the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第3节

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of　the　state　in　which　both　had　been　left。　　〃Atterbury　goes　before；　and　sets　everything　on　fire。　　I　come　after　him　with　a　bucket　of　water。〃　　It　was　said　by　Atterbury's　enemies　that　he　was　made　a　bishop　because　he　was　so　bad　a　dean。　　Under　his　administration　Christchurch　was　in　confusion；　scandalous　altercations　took　place；　opprobrious　words　were　exchanged；　and　there　was　reason　to　fear　that　the　great　Tory　college　would　be　ruined　by　the　tyranny　of　the　great　Tory　doctor。　　He　was　soon　removed　to　the　bishopric　of　Rochester；　which　was　then　always　united　with　the　deanery　of　Westminster。　　Still　higher　dignities　seemed　to　be　before　him。　　For；　though　there　were　many　able　men　on　the　episcopal　bench；　there　was　none　who　equalled　or　approached　him　in　parliamentary　talents。　　Had　his　party　continued　in　power；　it　is　not　improbable　that　he　would　have　been　raised　to　the　archbishopric　of　Canterbury。　　The　more　splendid　his　prospects；　the　more　reason　he　had　to　dread　the　accession　of　a　family　which　was　well…known　to　be　partial　to　the　Whigs。　　There　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　he　was　one　of　those　politicians　who　hoped　that　they　might　be　able；　during　the　life　of　Anne；　to　prepare　matters　in　such　a　way　that　at　her　decease　there　might　be　little　difficulty　in　setting　aside　the　Act　of　Settlement　and　placing　the　Pretender　on　the　throne。　　Her　sudden　death　confounded　the　projects　of　these　conspirators。　　Atterbury；　who　wanted　no　kind　of　courage；　implored　his　confederates　to　proclaim　James　III。；　and　offered　to　accompany　the　heralds　in　lawn　sleeves。　　But　he　found　even　the　bravest　soldiers　of　his　party　irresolute；　and　exclaimed；　not；　it　is　said；　without　interjections　which　ill　became　the　mouth　of　a　father　of　the　church；　that　the　best　of　all　causes　and　the　most　precious　of　all　moments　had　been　pusillanimously　thrown　away。　　He　acquiesced　in　what　he　could　not　prevent；　took　the　oaths　to　the　House　of　Hanover；　and　at　the　coronation　officiated　with　the　outward　show　of　zeal；　and　did　his　best　to　ingratiate　himself　with　the　royal　family。　　But　his　servility　was　requited　with　cold　contempt。　　No　creature　is　so　revengeful　as　a　proud　man　who　has　humbled　himself　in　vain。　　Atterbury　became　the　most　factious　and　pertinacious　of　all　the　opponents　of　the　government。　　In　the　House　of　Lords　his　oratory；　lucid；　pointed；　lively；　and　set　off　with　every　grace　of　pronunciation　and　of　gesture；　extorted　the　attention　and　admiration　even　of　a　hostile　majority。　　Some　of　the　most　remarkable　protests　which　appear　in　the　journals　of　the　peers　were　drawn　up　by　him；　and　in　some　of　the　bitterest　of　those　pamphlets　which　called　on　the　English　to　stand　up　for　their　country　against　the　aliens　who　had　come　from　beyond　the　seas　to　oppress　and　plunder　her；　critics　easily　detected　his　style。　　When　the　rebellion　of　1715　broke　out；　he　refused　to　sign　the　paper　in　which　the　bishops　of　the　province　of　Canterbury　declared　their　attachment　to　the　Protestant　succession。　　He　busied　himself　in　electioneering；　especially　at　Westminster；　where；　as　dean；　he　possessed　great　influence；　and　was；　indeed；　strongly　suspected　of　having　once　set　on　a　riotous　mob　to　prevent　his　Whig　fellow…　citizens　from　polling。　After　having　been　long　in　indirect　communication　with　the　exiled　family；　he；　in　1717；　began　to　correspond　directly　with　the　Pretender。　　The　first　letter　of　the　correspondence　is　extant。　　In　that　letter　Atterbury　boasts　of　having；　during　many　years　past；　neglected　no　opportunity　of　serving　the　Jacobite　cause。　　〃My　daily　prayer；〃　he　says；　〃is　that　you　may　have　success。　　May　I　live　to　see　that　day；　and　live　no　longer　than　I　do　what　is　in　my　power　to　forward　it。〃　　It　is　to　be　remembered　that　he　who　wrote　thus　was　a　man　bound　to　set　to　the　church　of　which　he　was　overseer　an　example　of　strict　probity；　that　he　had　repeatedly　sworn　allegiance　to　the　House　of　Brunswick；　that　he　had　assisted　in　placing　the　crown　on　the　head　of　George　I。；　and　that　he　had　abjured　James　III。；　〃without　equivocation　or　mental　reservation；　on　the　true　faith　of　a　Christian。〃　It　is　agreeable　to　turn　from　his　public　to　his　private　life。　　His　turbulent　spirit；　wearied　with　faction　and　treason；　now　and　then　required　repose；　and　found　it　in　domestic　endearments；　and　in　the　society　of　the　most　illustrious　of　the　living　and　of　the　dead。　　Of　his　wife　little　is　known：　　but　between　him　and　his　daughter　there　was　an　affection　singularly　close　and　tender。　　The　gentleness　of　his　manners　when　he　was　in　the　company　of　a　few　friends　was　such　as　seemed　hardly　credible　to　those　who　knew　him　only　by　his　writings　and　speeches。　　The　charm　of　his　〃softer　hour〃　has　been　commemorated　by　one　of　those　friends　in　imperishable　verse。　　Though　Atterbury's　classical　attainments　were　not　great；　his　taste　in　English　literature　was　excellent；　and　his　admiration　of　genius　was　so　strong　that　it　overpowered　even　his　political　and　religious　antipathies。　　His　fondness　for　Milton；　the　mortal　enemy　of　the　Stuarts　and　of　the　church；　was　such　as　to　many　Tories　seemed　a　crime。　　On　the　sad　night　on　which　Addison　was　laid　in　the　chapel　of　Henry　VII。；　the　Westminster　boys　remarked　that　Atterbury　read　the　funeral　service　with　a　peculiar　tenderness　and　solemnity。　　The　favourite　companions；　however；　of　the　great　Tory　prelate　were；　as　might　have　been　expected；　men　whose　politics　had　at　least　a　tinge　of　Toryism。　　He　lived　on　friendly　terms　with　Swift；　Arbuthnot；　and　Gay。　　With　Prior　he　had　a　close　intimacy；　which　some　misunderstanding　about　public　affairs　at　last　dissolved。　　Pope　found　in　Atterbury；　not　only　a　warm　admirer；　but　a　most　faithful；　fearless；　and　judicious　adviser。　　The　poet　was　a　frequent　guest　at　the　episcopal　palace　among　the　elms　of　Bromley；　and　entertained　not　the　slightest　suspicion　that　his　host；　now　declining　in　years；　confined　to　an　easy　chair　by　gout；　and　apparently　devoted　to　literature；　was　deeply　concerned　in　criminal　and　perilous　designs　against　the　government。　The　spirit　of　the　Jacobites　had　been　cowed　by　the　events　of　1715。　　It　revived　in　1721。　　The　failure　of　the　South　Sea　project；　the　panic　in　the　money　market；　the　downfall　of　great　commercial　houses；　the　distress　from　which　no　part　of　the　kingdom　was　exempt；　had　produced　general　discontent。　　It　seemed　not　improbable　that　at　such　a　moment　an　insurrection　might　be　successful。　　An　insurrection　was　planned。　　The　streets　of　London　were　to　be　barricaded；　the　Tower　and　the　Bank　were　to　be　surprised；　King　George；　his　family；　and　his　chief　captains　and　councillors；　were　to　be　arrested；　and　King　James　was　to　be　proclaimed。　　The　design　became　known　to　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　regent　of　France；　who　was　on　terms　of　friendship　with　the　House　of　Hanover。　　He　put　the　English　government　on　its　guard。　　Some　of　the　chief　malecontents　were　committed　to　prison；　and　among　them　was　Atterbury。　　No　bishop　of　the　Church　of　England　had　been　taken　into　custody　since　that　memorable　day　when　the　applauses　and　prayers　of　all　London　had　followed　the　seven　bishops　to　the　gate　of　the　Tower。　　The　Opposition　entertained　some　hope　that　it　might　be　possible　to　excite　among　the　people　an　enthusiasm　resembling　that　of　their　fathers；　who　rushed　into　the　waters　of　the　Thames　to　implore　the　blessing　of　Sancroft。　　Pictures　of　the　heroic　confessor　in　his　cell　were　exhibited　at　the　shop　windows。　　Verses　in　his　praise　were　sung　about　the　streets。　　The　restraints　by　which　he　was　prevented　from　communicating　with　his　accomplices　were　represented　as　cruelties　worthy　of　the　dungeons　of　the　Inquisition。　　Strong　appeals　were　made　to　the　priesthood。　　Would　they　tamely　permit　so　gross　an　insult　to　be　offered　to　their　cloth？　　Would　they　suffer　the　ablest；　the　most　eloquent　member　of　their　profession；　the　man　who　had　so　often　stood　up　for　their　rights　against　the　civil　power；　to　be　treated　like　the　vilest　of　mankind？　　There　was　considerable　excitement；　but　it　was　allayed　by　a　temperate　and　artful　letter　to　the　clergy；　the　work；　in　all　probability；　of　Bishop　Gibson；　who　stood　high　in　the　favour　of　Walpole；　and　shortly　after　became　minister　for　ecclesiastical　affairs。　Atterbury　remained　in　close　confinement　during　some　months。　　He　had　carried　on　his　correspondence　with　the　exiled　family　so　cautiously　that　the　circumstantial　proofs　of　his　guilt；　though　sufficient　to　produce　entire　moral　conviction；　were　not　sufficient　to　justify　legal　conviction。　　He　could　be　reached　only　by　a　bill　of　pains　and　penalties。　　Such　a　bill　the　Whig　party；　then　decidedly　predominant　in　both　houses；　was　quite　prepared　to　support。　　Many　hot…headed　members　of　that　party　were　eager　to　follow　the　precedent　which　had　been　set　in　the　case　of　Sir　John　Fenwick；　and　to　pass　an　act　for　cutting　off　the　bishop's　head。　　Cadogan；　who　commanded　the　army；　a　brave　soldier；　but　a　headstrong　politician；　is　said　to　have　exclaimed　with　great　vehemence：　　〃Fling　him　to　the　lions　in　the　Tower。〃　　But　the　wiser　and　more　humane　Walpole　was　always　unwilling　to　shed　blood；　and　his　influence　prevailed。　　When　Parliament　met；　the　evidence　against　the　bishop　was　laid　before　committees　of　both　houses。　　Those　committees　reported　that　his　guilt　was　proved。　　In　the　Commons　a　resolution；　pronouncing　him　a　traitor；　was　carried　by　nearly　two　to　one。　　A　bill　was　then　introduced　which　provided　that　he　should　be　deprived　of　his　spiritual　dignities；　that　he　sho