eminent victorians-第17章

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weeks　felt　as　if　our　Lord　had　called　me　by　name。　Everything　else　

has　passed　out　of　my　mind。　The　firm　belief　that　I　have　long　had

that　the　Holy　Father　is　the　most　supernatural　person　I　have　ever

seen　has　given　me　this　feeling　more　deeply。　'Still；　I　feel　as　if

I　had　been　brought；　contrary　to　all　human　wills；　by　the　Divine

Will；　into　an　immediate　relation　to　our　Divine　Lord。'



'If　indeed；'　he　wrote　to　Lady　Herbert；　'it　were　the　will　of　our

Divine　Lord　to　lay　upon　me　this　heavy　burden；　He　could　have　done

it　in　no　way　more　strengthening　and　consoling　to　me。　To　receive

it　from　the　hands　of　His　Vicar；　and　from　Pius　IX；　and　after　long

invocation　of　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　not　only　without　human

influences；　but　in　spite　of　manifold　aria　powerful　human

opposition；　gives　me　the　last　strength　for　such　a　cross。'





VI



MANNING'S　appointment　filled　his　opponents　with　alarm。　Wrath　and

vengeance　seemed　to　be　hanging　over　them；　what　might　not　be

expected　from　the　formidable　enemy　against　whom　they　had

struggled　for　so　long；　and　who　now　stood　among　them　armed　with

archiepiscopal　powers　and　invested　with　the　special　confidence　of

Rome？　Great　was　their　amazement；　great　was　their　relief；　when

they　found　that　their　dreaded　master　breathed　nothing　but

kindness；　gentleness；　and　conciliation。　The　old　scores；　they

found；　were　not　to　be　paid　off；　but　to　be　wiped　out。　The　new

archbishop　poured　forth　upon　every　side　all　the　tact；　all　the

courtesy；　all　the　dignified　graces　of　a　Christian　magnanimity。　It

was　impossible　to　withstand　such　treatment。　Bishops　who　had　spent

years　in　thwarting　him　became　his　devoted　adherents；　even　the

Chapter　of　Westminster　forgot　its　hatred。　Monsignor　Talbot　was

extremely　surprised。　'Your　greatest　enemies　have　entirely　come

round；'　he　wrote。　'I　received　the　other　day　a　panegyric　of　you

from　Searle。　This　change　of　feeling　I　cannot　attribute　to

anything　but　the　Holy　Ghost。'　Monsignor　Talbot　was　very　fond　of

the　Holy　Ghost；　but；　so　far；　at　any　rate　as　Searle　was　concerned；

there　was　another　explanation。　Manning；　instead　of　dismissing

Searle　from　his　position　of　'oeconomus'　in　the　episcopal

household；　had　kept　him　onat　an　increased　salary；　and　the　poor

man；　who　had　not　scrupled　in　the　days　of　his　pride　to　call

Manning　a　thief；　was　now　duly　grateful。



As　to　Dr。　Errington；　he　gave　an　example　of　humility　and

submission

by　at　once　withdrawing　into　a　complete　obscurity。　For　years　the

Archbishop　of　Trebizond；　the　ejected　heir　to　the　See　of

Westminster；　laboured　as　a　parish　priest　in　the

Isle　of　Man。　He　nursed　no　resentment　in　his　heart；　and；　after　a

long　and　edifying　life　of　peace　and　silence；　he　died　in　1886；　a

professor　of　theology　at　Clifton。



It　might　be　supposed　that　Manning　could　now　feel　that　his　triumph

was　complete。　His　position　was　secure；　his　power　was　absolute；

his　prestige　was　daily　growing。　Yet　there　was　something　that

irked　him　still。　As　he　cast　his　eyes　over　the　Roman　Catholic

community　in　England；　he　was　aware　of　one　figure　which；　by　virtue

of　a　peculiar　eminence；　seemed　to　challenge　the　supremacy　of　his

own。　That　figure　was　Newman's。



Since　his　conversion；　Newman's　life　had　been　a　long　series　of

misfortunes　and　disappointments。　When　he　had　left　the　Church　of

England；　he　was　its　most　distinguished；　its　most　revered　member；

whose　words；　however　strange；　were　listened　to　with　profound

attention；　and　whose　opinions；　however　dubious；　were　followed　in

all　their　fluctuations　with　an　eager　and　indeed　a　trembling

respect。　He　entered　the　Church　of　Rome；　and　found　himself

forthwith　an　unimportant　man。　He　was　received　at　the　Papal　Court

with　a　politeness　which　only　faintly　concealed　a　total　lack　of

interest　and　understanding。　His　delicate　mind；　with　its

refinements；　its　hesitations；　its　complexitieshis　soft；

spectacled；　Oxford　manner；　with　its　half…effeminate　diffidence…

such　things　were　ill　calculated　to　impress　a　throng　of　busy

Cardinals　and　Bishops；　whose　days　were　spent　amid　the　practical

details　of　ecclesiastical　organisation；　the　long…drawn

involutions　of　papal　diplomacy；　and　the　delicious　bickerings　of

personal　intrigue。　And　when；　at　last；　he　did　succeed　in　making

some　impression　upon　these　surroundings；　it　was　no　better；　it　was

worse。　An　uneasy　suspicion　gradually　arose；　it　began　to　dawn　upon

the　Roman　authorities　that　Dr。　Newman　was　a　man　of　ideas。　Was　it

possible　that　Dr。　Newman　did　not　understand　that　ideas　in　Rome

were；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　out　of　place？　Apparently；　he　did

not　nor　was　that　all；　not　content　with　having　ideas；　he

positively　seemed　anxious　to　spread　them。　When　that　was　known；

the　politeness　in　high　places　was　seen　to　be　wearing　decidedly

thin。　His　Holiness；　who　on　Newman's　arrival　had　graciously

expressed　the　wish　to　see　him　'again　and　again'；　now；　apparently；

was　constantly　engaged。　At　first　Newman　supposed　that　the　growing

coolness　was　the　result　of　misapprehension；　his　Italian　was

faulty；　Latin　was　not　spoken　at　Rome；　his　writings　had　only

appeared　in　garbled　translations。　And　even　Englishmen　had

sometimes　found　his　arguments　difficult　to　follow。　He　therefore

determined　to　take　the　utmost　care　to　make　his　views　quite　clear；

his　opinions　upon　religious　probability；　his　distinction　between

demonstrative　and　circumstantial　evidence；　his　theory　of　the

development　of　doctrine　and　the　aspects　of　ideasthese　and　many

other　matters；　upon　which　he　had　written　so　much；　he　would　now

explain　in　the　simplest　language。　He　would　show　that　there　was

nothing　dangerous　in　what　he　held；　that　there　was　a　passage　in　De

Lugo　which　supported　him　that　Perrone；　by　maintaining　that　the

Immaculate　Conception　could　be　defined；　had　implicitly　admitted

one　of　his　main　positions；　and　that　his　language　about　Faith　had

been　confused；　quite　erroneously；　with　the　fideism　of　M。　Bautain。



Cardinal　Barnabo；　Cardinal　Reisach；　Cardinal　Antonelli；　looked　at

him　with　their　shrewd　eyes　and　hard　faces；　while　he　poured　into

their　ears　which；　as　he　had　already　noticed　with　distress；　were

large　and　not　too　cleanhis　careful　disquisitions；　but；　it　was

all　in　vain　they　had　clearly　never　read　De　Lugo　or　Perrone；　and

as　for　M。　Bautain；　they　had　never　heard　of　him。　Newman；　in

despair；

fell　back　upon　St。　Thomas　Aquinas；　but；　to　his　horror；　he

observed

that　St。　Thomas　himself　did　not　mean　very　much　to　the　Cardinals。

With　a　sinking　heart；　he　realised　at　last　the　painful　truth：　it

was　not　the　nature　of　his　views；　it　was　his　having　views　at　all；

that　was　objectionable。　He　had　hoped　to　devote　the　rest　of　his

life　to　the　teaching　of　Theology；　but　what　sort　of　Theology　could

he　teach　which　would　be　acceptable　to　such　superiors？　He　left

Rome；　and　settled　down　in　Birmingham　as　the　head　of　a　small

community　of　Oratorians。　He　did　not　complain；　it　was　God's　will；　

it　was　better　so。　He　would　watch　and　pray。



But　God's　will　was　not　quite　so　simple　as　that。　Was　it　right；

after　all；　that　a　man　with　Newman's　intellectual　gifts；　his

devoted　ardour；　his　personal　celebrity；　should　sink　away　out　of

sight　and　use　in　the　dim　recesses　of　the　Oratory　at　Birmingham？

If　the　call　were　to　come　to　him　to　take　his　talent　out　of　the

napkin；　how　could　he　refuse？　And　the　call　did　come。　A　Catholic

University　was　being　started　in　Ireland　and　Dr。　Cullen；　the

Archbishop　of　Armagh；　begged　Newman　to　become　the　Rector。　At

first　he　hesitated；　but　when　he　learned　that　it　was　the　Holy

Father's　wish　that　he　should　take　up　the　work；　he　could　doubt　no

longer；　the　offer　was　sent　from　Heaven。　The　difficulties　before

him　were　very　great；　not　only　had　a　new　University　to　be　called

up　out　of　the　void；　but　the　position　was　complicated　by　the

presence　of　a　rival　institutionthe　undenominational　Queen's

Colleges；　founded　by　Peel　a　few　years　earlier　with　the　object　of

giving　Irish　Catholics　facilities　for　University　education　on　the

same　terms　as　their　fellow…countrymen。　Yet　Newman　had　the　highest

hopes。　He