the way of all flesh-第105章

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begin　as　one；　the　sooner　the　better；　he　may　as　well　begin　with　this
as　with　anything　else；　then　if　he　shows　developments　I　can　be　on　the
look…out　to　encourage　them　and　make　things　easy　for　him；　while　if　he
shows　no　desire　to　go　ahead；　what　on　earth　is　the　good　of　trying　to
shove　him　forward？〃

Ernest；　I　believe；　went　on　with　a　homily　upon　education　generally；
and　upon　the　way　in　which　young　people　should　go　through　the
embryonic　stages　with　their　money　as　much　as　with　their　limbs；
beginning　life　in　a　much　lower　social　position　than　that　in　which
their　parents　were；　and　a　lot　more；　which　he　has　since　published；
but　I　was　getting　on　in　years；　and　the　walk　and　the　bracing　air　had
made　me　sleepy；　so　ere　we　had　got　past　Greenhithe　Station　on　our
return　journey　I　had　sunk　into　a　refreshing　sleep。



CHAPTER　LXXXV



Ernest　being　about　two　and　thirty　years　old　and　having　had　his　fling
for　the　last　three　or　four　years；　now　settled　down　in　London；　and
began　to　write　steadily。　　Up　to　this　time　he　had　given　abundant
promise；　but　had　produced　nothing；　nor　indeed　did　he　come　before　the
public　for　another　three　or　four　years　yet。

He　lived　as　I　have　said　very　quietly；　seeing　hardly　anyone　but
myself；　and　the　three　or　four　old　friends　with　whom　I　had　been
intimate　for　years。　　Ernest　and　we　formed　our　little　set；　and
outside　of　this　my　godson　was　hardly　known　at　all。

His　main　expense　was　travelling；　which　he　indulged　in　at　frequent
intervals；　but　for　short　times　only。　　Do　what　he　would　he　could　not
get　through　more　than　about　fifteen　hundred　a　year；　the　rest　of　his
income　he　gave　away　if　he　happened　to　find　a　case　where　he　thought
money　would　be　well　bestowed；　or　put　by　until　some　opportunity　arose
of　getting　rid　of　it　with　advantage。

I　knew　he　was　writing；　but　we　had　had　so　many　little　differences　of
opinion　upon　this　head　that　by　a　tacit　understanding　the　subject　was
seldom　referred　to　between　us；　and　I　did　not　know　that　he　was
actually　publishing　till　one　day　he　brought　me　a　book　and　told　me
flat　it　was　his　own。　　I　opened　it　and　found　it　to　he　a　series　of
semi…theological；　semi…social　essays；　purporting　to　have　been
written　by　six　or　seven　different　people；　and　viewing　the　same　class
of　subjects　from　different　standpoints。

People　had　not　yet　forgotten　the　famous　〃Essays　and　Reviews；〃　and
Ernest　had　wickedly　given　a　few　touches　to　at　least　two　of　the
essays　which　suggested　vaguely　that　they　had　been　written　by　a
bishop。　　The　essays　were　all　of　them　in　support　of　the　Church　of
England；　and　appeared　both　by　internal　suggestion；　and　their　prima
facie　purport　to　be　the　work　of　some　half…dozen　men　of　experience
and　high　position　who　had　determined　to　face　the　difficult　questions
of　the　day　no　less　boldly　from　within　the　bosom　of　the　Church　than
the　Church's　enemies　had　faced　them　from　without　her　pale。

There　was　an　essay　on　the　external　evidences　of　the　Resurrection；
another　on　the　marriage　laws　of　the　most　eminent　nations　of　the
world　in　times　past　and　present；　another　was　devoted　to　a
consideration　of　the　many　questions　which　must　be　reopened　and
reconsidered　on　their　merits　if　the　teaching　of　the　Church　of
England　were　to　cease　to　carry　moral　authority　with　it；　another
dealt　with　the　more　purely　social　subject　of　middle　class
destitution；　another　with　the　authenticity　or　rather　the
unauthenticity　of　the　fourth　gospelanother　was　headed　〃Irrational
Rationalism；〃　and　there　were　two　or　three　more。

They　were　all　written　vigorously　and　fearlessly　as　though　by　people
used　to　authority；　all　granted　that　the　Church　professed　to　enjoin
belief　in　much　which　no　one　could　accept　who　had　been　accustomed　to
weigh　evidence；　but　it　was　contended　that　so　much　valuable　truth　had
got　so　closely　mixed　up　with　these　mistakes；　that　the　mistakes　had
better　not　be　meddled　with。　　To　lay　great　stress　on　these　was　like
cavilling　at　the　Queen's　right　to　reign；　on　the　ground　that　William
the　Conqueror　was　illegitimate。

One　article　maintained　that　though　it　would　be　inconvenient　to
change　the　words　of　our　prayer　book　and　articles；　it　would　not　be
inconvenient　to　change　in　a　quiet　way　the　meanings　which　we　put　upon
those　words。　　This；　it　was　argued；　was　what　was　actually　done　in　the
case　of　law；　this　had　been　the　law's　mode　of　growth　and　adaptation；
and　had　in　all　ages　been　found　a　righteous　and　convenient　method　of
effecting　change。　　It　was　suggested　that　the　Church　should　adopt　it。

In　another　essay　it　was　boldly　denied　that　the　Church　rested　upon
reason。　　It　was　proved　incontestably　that　its　ultimate　foundation
was　and　ought　to　be　faith；　there　being　indeed　no　other　ultimate
foundation　than　this　for　any　of　man's　beliefs。　　If　so；　the　writer
claimed　that　the　Church　could　not　be　upset　by　reason。　　It　was
founded；　like　everything　else；　on　initial　assumptions；　that　is　to
say　on　faith；　and　if　it　was　to　be　upset　it　was　to　be　upset　by　faith；
by　the　faith　of　those　who　in　their　lives　appeared　more　graceful；
more　lovable；　better　bred；　in　fact；　and　better　able　to　overcome
difficulties。　　Any　sect　which　showed　its　superiority　in　these
respects　might　carry　all　before　it；　but　none　other　would　make　much
headway　for　long　together。　　Christianity　was　true　in　so　far　as　it
had　fostered　beauty；　and　it　had　fostered　much　beauty。　　It　was　false
in　so　far　as　it　fostered　ugliness；　and　it　had　fostered　much
ugliness。　　It　was　therefore　not　a　little　true　and　not　a　little
false；　on　the　whole　one　might　go　farther　and　fare　worse；　the　wisest
course　would　be　to　live　with　it；　and　make　the　best　and　not　the　worst
of　it。　　The　writer　urged　that　we　become　persecutors　as　a　matter　of
course　as　soon　as　we　begin　to　feel　very　strongly　upon　any　subject；
we　ought　not　therefore　to　do　this；　we　ought　not　to　feel　very
stronglyeven　upon　that　institution　which　was　dearer　to　the　writer
than　any　otherthe　Church　of　England。　　We　should　be　churchmen；　but
somewhat　lukewarm　churchmen；　inasmuch　as　those　who　care　very　much
about　either　religion　or　irreligion　are　seldom　observed　to　be　very
well　bred　or　agreeable　people。　　The　Church　herself　should　approach
as　nearly　to　that　of　Laodicea　as　was　compatible　with　her　continuing
to　be　a　Church　at　all；　and　each　individual　member　should　only　be　hot
in　striving　to　be　as　lukewarm　as　possible。

The　book　rang　with　the　courage　alike　of　conviction　and　of　an　entire
absence　of　conviction；　it　appeared　to　be　the　work　of　men　who　had　a
rule…of…thumb　way　of　steering　between　iconoclasm　on　the　one　hand　and
credulity　on　the　other；　who　cut　Gordian　knots　as　a　matter　of　course
when　it　suited　their　convenience；　who　shrank　from　no　conclusion　in
theory；　nor　from　any　want　of　logic　in　practice　so　long　as　they　were
illogical　of　malice　prepense；　and　for　what　they　held　to　be
sufficient　reason。　　The　conclusions　were　conservative；　quietistic；
comforting。　　The　arguments　by　which　they　were　reached　were　taken
from　the　most　advanced　writers　of　the　day。　　All　that　these　people
contended　for　was　granted　them；　but　the　fruits　of　victory　were　for
the　most　part　handed　over　to　those　already　in　possession。

Perhaps　the　passage　which　attracted　most　attention　in　the　book　was
one　from　the　essay　on　the　various　marriage　systems　of　the　world。　　It
ran：…

〃If　people　require　us　to　construct；〃　exclaimed　the　writer；　〃we　set
good　breeding　as　the　corner…stone　of　our　edifice。　　We　would　have　it
ever　present　consciously　or　unconsciously　in　the　minds　of　all　as　the
central　faith　in　which　they　should　live　and　move　and　have　their
being；　as　the　touchstone　of　all　things　whereby　they　may　be　known　as
good　or　evil　according　as　they　make　for　good　breeding　or　against
it。〃

〃That　a　man　should　have　been　bred　well　and　breed　others　well；　that
his　figure；　head；　hands；　feet；　voice；　manner　and　clothes　should
carry　conviction　upon　this　point；　so　that　no　one　can　look　at　him
without　seeing　that　he　has　come　of　good　stock　and　is　likely　to　throw
good　stock　himself；　this　is　the　desiderandum。　　And　the　same　with　a
woman。　　The　greatest　number　of　these　well…bred　men　and　women；　and
the　greatest　happiness　of　these　well…bred　men　and　women；　this　is　the
highest　good；　towards　this　all　government；　all　social　conventions；
all　art；　literature　and　s