eminent victorians-第44节

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his　influence；　and　moulded　their　whole　lives　with　passionate

reverence　upon　the　teaching　of　their　adored　master。　Conspicuous

among　these　was　Arthur　Clough。　Having　been　sent　to　Rugby　at　the

age　of　ten；　he　quickly　entered　into　every　phase　of　school　life；

though；　we　are　told；　'a　weakness　in　his　ankles　prevented　him　from

taking　a　prominent　part　in　the　games　of　the　place'。　At　the　age　of

sixteen；　he　was　in　the　Sixth　Form；　and　not　merely　a　Praepostor；

but　head　of　the　School　House。　Never　did　Dr。　Arnold　have　an　apter

pupil。　This　earnest　adolescent；　with　the　weak　ankles　and　the

solemn　face；　lived　entirely　with　the　highest　ends　in　view。　He

thought　of　nothing　but　moral　good；　moral　evil；　moral　influence；

and　moral　responsibility。　Some　of　his　early　letters　have　been

preserved；　and　they　reveal　both　the　intensity　with　which　he　felt

the　importance　of　his　own　position；　and　the　strange　stress　of

spirit　under　which　he　laboured。　'I　have　been　in　one　continued

state　of　excitement　for　at　least　the　last　three　years；'　he　wrote

when　he　was　not　yet　seventeen；　'and　now　comes　the　time　of

exhaustion。'　But　he　did　not　allow　himself　to　rest；　and　a　few

months　later　he　was　writing　to　a　schoolfellow　as　follows：　'I

verily　believe　my　whole　being　is　soaked　through　with　the　wishing

and　hoping　and　striving　to　do　the　school　good；　or　rather　to　keep

it　up　and　hinder　it　from　falling　in　this；　I　do　think；　very

critical　time；　so　that　my　cares　and　affections　and　conversations；

thoughts；　words；　and　deeds　look　to　that　in　voluntarily。　I　am

afraid　you　will　be　inclined　to　think　this　〃cant〃　and　I　am

conscious　that　even　one's　truest　feelings；　if　very　frequently　put

out　in　the　light；　do　make　a　bad　and　disagreeable　appearance；　but

this；　however；　is　true；　and　even　if　I　am　carrying　it　too　far；　I

do　not　think　it　has　made　me　really　forgetful　of　my　personal

friends；　such　as；　in　particular；　Gell　and　Burbidge　and　Walrond；

and　yourself；　my　dear　Simpkinson　。'



Perhaps　it　was　not　surprising　that　a　young　man　brought　up　in　such

an　atmosphere；　should　have　fallen　a　prey　at　Oxford；　to　the

frenzies　of　religious　controversy；　that　he　should　have　been

driven　almost　out　of　his　wits　by　the　ratiocinations　of　W。　G。

Ward；　that　he　should　have　lost　his　faith；　that　he　should　have

spent　the　rest　of　his　existence　lamenting　that　loss；　both　in

prose　and　verse；　and　that　he　should　have　eventually　succumbed；

conscientiously　doing　up　brown　paper　parcels　for　Florence

Nightingale。



In　the　earlier　years　of　his　headmastership　Dr。　Arnold　had　to　face

a　good　deal　of　opposition。　His　advanced　religious　views　were

disliked；　and　there　were　many　parents　to　whom　his　system　of

school　government　did　not　commend　itself。　But　in　time　this

hostility　melted　away。　Succeeding　generations　of　favourite　pupils

began　to　spread　his　fame　through　the　Universities。　At　Oxford

especially；　men　were　profoundly　impressed　by　the　pious　aims　of

the　boys　from　Rugby。　It　was　a　new　thing　to　see　undergraduates

going　to　Chapel　more　often　than　they　were　obliged；　and　visiting

the　good　poor。　Their　reverent　admiration　for　Dr。　Arnold　was　no

less　remarkable。　Whenever　two　of　his　old　pupils　met；　they　joined

in　his　praises；　and　the　sight　of　his　picture　had　been　known　to

call　forth；　from　one　who　had　not　even　reached　the　Sixth；

exclamations　of　rapture　lasting　for　ten　minutes　and　filling　with

astonishment　the　young　men　from　other　schools　who　happened　to　be

present。



He　became　a　celebrity；　he　became　at　last　a　great　man。　Rugby

prospered；　its　numbers　rose　higher　than　ever　before；　and；　after

thirteen　years　as　headmaster；　Dr。　Arnold　began　to　feel　that　his

work　there　was　accomplished；　and　that　he　might　look　forward

either　to　other　labours　or；　perhaps；　to　a　dignified　retirement。

But　it　was　not　to　be。



His　father　had　died　suddenly　at　the　age　of　fifty…three　from

angina　pectoris；　and　he　himself　was　haunted　by　forebodings　of　an

early　death。　To　be　snatched　away　without　a　warning；　to　come　in　a

moment　from　the　seductions　of　this　World　to　the　presence　of

Eternity　his　most　ordinary　actions；　the　most　casual　remarks；

served　to　keep　him　in　remembrance　of　that　dreadful　possibility。

When　one　of　his　little　boys　clapped　his　hands　at　the　thought　of

the　approaching　holidays；　the　Doctor　gently　checked　him；　and

repeated　the　story　of　his　own　early　childhood；　how　his　own　father

had　made　him　read　aloud　a　sermon　on　the　text　'Boast　not　thyself

of　tomorrow〃；　and　how；　within　the　week；　his　father　was　dead。　On

the　title　page　of　his　MS。　volume　of　sermons；　he　was　always

careful　to　write　the　date　of　its　commencement；　leaving　a　blank

for　that　of　its　completion。　One　of　his　children　asked　him　the

meaning　of　this。　'It　is　one　of　the　most　solemn　things　I　do；'　he

replied；　'to　write　the　beginning　of　that　sentence；　and　think　that

I　may　perhaps　not　live　to　finish　it。'



It　was　noticed　that　in　the　spring　of　1842　such　thoughts　seemed　to

be　even　more　frequently　in　his　mind　than　usual。　He　was　only　in

his　forty…seventh　year；　but　he　dwelt　darkly　on　the　fragility　of

human　existence。　Towards　the　end　of　May；　he　began　to　keep　a

diarya　private　memorandum　of　his　intimate　communings　with　the

Almighty。　Here；　evening　after　evening；　in　the　traditional

language　of　religious　devotion；　he　humbled　himself　before　God；

prayed　for　strength　and　purity；　and　threw　himself　upon　the　mercy

of　the　Most　High。　'Another　day　and　another　month　succeed'；　he

wrote　on　May　31st。　'May　God　keep　my　mind　and　heart　fixed　on　Him；

and　cleanse　me　from　all　sin。　I　would　wish　to　keep　a　watch　over　my

tongue；　as　to　vehement　speaking　and　censuring　of　others。。。I　would

desire　to　remember　my　latter　end　to　which　I　am　approaching。。。　May

God　keep　me　in　the　hour　of　death；　through　Jesus　Christ；　and

preserve　me　from　every　fear；　as　well　as　from　presumption。'　On

June　2nd　he　wrote；　'Again　the　day　is　over　and　I　am　going　to　rest。

Oh　Lord；　preserve　me　this　night；　and　strengthen　me　to　bear

whatever　Thou　shalt　see　fit　to　lay　on　me；　whether　pain；　sickness；

danger；　or　distress。'　On　Sunday；　June　5th；　the　reading　of　the

newspaper　aroused　'painful　and　solemn'　reflections。。。　'So　much　of

sin　and　so　much　of　suffering　in　the　world；　as　are　there

displayed；　and　no　one　seems　able　to　remedy　either。　And　then　the

thought　of　my　own　private　life；　so　full　of　comforts；　is　very

startling。'　He　was　puzzled；　but　he　concluded　with　a　prayer：　'May

I　be　kept　humble　and　zealous；　and　may　God　give　me　grace　to　labour

in　my　generation　for　the　good　of　my　brethren　and　for　His　Glory！'



The　end　of　the　term　was　approaching；　and　to　all　appearance　the

Doctor　was　in　excellent　spirits。　On　June　11th；　after　a　hard　day's

work；　he　spent　the　evening　with　a　friend　in　the　discussion　of

various　topics　upon　which　he　often　touched　in　his　conversation

the　comparison　of　the　art　of　medicine　in　barbarous　and　civilised

ages；　the　philological　importance　of　provincial　vocabularies；　and

the　threatening　prospect　of　the　moral　condition　of　the　United

States。　Left　alone；　he　turned　to　his　diary。　'The　day　after

tomorrow；'　he　wrote；　'is　my　birthday；　if　I　am　permitted　to　live

to　see　it　my　forty…seventh　birthday　since　my　birth。　How　large　a

portion　of　my　life　on　earth　is　already　passed！　And　then　what　is

to　follow　this　life？　How　visibly　my　outward　work　seems

contracting　and　softening　away　into　the　gentler　employments　of

old　age。　In　one　sense　how　nearly　can　I　now　say；　〃Vivi〃。　And　I

thank　God　that；　as　far　as　ambition　is　concerned；　it　is；　I　trust；

fully　mortified；　I　have　no　desire　other　than　to　step　back　from　my

present　place　in　the　world；　and　not　to　rise　to　a　higher。　Still

there　are　works　which；　with　God's　permission；　I　would　do　before

the　night　cometh。'　Dr。　Arnold　was　thinking　of　his　great　work　on

Church　and　State。



Early　next　morning　he　awoke　with　a　sharp　pain　in　his　chest。　The

pain　increasing；　a　physician　was　sent　for；　and　in　the　meantime

Mrs。　Arnold　read　aloud　to　her　husband　the　Fifty…first　Psalm。　Upon

one　of　their　boys　coming　into　the　room；　'My　son；　thank　God　for

me；'　said　Dr。　Arnold；　and　as　the　boy　did　not　at　once　catch　his

meaning；　he　added；　'Thank　God；　Tom；　for　giving　me　this　pain；　I

have　suffered　so　little　pain　in　my　life　that　I　feel　it　is　very

good　for　me。　Now　God　has　given　it　to　me；　and　I　do　so　thank　Him

for　it。'　Then　Mrs。　Arnold　read　from　the　Prayer…book　the

'Visitation　of　the　Sick'；　her　husband　listening　with　deep

attention；　and　assenting　with　an　emphatic　'Yes'　at　the　end　of

many　of　the　sentences。　When　the　physician　arrived；　he　perceived

at　once　the　gravity　of　the　case：　it　was　an　attack　of　angina

pectoris。　He　began　to　prepare　some　laudanum；　while　Mrs。　Arnold

went　out　to　fetch　the　children。　All　at　once；　as　the　medical　man

was　bending　over　his　glasses；　there　was　a　rattle　from　the　bed；　a

convulsive　struggle　followed；　and；　when　the　unhappy　woman；　with

the　children；　and　all　the　servants；　rushed　into　the　room；　Dr。

Arnold　had　passed　from　his　perplexities　forever。



There　can　be　little　doubt　that　what　he　had　achieved　jus