eminent victorians-第20章

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even　trembled　for　the　position　of　Manning　in　England。　'I　am

afraid　that　the　old　school　of　Catholics　will　rally　round　Newman

in　opposition　to　you　and　Rome。　Stand　firm；　do　not　yield　a　bit　in

the　line　you　have　taken。　As　I　have　promised；　I　shall　stand　by

you。　You　will　have　battles　to　fight　because　every　Englishman　is

naturally　anti…Roman。　To　be　Roman　is　and　effort　to　an　Englishman。

Dr。　Newman　is　more　English　than　the　English。　His　spirit　must　be

crushed。'



His　spirit　must　be　crushed！　Certainly　there　could　be　no　doubt　of

that。　'What　you　write　about　Dr　Newman；'　Manning　replied；　'is

true。　Whether　he　knows　it　or　not；　he　has　become　the　centre　of

those　who　hold　low　views　about　the　Holy　See；　are　anti…Roman；　cold

and　silent；　to　say　no　more；　about　the　Temporal　Power；　national；

English；　critical　of　Catholic　devotions；　and　always　on　the　lower

side。　。。。　You　will　take　care；'　he　concluded；　'that　things　are

correctly　known　and　understood　where　you　are。'



The　confederates　matured　their　plans。　While　Newman　was　making　his

arrangements　for　the　Oxford　Oratory；　Cardinal　Reisach　visited

London。　'Cardinal　Reisach　has　just　left；'　wrote　Manning　to

Monsignor　Talbot：　'he　has　seen　and　understands　all　that　is　going

on　in　England。'　But　Newman　had　no　suspicions。　It　was　true　that

persistent　rumours　of　his　unorthodoxy　and　his　anti…Roman　leanings

had　begun　to　float　about；　and　these　rumours　had　been　traced　to

Rome。　But　what　were　rumours？　Then；　too；　Newman　found　out　that

Cardinal　Reisach　had　been　to　Oxford　without　his　knowledge；　and

had　inspected　the　land　for　the　Oratory。　That　seemed　odd；　but　all

doubts　were　set　at　rest　by　the　arrival　from　Propaganda　of　an

official　ratification　of　his　scheme。　There　would　be　nothing　but

plain　sailing　now。　Newman　was　almost　happy；　radiant　visions　came

into　his　mind　of　a　wonderful　future　in　Oxford；　the　gradual　growth

of　Catholic　principles；　the　decay　of　liberalism；　the　inauguration

of　a　second　Oxford　Movement；　the　conversionwho　knows？of　Mark

Pattison；　the　triumph　of　the　Church。。。。　'Earlier　failures　do　not

matter　now；'　he　exclaimed　to　a　friend。　'I　see　that　I　have　been

reserved　by　God　for　this。'



Just　then　a　long　blue　envelope　was　brought　into　the　room。　Newman

opened　it。　'All　is　over；'　he　said；　'I　am　not　allowed　to　go。'　The

envelope　contained　a　letter　from　the　Bishop　announcing　that；

together　with　the　formal　permission　for　an　Oratory　at　Oxford；

Propaganda　had　issued　a　secret　instruction　to　the　effect　that

Newman　himself　was　by　no　means　to　reside　there。　If　he　showed

signs　of　doing　so；　he　was　blandly　and　suavely　（'blande

suaviterque'　were　the　words　of　the　Latin　instrument）　to　be

prevented。　And　now　the　secret　instruction　had　come　into

operation　blande　suaviterque：　Dr。　Newman's　spirit　had　been

crushed。



His　friends　made　some　gallant　efforts　to　retrieve　the　situation；

but；　it　was　in　vain。　Father　St。　John　hurried　to　Rome　and　the

indignant　laity　of　England；　headed　by　Lord　Edward　Howard；　the

guardian　of　the　young　Duke　of　Norfolk；　seized　the　opportunity　of

a　particularly　virulent　anonymous　attack　upon　Newman；　to　send　him

an　address　in　which　they　expressed　their　feeling　that　'every

blow　that　touches　you　inflicts　a　wound　upon　the　Catholic　Church

in　this　country'。　The　only　result　was　an　outburst　of　redoubled

fury　upon　the　part　of　Monsignor　Talbot。　The　address；　he　declared；

was　an　insult　to　the　Holy　See。　'What　is　the　province　of　the

laity？'　he　interjected。　'To　hunt；　to　shoot；　to　entertain。　These

matters　they　understand；　but　to　meddle　with　ecclesiastical

matters　they　have　no　right　at　all。'　Once　more　he　warned　Manning

to　be　careful。　'Dr。　Newman　is　the　most　dangerous　man　in　England；

and　you　will　see　that　he　will　make　use　of　the　laity　against　your

Grace。　You　must　not　be　afraid　of　him。　It　will　require　much

prudence；　but　you　must　be　firm。　The　Holy　Father　still　places　his

confidence　in　you；　but　if　you　yield　and　do　not　fight　the　battle

of　the　Holy　See　against　the　detestable　spirit　growing　up　in

England；　he　will　begin　to　regret　Cardinal　Wiseman；　who　knew　how

to　keep　the　laity　in　order。'　Manning　had　no　thought　of

'yielding'；　but；　he　pointed　out　to　his　agitated　friend　that　an

open　conflict　between　himself　and　Newman　would　be　'as　great　a

scandal　to　the　Church　in　England；　and　as　great　a　victory　to　the

Anglicans；　as　could　be'。　He　would　act　quietly；　and　there　would　be

no　more　difficulty。　The　Bishops　were　united；　and　the　Church　was

sound。



On　this；　Monsignor　Talbot　hurried　to　Father　St。　John's

lodgings　in　Rome　to　express　his　regret　at　the　misunderstanding

that　had　arisen；　to　wonder　how　it　could　possibly　have　occurred；

and　to　hope　that　Dr。　Newman　might　consent　to　be　made　a

Protonotary

Apostolic。　That　was　all　the　satisfaction　that　Father　St。　John　was

to　obtain　from　his　visit　to　Rome。　A　few　weeks　later；　the　scheme

of

the　Oxford　Oratory　was　finally　quashed。



When　all　was　over；　Manning　thought　that　the　time　had　come　for　a

reconciliation。　He　made　advances　through　a　common　friend；　what

had　he　done；　he　asked；　to　offend　Dr。　Newman？　Letters　passed；　and；

naturally　enough；　they　only　widened　the　breach。　Newman　was　not

the　man　to　be　polite。　'I　can　only　repeat；'　he　wrote　at　last；

'what　I　said　when　you　last　heard　from　me。　I　do　not　know　whether　I

am　on　my　head　or　my　heels　when　I　have　active　relations　with　you。

In　spite　of　my　friendly　feelings；　this　is　the　judgment　of　my

intellect。'　'Meanwhile；'　he　concluded；　'I　propose　to　say　seven

masses　for　your　intention　amid　the　difficulties　and　anxieties　of

your　ecclesiastical　duties。'　And　Manning　could　only　return　the

compliment。



At　about　this　time；　the　Curate　of　Littlemore　had　a　singular

experience。　As　he　was　passing　by　the　Church　he　noticed　an　old

man；　very　poorly　dressed　in　an　old　grey　coat　with　the　collar

turned　up；　leaning　over　the　lych　gate；　in　floods　of　tears。　He　was

apparently　in　great　trouble；　and　his　hat　was　pulled　down　over　his

eyes　as　if　he　wished　to　hide　his　features。　For　a　moment；

however；　he　turned　towards　the　Curate；　who　was　suddenly　struck　by

something　familiar　in　the　face。　Could　it　be？　A　photograph　hung

over　the　Curate's　mantelpiece　of　the　man　who　had　made　Littlemore

famous　by　his　sojourn　there　more　than　twenty　years　ago　he　had

never　seen　the　original；　but　now；　was　it　possible？　He　looked

again；　and　he　could　doubt　no　longer。　It　was　Dr。　Newman。　He　sprang

forward；　with　proffers　of　assistance。　Could　he　be　of　any　use？　'Oh

no；　no！'　was　the　reply。　'Oh　no；　no！'　But　the　Curate　felt　that　he

could　not　run　away　and　leave　so　eminent　a　character　in　such

distress。　'Was　it　not　Dr。　Newman　he　had　the　honour　of

addressing？'

he　asked；　with　all　the　respect　and　sympathy　at　his　command。　'Was

there　nothing　that　could　be　done？'　But　the　old　man　hardly　seemed

to　understand　what　was　being　said　to　him。　'Oh　no；　no！'　he

repeated；　with　the　tears　streaming　down　his　face；　'Oh　no；　no！'



VII



MEANWHILE；　a　remarkable　problem　was　absorbing　the　attention　of

the

Catholic　Church。　Once　more；　for　a　moment；　the　eyes　of　all

Christendom　were　fixed　upon　Rome。　The　temporal　Power　of　the　Pope

had　now　almost　vanished；　but；　as　his　worldly　dominions　steadily

diminished；　the　spiritual　pretensions　of　the　Holy　Father　no　less

steadily　increased。　For　seven　centuries　the　immaculate　conception

of　the　Virgin　had　been　highly　problematical；　Pio　Nono　spoke；　and

the　doctrine　became　an　article　of　faith。　A　few　years　later；　the

Court　of　Rome　took　another　step：　a　Syllabus　Errorum　was　issued；

in　which　all　the　favourite　beliefs　of　the　modern　world　the

rights　of　democracies；　the　claims　of　science；　the　sanctity　of

free　speech；　the　principles　of　toleration　were　categorically

denounced；　and　their　supporters　abandoned　to　the　Divine　wrath。



Yet　it　was　observed　that　the　modern　world　proceeded　as　before。

Something　more　drastic　appeared　to　be　necessary　some　bold　and

striking　measure　which　should　concentrate　the　forces　of　the

faithful；　and　confound　their　enemies。　The　tremendous　doctrine　of