evolution and ethics and other essays-第47章
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fairly complain of my use of the word epigoni。 To say truth; I had
been reading Droysen's 〃Geschichte des Hellenismus;〃 and the familiar
historical title slipped out unawares。 In replying to me; however; the
late 〃Fellow of University College;〃 Oxford; declares he had to look
the word out in a Lexicon。 I commend the fact to the notice of the
combatants over the desirability of retaining the present compulsory
modicum of Greek in our Universities。'
'291'
IX。
The 〃Times;〃 December 30th; 1890
Sir;I am much obliged to Messrs。 Ranger; Burton; and Matthews for
their prompt answer to my questions。 I presume it applies to all money
collected by the agency of the Salvation Army; though not specifically
given for the purposes of the 〃Christian Mission〃 named in the deed of
1878; to all sums raised by mortgage upon houses and land so given;
and; further; to funds subscribed for Mr。 Booth's various projects;
which have no apparent reference to the objects of the 〃Christian
Mission〃 as defined in the deed。 Otherwise; to use a phrase which has
become classical; 〃it does not assist us much。〃 But I must leave these
points to persons learned in the law。
And; indeed; with many thanks to you; Sir; for the amount of valuable
space which you have allowed me to occupy; I now propose to leave the
whole subject。 My sole purpose in embarking upon an enterprise which
was extremely distasteful to me was to prevent the skilful 〃General;〃
or rather 〃Generals;〃 who devised the plan of campaign from sweeping
all before them with a rush。 I found the pass already held by such
stout defenders as Mr。 Loch and the Dean '292' of Wells; and; with
your powerful help; we have given time for the reinforcements; sure to
be sent by the abundant; though somewhat slowly acting; common sense
of our countrymen; to come up。
I can no longer be useful; and I return to more congenial occupations。
I am; Sir; your obedient servant;
T。 H。 Huxley。
The following letter appeared in the 〃Times〃 of January 2nd; 1891:
〃Dear Mr。 Tillett;I have not had patience to read Professor Huxley's
letters。 The existence of hunger; nakedness; misery; 'death from
insufficient food;' even of starvation; is certain; and no agency as
yet reaches it。 How can any man hinder or discourage the giving of
food or help? Why is the house called a workhouse? Because it is for
those who cannot work? No; because it was the house to give work or
bread。 The very name is an argument。 I am very sure what Our Lord and
His Apostles would do if they were in London。 Let us be thankful even
to have a will to do the same。
〃Yours faithfully;
Henry E。 Card。 Manning。〃
'293'
X。
The 〃Times;〃 January 3rd; 1891
SIR;In my old favourite; 〃The Arabian Nights;〃 the motive of the
whole series of delightful narratives is that the sultan; who refuses
to attend to reason; can be got to listen to a story。 May I try
whether Cardinal Manning is to be reached in the same way? When I was
attending the meeting of the British Association in Belfast nearly
forty years ago; I had promised to breakfast with the eminent scholar
Dr。 Hincks。 Having been up very late the previous night; I was behind
time; so; hailing an outside car; I said to the driver as I jumped on;
〃Now drive fast; I am in a hurry。〃 Whereupon he whipped up his horse
and set off at a hand…gallop。 Nearly jerked off my seat; I shouted;
〃My good friend; do you know where I want to go?〃 〃No; yer honner;〃
said the driver; 〃but; any way; I am driving fast。〃 I have never
forgotten this object…lesson in the dangers of ill…regulated
enthusiasm。 We are all invited to jump on to the Salvation Army car;
which Mr。 Booth is undoubtedly driving very fast。 Some of us have a
firm conviction; not only that he is taking a very different direction
from that in which we wish to go; but that; before long; car and
driver will come to grief。 Are we to accept '294' the invitation; even
at the bidding of the eminent person who appears to think himself
entitled to pledge the credit of 〃Our Lord and His Apostles〃 in favour
of Boothism?
I am; Sir; your obedient servant;
T。 H。 Huxley。
XI。
The 〃Times;〃 January 13th; 1891
SIR;A letter from Mr。 Booth…Clibborn; dated January 3rd; appeared in
the 〃Times〃 of yesterday。 This elaborate document occupies three
columns of small printspace enough; assuredly; for an effectual
reply to the seven letters of mine to which the writer refers; if any
such were forthcoming。 Mr。 Booth…Clibborn signs himself 〃Commissioner
of the Salvation Army for France and Switzerland;〃 but he says that he
accepts my 〃challenge〃 without the knowledge of his chiefs。
Considering the self…damaging character of his letter; it was;
perhaps; hardly necessary to make that statement。
Mr。 〃Commissioner〃 Booth…Clibborn speaks of my 〃challenge。〃 I presume
that he refers to my request for information about the authorship and
fate of 〃The New Papacy;〃 in the letter '295' published in the 〃Times〃
on December 27th; 1890。 The 〃Commissioner〃 deals with this matter in
paragraph No。 4 of his letter; and I observe; with no little
satisfaction; that he does not venture to controvert any one of the
statements of my witnesses。 He tacitly admits that the author of 〃The
New Papacy〃 was a person 〃greatly esteemed in Toronto;〃 and that he
held 〃a high position in the army〃; further; that the Canadian
〃Commissioner〃 thought it worth while to pay the printer's bill; in
order that the copies already printed off might be destroyed and the
pamphlet effectually suppressed。 Thus the essential facts of the case
are admitted and established beyond question。
How does Mr。 Booth…Clibborn try to explain them away?
〃Mr。 Sumner; who wrote the little book in a hot fit; soon regretted it
(as any man would do whose conscience showed him in a calmer moment
when his 'respectability' returned with his repentance; that he had
grossly misrepresented); and just before it appeared offered to order
its suppression if the army would pay the costs already incurred; and
which he was unable to bear。〃
〃The New Papacy〃 fills sixty closely printed duodecimo pages。 It is
carefully written; and for the most part in studiously moderate
language; moreover; it contains many precise details and '296'
figures; the ascertainment of which must have taken much time and
trouble。 Yet; forsooth; it was written in 〃a hot fit。〃
I sincerely hope; for the sake of his own credit; that Mr。
〃Commissioner〃 Booth…Clibborn does not know as much about this
melancholy business as I do。 My hands are unfortunately tied; and I
am not at liberty to use all the information in my possession。 I must
content myself with quoting the following passage from the preface to
〃The New Papacy〃:
〃It has not been without considerable thought and a good deal of urging
that the following pages have been given to the public。 But though we
would have shrunk from a labour so distasteful; and have gladly
avoided a notoriety anything but pleasant to the feelings; or
conducive to our material welfare; we have felt that in the interests
of the benevolent public; in the interests of religion; in the
interests of a band of devoted men and women whose personal ends are
being defeated; and the fruit of whose labour is being destroyed; and;
above all; in the interests of that future which lies before the
Salvation Army itself; if purged and purified in its executive and
returned to its original position in the ranks of Canadian Christian
effort; it is no more than our duty to throw such light as we are able
upon its true inwardness; and with that object and for the '297'
furtherance of those ends we offer our pages to the public view。〃
The preface is dated April 1889。 According to the statement in the
〃Toronto Telegram〃 which Mr。 〃Commissioner〃 Booth…Clibborn does not
dare to dispute; his Canadian fellow…〃Commissioner〃 bought and
destroyed the whole edition of 〃The New Papacy〃 about the end of the
third week in April。 It is clear that the writer of the paragraph
quoted from the preface was well out of a 〃hot fit;〃