eminent victorians-第18章

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

hopes。　He　dreamt　of　something　greater　than　a　merely　Irish

Universityof　a　noble　and　flourishing　centre　of　learning　for　the

Catholics　of　Ireland　and　England　alike。　And　why　should　not　his

dream　come　true？　'In　the　midst　of　our　difficulties；　he　said；　'I

have　one　ground　of　hope；　just　one　stay；　but；　as　I　think；　a

sufficient　one；　which　serves　me　in　the　stead　of　all　other

argument　whatever。　It　is　the　decision　of　the　Holy　See；　St。　Peter

has　spoken。'



The　years　that　followed　showed　to　what　extent　it　was　safe　to

depend　upon　St。　Peter。　Unforeseen　obstacles　cropped　up　on　every

side。　Newman's　energies　were　untiring；　but　so　was　the　inertia　of

the　Irish　authorities。　On　his　appointment；　he　wrote　to　Dr。　Cullen

asking　that　arrangements　might　be　made　for　his　reception　in

Dublin。　Dr。　Cullen　did　not　reply。　Newman　wrote　again；　but　still

there　was　no　answer。　Weeks　passed；　months　passed；　years　passed；

and　not　a　word；　not　a　sign；　came　from　Dr。　Cullen。　At　last；　after

dangling　for　more　than　two　years　in　the　uncertainties　and

perplexities　of　so　strange　a　situation；　Newman　was　summoned　to

Dublin。　There　he　found　nothing　but　disorder　and　discouragement。

The　laity　took　no　interest　in　the　scheme；　the　clergy　actively

disliked　it；　Newman's　authority　was　disregarded。　He　appealed　to

Cardinal　Wiseman；　and　then　at　last　a　ray　of　hope　dawned。　The

cardinal　suggested　that　a　bishopric　should　be　conferred　upon　him；

to　give　him　a　status　suitable　to　his　position；　Dr。　Cullen

acquiesced；　and　Pius　IX　was　all　compliance。　'Manderemo　a　Newman

la　crocetta；'　he　said　to　Wiseman；　smilingly　drawing　his　hands

down　each　side　of　his　neck　to　his　breast；　'lo　faremo　vescovo　di

Porfirio；　o　qualche　luogo。'　The　news　spread　among　Newman's

friends；　and　congratulations　began　to　come　in。　But　the　official

intimation　seemed　to　be　unaccountably　delayed；　no　crocetta　came

from　Rome；　and　Cardinal　Wiseman　never　again　referred　to　the

matter。　Newman　was　left　to　gather　that　the　secret　representations

of　Dr。　Cullen　had　brought　about　a　change　of　counsel　in　high

quarters。　His　pride　did　not　allow　him　to　inquire　further；　but　one

of　his　lady　penitents；　Miss　Giberne；　was　less　discreet。　'Holy

Father；'　she　suddenly　said　to　the　Pope　in　an　audience　one　day；

'why　don't　you　make　Father　Newman　a　bishop？'　Upon　which　the　Holy

Father　looked　much　confused　and　took　a　great　deal　of　snuff。



For　the　next　five　years　Newman；　unaided　and　ignored；　struggled

desperately；　like　a　man　in　a　bog；　with　the　overmastering

difficulties　of　his　task。　His　mind；　whose　native　haunt　was　among

the　far　aerial　boundaries　of　fancy　and　philosophy；　was　now

clamped　down　under　the　fetters　of　petty　detail　and　fed　upon　the

mean　diet　of　compromise　and　routine。　He　had　to　force　himself　to

scrape　together　money；　to　write　articles　for　the　students'

Gazette；　to　make　plans　for　medical　laboratories；　to　be

ingratiating　with　the　City　Council；　he　was　obliged　to　spend

months　travelling　through　the　remote　regions　of　Ireland　in　the

company　of　extraordinary　ecclesiastics　and　barbarous　squireens。

He　was　a　thoroughbred　harnessed　to　a　four…wheeled　caband　he

knew　it。　Eventually；　he　realised　something　else：　he　saw　that　the

whole　project　of　a　Catholic　University　had　been　evolved　as　a

political　and　ecclesiastical　weapon　against　the　Queen's　Colleges

of　Peel；　and　that　was　all。　As　an　instrument　of　education。　it　was

simply　laughed　at；　and　he　himself　had　been　called　in　because　his

name　would　be　a　valuable　asset　in　a　party　game。　When　he

understood　that；　he　resigned　his　rectorship　and　returned　to　the

Oratory。



But；　his　tribulations　were　not　yet　over。　It　seemed　to　be　God's

will　that　he　should　take　part　in　a　whole　succession　of　schemes；

which；　no　less　than　the　project　of　the　Irish　University；　were　to

end　in　disillusionment　and　failure。　He　was　persuaded　by　Cardinal

Wiseman　to　undertake　the　editorship　of　a　new　English　version　of

the　Scriptures；　which　was　to　be　a　monument　of　Catholic

scholarship　and　an　everlasting　glory　to　Mother　Church。　He　made

elaborate　preparations；　he　collected　subscriptions；　engaged

contributors；　and　composed　a　long　and　learned　prolegomena　to　the

work。　It　was　all　useless；　Cardinal　Wiseman　began　to　think　of

other　things；　and　the　scheme　faded　imperceptibly　into　thin　air。

Then　a　new　task　was　suggested　to　him：　〃The　Rambler〃；　a　Catholic

periodical；　had　fallen　on　evil　days；　would　Dr　Newman　come　to　the

rescue；　and　accept　the　editorship？　This　time　he　hesitated　rather

longer　than　usual；　he　had　burned　his　fingers　so　often　he　must

be

specially　careful　now。　'I　did　all　I　could　to　ascertain　God's

Will；'　he　said；　and　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　his

duty

to　undertake　the　work。　He　did　so；　and　after　two　numbers　had

appeared；　Dr。　Ullathorne；　the　Bishop　of　Birmingham；　called　upon

him；　and　gently　hinted　that　he　had　better　leave　the　paper　alone。

Its　tone　was　not　liked　at　Rome；　it　had　contained　an　article

criticising　St。　Pius　V；　and；　most　serious　of　all；　the　orthodoxy

of

one　of　Newman's　own　essays　had　appeared　to　be　doubtful。　He

resigned；　and　in　the　anguish　of　his　heart；　determined　never　to

write　again。　One　of　his　friends　asked　him　why　he　was　publishing

nothing。　'Hannibal's　elephants；'　he　replied；　'never　could　learn

the　goose…step。'



Newman　was　now　an　old　manhe　was　sixty…three　years　of　age。　What

had　he　to　look　forward　to？　A　few　last　years　of　insignificance　and

silence。　What　had　he　to　look　back　upon？　A　long　chronicle　of

wasted　efforts；　disappointed　hopes；　neglected　possibilities；

unappreciated　powers。　And　now　all　his　labours　had　ended　by　his

being　accused　at　Rome　of　lack　of　orthodoxy。　He　could　no　longer

restrain　his　indignation；　and　in　a　letter　to　one　of　his　lady

penitents；　he　gave　vent　to　the　bitterness　of　his　soul。　When　his

Rambler　article　had　been　complained　of；　he　said；　there　had　been

some　talk　of　calling　him　to　Rome。　'Call　me　to　Rome；'　he　burst

out'what　does　that　mean？　It　means　to　sever　an　old　man　from　his

home；　to　subject　him　to　intercourse　with　persons　whose

languages　are　strange　to　him　to　food　and　to　fashions　which　are

almost　starvation　on　the　one　hand；　and　involve　restless　days　and

nights　on　the　otherit　means　to　oblige　him　to　dance　attendance

on　Propaganda　week　after　week　and　month　after　monthit　means

his　death。　（It　was　the　punishment　on　Dr。　Baines；　1840…1；　to　keep

him　at　the　door　of　Propaganda　for　a　year。）



'This　is　the　prospect　which　I　cannot　but　feel　probable；　did　I　say

anything　which　one　Bishop　in　England　chose　to　speak　against　and

report。　Others　have　been　killed　before　me。　Lucas　went　of　his　own

accord　indeedbut　when　he　got　there；　oh！'　How　much　did　he；　as

loyal　a　son　of　the　Church　and　the　Holy　See　as　ever　was；　what　did

he　suffer　because　Dr。　Cullen　was　against　him？　He　wandered　（as　Dr。

Cullen　said　in　a　letter　he　published　in　a　sort　of　triumph）；　he

wandered　from　Church　to　Church　without　a　friend；　and　hardly　got

an　audience　from　the　Pope。　'And　I　too　should　go　from　St。　Philip

to

Our　Lady；　and　to　St。　Peter　and　St。　Paul；　and　to　St。　Laurence　and

to

St。　Cecilia；　and；　if　it　happened　to　me　as　to　Lucas；　should　come

back　to　die。'



Yet；　in　spite　of　all；　in　spite　of　these　exasperations　of　the

flesh；　these　agitations　of　the　spirit；　what　was　there　to　regret？

Had　he　not　a　mysterious　consolation　which　outweighed　every　grief？

Surely；　surely；　he　had。



'Unveil；　0　Lord；　and　on　us　shine；

In　glory　and　in　grace；'



he　exclaims　in　a　poem　written　at　this　time；　called　'The　Two

Worlds'：



'This　gaudy　world　grows　pale　before

The　beauty　of　Thy　face。



'Till　Thou　art　seen　it　seems　to　he

A　sort　of　fairy　ground；

Where　suns　unsetting　light　the　sky；

And　flowers　and　fruit　abound。



'But　when　Thy　keener；　purer　beam

Is　poured　upon　our　sight；

It　loses　all　its　power　to　charm；

And　what　was　day　is　night。。。



'And　thus；　when　we　renounce　for　Thee

Its　restless　aims　and　fears；

The　tender　memories　of　the　past；

Th