r. f. murray-his poems with a memoir-第3章

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but；　in　his　shy　reserve；　his　almost　farouche　independence；　one　seems

to　recognise　the　Scot；　while　in　his　cast　of　literary　talent；　in　his

natural　‘culture；'　we　observe　the　son　of　a　refined　American　lady。

To　his　mother　he　could　always　write　about　the　books　which　were

interesting　him；　with　full　reliance　on　her　sympathy；　though　indeed；

he　does　not　often　say　very　much　about　literature。



Till　1869　he　lived　in　various　parts　of　New　England；　his　father　being

a　Unitarian　minister。　　‘He　was　a　remarkably　cheerful　and

affectionate　child；　and　seldom　seemed　to　find　anything　to　trouble

him。'　　In　1869　his　father　carried　him　to　England；　Mrs。　Murray　and　a

child　remaining　in　America。　　For　more　than　a　year　the　boy　lived　with

kinsfolk　near　Kelso；　the　beautiful　old　town　on　the　Tweed　where　Scott

passed　some　of　his　childish　days。　　In　1871　the　family　were　reunited

at　York；　where　he　was　fond　of　attending　the　services　in　the

Cathedral。　　Mr。　Murray　then　took　charge　of　the　small　Unitarian


chapel　of　Blackfriars；　at　Canterbury。　　Thus　Murray's　early　youth　was

passed　in　the　mingled　influences　of　Unitarianism　at　home；　and　of

Cathedral　services　at　York；　and　in　the　church　where　Becket　suffered

martyrdom。　　A　not　unnatural　result　was　a　somewhat　eclectic　and

unconstrained　religion。　　He　thought　but　little　of　the　differences　of

creed；　believing　that　all　good　men　held；　in　essentials；　much　the

same　faith。　　His　view　of　essentials　was　generous；　as　he　admitted。

He　occasionally　spoke　of　himself　as　‘sceptical；'　that　is；　in

contrast　with　those　whose　faith　was　more　definite；　more　dogmatic；

more　securely　based　on　‘articles。'　　To　illustrate　Murray's　religious

attitude；　at　least　as　it　was　in　1887；　one　may　quote　from　a　letter　of

that　year　（April　17）。





‘There　was　a　University　sermon；　and　I　thought　I　would　go　and　hear

it。　　So　I　donned　my　old　cap　and　gown　and　felt　quite　proud　of　them。

The　preacher　was　Bishop　Wordsworth。　　He　goes　in　for　the　union　of　the

Presbyterian　and　Episcopalian　Churches；　and　is　glad　to　preach　in　a

Presbyterian　Church；　as　he　did　this　morning。　　How　the　aforesaid

Union　is　to　be　brought　about；　I'm　sure　I　don't　know；　for　I　am　pretty

certain　that　the　Episcopalians　won't　give　up　their　bishops；　and　the

Presbyterians　won't　have　them　on　any　account。　　However；　that's

neither　here　nor　thereat　least　it　does　not　affect　the　fact　that

Wordsworth　is　a　first…rate　man；　and　a　fine　preacher。　　I　dare　say　you

know　he　is　a　nephew　or　grand…nephew　of　the　Poet。　　He　is　a　most

venerable　old　man；　and　worth　looking　at；　merely　for　his　exterior。

He　is　so　feeble　with　age　that　he　can　with　difficulty　climb　the　three

short　steps　that　lead　into　the　pulpit；　but；　once　in　the　pulpit；　it

is　another　thing。　　There　is　no　feebleness　when　he　begins　to　preach。

He　is　one　of　the　last　voices　of　the　old　orthodox　school；　and　I　wish

there　were　hundreds　like　him。　　If　ever　a　man　believed　in　his

message；　Wordsworth　does。　　And　though　I　cannot　follow　him　in　his

veneration　for　the　Thirty…nine　Articles；　the　way　in　which　he　does

makes　me　half　wish　I　could。　。　。　。　It　was　full　of　wisdom　and　the

beauty　of　holiness；　which　even　I；　poor　sceptic　and　outcast；　could

recognise　and　appreciate。　　After　all；　he　didn't　get　it　from　the

Articles；　but　from　his　own　human　heart；　which；　he　told　us；　was

deceitful　and　desperately　wicked。



‘Confound　it；　how　stupid　we　all　are！　　Episcopalians；　Presbyterians；

Unitarians；　Agnostics；　the　whole　lot　of　us。　　We　all　believe　the　same

things；　to　a　great　extent；　but　we　must　keep　wrangling　about　the　data

from　which　we　infer　these　beliefs　。　。　。　I　believe　a　great　deal　that

he　does；　but　I　certainly　don't　act　up　to　my　belief　as　he　does　to

his。'





The　belief　‘up　to'　which　Murray　lived　was；　if　it　may　be　judged　by

its　fruits；　that　of　a　Christian　man。　　But；　in　this　age；　we　do　find

the　most　exemplary　Christian　conduct　in　some　who　have　discarded

dogma　and　resigned　hope。　　Probably　Murray　would　not　the　less　have

regarded　these　persons　as　Christians。　　If　we　must　make　a　choice；　it

is　better　to　have　love　and　charity　without　belief；　than　belief　of

the　most　intense　kind；　accompanied　by　such　love　and　charity　as　John

Knox　bore　to　all　who　differed　from　him　about　a　mass　or　a　chasuble；　a

priest　or　a　presbyter。　　This　letter；　illustrative　of　the　effect　of

cathedral　services　on　a　young　Unitarian；　is　taken　out　of　its　proper

chronological　place。



From　Canterbury　Mr。　Murray　went　to　Ilminster　in　Somerset。　　Here

Robert　attended　the　Grammar　School；　in　1879　he　went　to　the　Grammar

School　of　Crewkerne。　　In　1881　he　entered　at　the　University　of　St。

Andrews；　with　a　scholarship　won　as　an　external　student　of　Manchester

New　College。　　This　he　resigned　not　long　after；　as　he　had　abandoned

the　idea　of　becoming　a　Unitarian　minister。



No　longer　a　schoolboy；　he　was　now　a　Bejant　（bec　jaune？）；　to　use　the

old　Scotch　term　for　‘freshman。'　　He　liked　the　picturesque　word；　and

opposed　the　introduction　of　‘freshman。'　　Indeed　he　liked　all　things

old；　and；　as　a　senior　man；　was　a　supporter　of　ancient　customs　and　of

esprit　de　corps　in　college。　　He　fell　in　love　for　life　with　that　old

and　grey　enchantress；　the　city　of　St。　Margaret；　of　Cardinal　Beaton；

of　Knox　and　Andrew　Melville；　of　Archbishop　Sharp；　and　Samuel

Rutherford。　　The　nature　of　life　and　education　in　a　Scottish

university　is　now；　probably；　better　understood　in　England　than　it

used　to　be。　　Of　the　Scottish　universities；　St。　Andrews　varies　least；

though　it　varies　much；　from　Oxford　and　Cambridge。　　Unlike　the

others；　Aberdeen；　Glasgow；　and　Edinburgh；　the　United　College　of　St。

Leonard　and　St。　Salvator　is　not　lost　in　a　large　town。　　The　College

and　the　Divinity　Hall　of　St。　Mary's　are　a　survival　from　the　Middle

Ages。　　The　University　itself　arose　from　a　voluntary　association　of

the　learned　in　1410。　　Privileges　were　conferred　on　this　association

by　Bishop　Wardlaw　in　1411。　　It　was　intended　as　a　bulwark　against

Lollard　ideas。　　In　1413　the　Antipope　Benedict　XIII。；　to　whom

Scotland　then　adhered；　granted　six　bulls　of　confirmation　to　the　new

University。　　Not　till　1430　did　Bishop　Wardlaw　give　a　building　in

South　Street；　the　Paedagogium。　　St。　Salvator's　College　was　founded

by　Bishop　Kennedy　（1440…1466）：　　it　was　confirmed　by　Pius　II。　in

1458。　　Kennedy　endowed　his　foundation　richly　with　plate　（a　silver

mace　is　still　extant）　and　with　gorgeous　furniture　and　cloth　of　gold。

St。　Leonard's　was　founded　by　Prior　Hepburn　in　1512。　　Of　St。

Salvator's　the　ancient　chapel　still　remains；　and　is　in　use。　　St。

Leonard's　was　merged　with　St。　Salvator's　in　the　last　century：　　its

chapel　is　now　roofless；　some　of　the　old　buildings　remain；　much

modernised；　but　on　the　south　side　fronting　the　gardens　they　are

still　picturesque。　　Both　Colleges　were；　originally；　places　of

residence　for　the　students；　as　at　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　and　the

discipline；　especially　at　St。　Leonard's；　was　rather　monastic。　　The

Reformation　caused　violent　changes；　all　through　these　troubled　ages

the　new　doctrines；　and　then　the　violent　Presbyterian　pretensions　to

clerical　influence　in　politics；　and　the　Covenant　and　the　Restoration

and　Revolution；　kept　busy　the　dwellers　in　what　should　have　been

‘quiet　collegiate　cloisters。'　　St。　Leonard's　was　more　extreme；　on

Knox's　side；　than　St。　Salvator's；　but　was　also　more　devoted　to　King

James　in　1715。　　From　St。　Andrews　Simon　Lovat　went　to　lead　his

abominable　old　father's　clan；　on　the　Prince　Regent's　side；　in　1745。

Golf　and　archery；　since　the　Reformation　at　least；　were　the　chief

recreations　of　the　students；　and　the　archery　medals　bear　all　the

noblest　names　of　the　North；　including　those　of　Argyll　and　the　great

Marquis　of　Montrose。　　Early　in　the　present　century　the　old　ruinous

college　buildings　of　St。　Salvator's　ceased　to　be　habitable；　except

by　a　ghost！　　There　is　another　spectre　of　a　noisy　sort　in　St。

Leonard's。　　The　new　buildings　are　mere　sets　of　class…rooms；　the

students　live　where　they　please；　generally　in　lodgings；　which　they

modestly　call　bunks。　　There　is　a　hall　for　dinn