eminent victorians-第14章

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was　required。　When　a　special　Reformatory　for　Catholic　children

was　proposed；　Manning　carried　through　the　negotiation　with　the

Government。　When　an　attempt　was　made　to　remove　Catholic　children

from　the　Workhouses；　Manning　was　again　indispensable。　No　wonder

Cardinal　Wiseman　soon　determined　to　find　some　occupation　of

special　importance　for　the　energetic　convert。　He　had　long　wished

to　establish　a　congregation　of　secular　priests　in　London

particularly　devoted　to　his　service；　and　the　opportunity　for　the

experiment　had　clearly　now　arisen。　The　order　of　the　Oblates　of

St。　Charles　was　founded　in　Bayswater；　and　Manning　was　put　at　its

head。　Unfortunately；　no　portion　of　the　body　of　St。　Charles　could

be　obtained　for　the　new　community；　but　two　relics　of　his　blood

were　brought　over　to　Bayswater　from　Milan。　Almost　at　the　same

time　the　Pope　signified　his　appreciation　of　Manning's　efforts　by

appointing　him　Provost　of　the　Chapter　of　Westminstera　position

which　placed　him　at　the　head　of　the　Canons　of　the　diocese。



This　double　promotion　was　the　signal　for　the　outbreak　of　an

extraordinary　internal　struggle；　which　raged　without　intermission

for　the　next　seven　years；　and　was　to　end　only　with　the　accession

of　Manning　to　the　Archbishopric。　The　condition　of　the　Roman

Catholic　community　in　England　was　at　that　time　a　singular　one。　On

the　one　hand　the　old　repressive　laws　of　the　seventeenth　century

had　been　repealed　by　liberal　legislation；　and　on　the　other　a

large　new　body　of　distinguished　converts　had　entered　the　Roman

Church　as　a　result　of　the　Oxford　Movement。　It　was　evident　that

there　was　a　'boom'　in　English　Catholicism；　and；　in　1850；　Pius　IX

recognised　the　fact　by　dividing　up　the　whole　of　England　into

dioceses；　and　placing　Wiseman　at　the　head　of　them　as　Archbishop

of　Westminster。　Wiseman's　encyclical；　dated　'from　without　the

Flaminian　Gate'；　in　which　he　announced　the　new　departure；　was

greeted　in　England　by　a　storm　of　indignation；　culminating　in　the

famous　and　furibund　letter　of　Lord　John　Russell；　then　Prime

Minister；　against　the　insolence　of　the　'Papal　Aggression'。　Though

the　particular　point　against　which　the　outcry　was　raisedthe

English　territorial　titles　of　the　new　Roman　bishopswas　an

insignificant　one；　the　instinct　of　Lord　John　and　of　the　English

people　was　in　reality　sound　enough。　Wiseman's　installation　did

mean；　in　fact；　a　new　move　in　the　Papal　game；　it　meant　an　advance；

if　not　an　aggression　a　quickening　in　England　of　the　long…

dormant　energies　of　the　Roman　Church。　That　Church　has　never　had

the　reputation　of　being　an　institution　to　be　trifled　with；　and；

in　those　days；　the　Pope　was　still　ruling　as　a　temporal　Prince

over　the　fairest　provinces　of　Italy。　Surely；　if　the　images　of　Guy

Fawkes　had　not　been　garnished；　on　that　fifth　of　November；　with

triple　crowns；　it　would　have　been　a　very　poor　compliment　to　His

Holiness。



But　it　was　not　only　the　honest　Protestants　of　England　who　had

cause　to　dread　the　arrival　of　the　new　Cardinal　Archbishop；　there

was　a　party　among　the　Catholics　themselves　who　viewed　his

installation　with　alarm　and　disgust。　The　families　in　which　the

Catholic　tradition　had　been　handed　down　uninterruptedly　since　the

days　of　Elizabeth；　which　had　known　the　pains　of　exile　and　of

martyrdom；　and　which　clung　together　an　alien　and　isolated　group

in　the　midst　of　English　society；　now　began　to　feel　that　they

were；　after　all；　of　small　moment　in　the　counsels　of　Rome。　They

had　laboured　through　the　heat　of　the　day；　but　now　it　seemed　as　if

the　harvest　was　to　be　gathered　in　by　a　crowd　of　converts　who　were

proclaiming　on　every　side　as　something　new　and　wonderful　the

truths　which　the　Old　Catholics；　as　they　came　to　be　called；　had

not　only　known；　but　for　which　they　had　suffered　for　generations。

Cardinal　Wiseman；　it　is　true；　was　no　convert；　he　belonged　to　one

of　the　oldest　of　the　Catholic　families；　but　he　had　spent　most　of

his　life　in　Rome；　he　was　out　of　touch　with　English　traditions；

and　his　sympathy　with　Newman　and　his　followers　was　only　too

apparent。　One　of　his　first　acts　as　Archbishop　was　to　appoint　the

convert　W。　G。　Ward；　who　was　not　even　in　holy　orders；　to　be

Professor　of　Theology　at　St。　Edmund's　College　the　chief

seminary　for　young　priests；　in　which　the　ancient　traditions　of

Douay　were　still　flourishing。　Ward　was　an　ardent　Papalist　and　his

appointment　indicated　clearly　enough　that　in　Wiseman's　opinion

there　was　too　little　of　the　Italian　spirit　in　the　English

community。　The　uneasiness　of　the　Old　Catholics　was　becoming

intense；　when　they　were　reassured　by　Wiseman's　appointing　as　his

co…adjutor　and　successor　his　intimate　friend；　Dr。　Errington；　who

was　created　on　the　occasion　Archbishop　of　Trebizond　in　partibus

infidelium。　Not　only　was　Dr。　Errington　an　Old　Catholic　of　the

most　rigid　type；　he　was　a　man　of　extreme　energy；　whose　influence

was　certain　to　be　great；　and；　in　any　case；　Wiseman　was　growing　

old；　so　that　before　very　long　it　seemed　inevitable　that　the

policy　of　the　diocese　would　be　in　proper　hands。　Such　was　the

position　of　affairs　when；　two　years　after　Errington's

appointment；　Manning　became　head　of　the　Oblates　of　St。　Charles

and　Provost　of　the　Chapter　of　Westminster。



The　Archbishop　of　Trebizond　had　been　for　some　time　growing　more

and　more　suspicious　of　Manning's　influence；　and　this　sudden

elevation　appeared　to　justify　his　worst　fears。　But　his　alarm　was

turned　to　fury　when　he　learned　that　St。　Edmund's　College；　from

which　he　had　just　succeeded　in　removing　the　obnoxious　W。　G。　Ward；

was　to　be　placed　under　the　control　of　the　Oblates　of　St。　Charles。

The　Oblates　did　not　attempt　to　conceal　the　fact　that　one　of　their

principal　aims　was　to　introduce　the　customs　of　a　Roman　Seminary

into　England。　A　grim　perspective　of　espionage　and　tale…bearing；

foreign　habits；　and　Italian　devotions　opened　out　before　the

dismayed　eyes　of　the　Old　Catholics；　they　determined　to　resist　to

the　utmost；　and　it　was　upon　the　question　of　the　control　of　St。

Edmund's　that　the　first　battle　in　the　long　campaign　between

Errington　and　Manning　was　fought。



Cardinal　Wiseman　was　now　obviously　declining　towards　the　grave。　A

man　of　vast　physique'your　immense'；　an　Irish　servant　used

respectfully　to　call　himof　sanguine　temperament；　of　genial

disposition；　of　versatile　capacity；　he　seemed　to　have　engrafted

upon　the　robustness　of　his　English　nature　the　facile；　child…like；

and　expansive　qualities　of　the　South。　So　far　from　being　a　Bishop

Blougram　（as　the　rumour　went）　he　was；　in　fact；　the　very

antithesis　of　that　subtle　and　worldly…wise　ecclesiastic。　He　had

innocently　looked　forward　all　his　life　to　the　reunion　of　England

to　the　See　of　Peter；　and　eventually　had　come　to　believe　that；　in

God's　hand；　he　was　the　instrument　destined　to　bring　about　this

miraculous　consummation。　Was　not　the　Oxford　Movement；　with　its

flood　of　converts；　a　clear　sign　of　the　Divine　will？　Had　he　not

himself　been　the　author　of　that　momentous　article　on　St。

Augustine　and　the　Donatists；　which　had　finally　convinced　Newman

that　the　Church　of　England　was　in　schism？　And　then；　had　he　not

been　able　to　set　afoot　a　Crusade　of　Prayer　throughout　Catholic

Europe　for　the　conversion　of　England？



He　awaited　the　result　with　eager　expectation；　and　in　the　meantime

he　set　himself　to　smooth　away　the　hostility　of　his　countrymen　by

delivering　courses　of　popular　lectures　on　literature　and

archaeology。　He　devoted　much　time　and　attention　to　the　ceremonial

details　of　his　princely　office。　His　knowledge　of　rubric　and

ritual；　and　of　the　symbolical　significations　of　vestments；　has

rarely　been　equalled；　and　he　took　a　profound　delight　in　the

ordering　and　the　performance　of　elaborate　processions。　During　one

of　these　functions；　an　unexpected　difficulty　arose：　the　Master　of

Ceremonies　suddenly　gave　the　word　for　a　halt；　and；　on　being　asked

the　reason；　replied　that　he　had　been　instructed　that　moment　by　

special　revelation　to　stop　the　procession。　The　Cardinal；　however；

was　not　at　a　loss。　'You　may