r. f. murray-第3章

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　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　dinners　in　common；　it　is　part　of　the　buildings　of　the　Union；　a　new　hall　added　to　an　ancient　house。

It　was　thus　to　a　university　with　ancient　associations；　with　a　religio　loci；　and　with　more　united　and　harmonious　student…life　than　is　customary　in　Scotland；　that　Murray　came　in　1881。　　How　clearly　his　biographer　remembers　coming　to　the　same　place；　twenty　years　earlier！　how　vivid　is　his　memory　of　quaint　streets；　grey　towers；　and　the　North　Sea　breaking　in　heavy　rollers　on　the　little　pier！

Though；　like　a　descendant　of　Archbishop　Sharp；　and　a　winner　of　the　archery　medal；　I　boast　myself　Sancti　Leonardi　alumnus　addictissimus；　I　am　unable　to　give　a　description；　at　first　hand；　of　student　life　in　St。　Andrews。　　In　my　time；　a　small　set　of　‘men'　lived　together　in　what　was　then　St。　Leonard's　Hall。　　The　buildings　that　remain　on　the　site　of　Prior　Hepburn's　foundation；　or　some　of　them；　were　turned　into　a　hall；　where　we　lived　together；　not　scattered　in　bunks。　　The　existence　was　mainly　like　that　of　pupils　of　a　private　tutor；　seven…　eighths　of　private　tutor　to　one…eighth　of　a　college　in　the　English　universities。　　We　attended　the　lectures　in　the　University；　we　distinguished　ourselves　no　more　than　Murray　would　ha