of

a　very　different　cast。　'The　whole　subject；'　he　said；　'of　the

brute　creation　is　to　me　one　of　such　painful　mystery；　that　I　dare

not　approach　it。'　The　Unitarians　themselves　were　a　less

distressing　thought。



Once　or　twice　he　found　time　to　visit　the　Continent；　and　the

letters　and　journals　recording　in　minute　detail　his　reflections

and　impressions　in　France　or　Italy　show　us　that　Dr。　Arnold

preserved；　in　spite　of　the　distractions　of　foreign　scenes　and

foreign　manners；　his　accustomed　habits　of　mind。　Taking　very

little　interest　in　works　of　art；　he　was　occasionally　moved　by　the

beauty　of　natural　objects；　but　his　principal　preoccupation

remained　with　the　moral　aspects　of　things。　From　this　point　of

view；　he　found　much　to　reprehend　in　the　conduct　of　his　own

countrymen。　'I　fear；'　he　wrote；　'that　our　countrymen　who　live

abroad　are　not　in　the　best　possible　moral　state；　however　much

they　may　do　in　science　or　literature。'　And　this　was　unfortunate；

because　'a　thorough　English　gentlemanChristian；　manly；　and

enlightenedis　more；　I　believe；　than　Guizot　or　Sismondi　could

comprehend；　it　is　a　finer　specimen　of　human　nature　than　any　other

country；　I　believe；　could　furnish'。　Nevertheless；　our　travellers

would　imitate　foreign　customs　without　discrimination；　'as　in　the

absurd　habit　of　not　eating　fish　with　a　knife；　borrowed　from　the

French；　who　do　it　because　they　have　no　knives　fit　for　use'。

Places；　no　less　than　people；　aroused　similar　reflections。　By

Pompeii；　Dr。　Arnold　was　not　particularly　impressed。　'There　is

only；'　he　observed；　'the　same　sort　of　interest　with　which　one

would　see　the　ruins　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　but　indeed　there　is

less。　One　is　not　authorised　to　ascribe　so　solemn　a　character　to

the　destruction　of　Pompeii。'　The　lake　of　Como　moved　him　more

profoundly。　As　he　gazed　upon　the　overwhelming　beauty　around　him；

he　thought　of　'moral　evil'；　and　was　appalled　by　the　contrast。

'May　the　sense　of　moral　evil'；　he　prayed；　'be　as　strong　in　me　as

my　delight　in　external　beauty；　for　in　a　deep　sense　of　moral　evil；

more　perhaps　than　in　anything　else；　abides　a　saving　knowledge　of

God！'



His　prayer　was　answered：　Dr。　Arnold　was　never　in　any　danger　of

losing　his　sense　of　moral　evil。　If　the　landscapes　of　Italy　only

served　to　remind　him　of　it；　how　could　he　forget　it　among　the　boys

at　Rugby　School？　The　daily　sight　of　so　many　young　creatures　in

the　hands　of　the　Evil　One　filled　him　with　agitated　grief。　'When

the　spring　and　activity　of　youth；'　he　wrote；　'is　altogether

unsanctified　by　anything　pure　and　elevated　in　its　desires；　it

becomes　a　spectacle　that　is　as　dizzying　and　almost　more　morally

distressing　than　the　shouts　and　gambols　of　a　set　of　lunatics。'

One　thing　struck　him　as　particularly　strange：　'It　is　very

startling；'　he　said；　'to　see　so　much　of　sin　combined　with　so

little　of　sorrow。'　The　naughtiest　boys　positively　seemed　to　enjoy

themselves　most。　There　were　moments　when　he　almost　lost　faith　in

his　whole　system　of　education；　when　he　began　to　doubt　whether

some　far　more　radical　reforms　than　any　he　had　attempted　might　not

be　necessary；　before　the　multitude　of　children　under　his　charge

shouting　and　gambolling；　and　yet　plunged　all　the　while　deep　in

moral　evil　could　ever　be　transformed　into　a　set　of　Christian

gentlemen。　But　then　he　remembered　his　general　principles；　the

conduct　of　Jehovah　with　the　Chosen　People；　and　the　childhood　of

the　human　race。　No；　it　was　for　him　to　make　himself；　as　one　of　his

pupils　afterwards　described　him；　in　the　words　of　Bacon；　'kin　to

God　in　spirit'；　he　would　rule　the　school　majestically　from　on

high。　He　would　deliver　a　series　of　sermons　analysing　'the　six

vices'　by　which　'great　schools　were　corrupted；　and　changed　from

the　likeness　of　God's　temple　to　that　of　a　den　of　thieves'。　He

would　exhort；　he　would　denounce；　he　would　sweep　through　the

corridors；　he　would　turn　the　pages　of　Facciolati's　Lexicon　more

imposingly　than　ever；　and　the　rest　he　would　leave　to　the

Praepostors　in　the　Sixth　Form。



Upon　the　boys　in　the　Sixth　Form；　indeed；　a　strange　burden　would

seem　to　have　fallen。　Dr。　Arnold　himself　was　very　well　aware　of

this。　'I　cannot　deny；'　he　told　them　in　a　sermon；　'that　you　have

an　anxious　duty　a　duty　which　some　might　suppose　was　too　heavy

for　your　years'；　and　every　term　he　pointed　out　to　them；　in　a

short　address；　the　responsibilities　of　their　position；　and

impressed　upon　them　'the　enormous　influence'　they　possessed　'for

good　or　for　evil'。　Nevertheless　most　youths　of　seventeen；　in

spite　of　the　warnings　of　their　elders；　have　a　singular　trick　of

carrying　moral　burdens　lightly。　The　Doctor　might　preach　and　look

grave；　but　young　Brooke　was　ready　enough　to　preside　at　a　fight

behind　the　Chapel；　though　he　was　in　the　Sixth；　and　knew　that

fighting　was　against　the　rules。　At　their　best；　it　may　be　supposed

that　the　Praepostors　administered　a　kind　of　barbaric　justice；　but

they　were　not　always　at　their　best；　and　the　pages　of　〃Tom　Brown's

Schooldays〃　show　us　what　was　no　doubt　the　normal　condition　of

affairs　under　Dr。　Arnold；　when　the　boys　in　the　Sixth　Form　were

weak　or　brutal；　and　the　blackguard　Flashman；　in　the　intervals　of

swigging　brandy…punch　with　his　boon　companions；　amused　himself　by

toasting　fags　before　the　fire。



But　there　was　an　exceptional　kind　of　boy；　upon　whom　the　high…

pitched　exhortations　of　Dr。　Arnold　produced　a　very　different

effect。　A　minority　of　susceptible　and　serious　youths　fell

completely　under　his　sway；　responded　like　wax　to　the　pressure　of

his　influence；　and　moulded　their　whole　lives　with　passionate

reverence　upon　the　teachi