eminent victorians-第22章

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'vous　etes　effectivement　croyant。'　'En　Dieu；'　replied　M。　Thiers。



The　Rome　which　Manning　reached　towards　the　close　of　1869　was

still　the　Rome　which；　for　so　many　centuries；　had　been　the　proud

and　visible　apex；　the　palpitating　heart；　the　sacred　sanctuary；

of　the　most　extraordinary　mingling　of　spiritual　and　earthly

powers　that　the　world　has　ever　known。　The　Pope　now；　it　is　true；

ruled　over　little　more　than　the　City　itself　the　Patrimony　of

St。

Peter　and　he　ruled　there　less　by　the　Grace　of　God　than　by　the

goodwill　of　Napoleon　III；　yet　he　was　still　a　sovereign　Prince；

and　Rome　was　still　the　capital　of　the　Papal　State；　she　was　not

yet　the　capital　of　Italy。　The　last　hour　of　this　strange　dominion

had　almost　struck。　As　if　she　knew　that　her　doom　was　upon　her；

the　Eternal　City　arrayed　herself　to　meet　it　in　all　her　glory。



The　whole　world　seemed　to　be　gathered　together　within　her

walls。　Her　streets　were　filled　with　crowned　heads　and　Princes

of　the　Church；　great　ladies　and　great　theologians；　artists

and　friars；　diplomats　and　newspaper　reporters。　Seven　hundred

bishops　were　there　from　all　the　corners　of　Christendom；

and　in　all　the　varieties　of　ecclesiastical　magnificence　in

falling　lace　and　sweeping　purple　and　flowing　violet　veils。

Zouaves　stood　in　the　colonnade　of　St　Peter's；　and　Papal

troops　were　on　the　Quirinal。　Cardinals　passed；　hatted　and

robed；　in　their　enormous　carriage　of　state；　like　mysterious

painted　idols。　Then　there　was　a　sudden　hush：　the　crowd　grew

thicker　and　expectation　filled；　the　air。　Yes！　it　was　he！　He　was

coming！　The　Holy　Father！　But　first　there　appeared；　mounted　on　a

white　mule　and　clothed　in　a　magenta　mantle；　a　grave　dignitary

bearing　aloft　a　silver　cross。　The　golden　coach　followed；　drawn　by

six　horses　gorgeously　caparisoned；　and　within；　the　smiling　white…

haired　Pio　Nono；　scattering　his　benedictions；　while　the　multitude

fell　upon　its　knees　as　one　man。　Such　were　the　daily　spectacles　of

coloured　pomp　and　of　antique　solemnity；　which　so　long　as　the　sun

was　shining；　at　any　rate　dazzled　the　onlooker　into　a　happy

forgetfulness　of　the　reverse　side　of　the　Papal　dispensation　the

nauseating　filth　of　the　highways；　the　cattle　stabled　in　the

palaces　of　the　great；　and　the　fever　flitting　through　the　ghastly

tenements　of　the　poor。



In　St。　Peter's；　the　North　Transept　had　been　screened　off；　rows　of

wooden　seats　had　been　erected　covered　with　Brussels　carpet；　and

upon　these　seats　sat　each　crowned　with　a　white　mitre；　the　700

Bishops　in　Council。　Here　all　day　long　rolled　forth；　in　sonorous

Latin；　the　interminable　periods　of　episcopal　oratory；　but　it　was

not　here　that　the　issue　of　the　Council　was　determined。　The

assembled　Fathers　might　talk　till　the　marbles　of　St。　Peter's

themselves　grew　weary　of　the　reverberations；　the　fate　of　the

Church　was　decided　in　a　very　different　manner　by　little　knots

of　influential　persons　meeting　quietly　of　a　morning　in　the　back

room　of　some　inconspicuous　lodging…house；　by　a　sunset　rendezvous

in　the　Borghese　Gardens　between　a　Cardinal　and　a　Diplomatist　by　a

whispered　conference　in　an　alcove　at　a　Princess's　evening　party；

with　the　gay　world　chattering　all　about。　And；　of　course；　on　such

momentous　occasions　as　these；　Manning　was　in　his　element。　None

knew　those　difficult　ropes　better　than　he；　none　used　them　with　a

more　serviceable　and　yet　discreet　alacrity。　In　every　juncture　he

had　the　right　word；　or　the　right　silence；　his　influence　ramified

in　all　directions；　from　the　Pope's　audience　chamber　to　the

English　Cabinet。　'Il　Diavolo　del　Concilio'　his　enemies　called

him；　and　he　gloried　in　the　name。



The　real　crux　of　the　position　was　less　ecclesiastical　than

diplomatic。　The　Papal　Court；　with　its　huge　majority　of　Italian

Bishops；　could　make　sure　enough；　when　it　came　to　the　point；　of

carrying　its　wishes　through　the　Council；　what　was　far　more

dubious　was　the　attitude　of　the　foreign　Governments

especially　those　of　France　and　England。　The　French　Government

dreaded　a　schism　among　its　Catholic　subjects；　it　disliked　the

prospect　of　an　extension　of　the　influence　of　the　Pope　over　the

mass　of　the　population　of　France；　and；　since　the　very　existence

of　the　last　remnant　of　the　Pope's　Temporal　Power　depended　upon

the　French　army；　it　was　able　to　apply　considerable　pressure　upon

the　Vatican。　The　interests　of　England　were　less　directly

involved；　but　it　happened　that　at　this　moment　Mr。　Gladstone　was

Prime　Minister；　and　Mr。　Gladstone　entertained　strong　views　upon

the　Infallibility　of　the　Pope。　His　opinions　upon　the　subject　were

in　part　the　outcome　of　his　friendship　with　Lord　Acton；　a

historian　to　whom　learning　and　judgment　had　not　been　granted　in

equal　proportions；　and　who；　after　years　of　incredible　and　indeed

well…nigh　mythical　research；　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the

Pope　could　err。　In　this　Mr。　Gladstone　entirely　concurred；　though

he　did　not　share　the　rest　of　his　friend's　theological　opinions；

for　Lord　Acton；　while　straining　at　the　gnat　of　Infallibility；　had

swallowed　the　camel　of　the　Roman　Catholic　Faith。　'Que　diable

allait…il　faire　dans　cette　galere？'　one　cannot　help　asking；　as

one　watched　that　laborious　and　scrupulous　scholar；　that　lifelong

enthusiast　for　liberty；　that　almost　hysterical　reviler　of

priesthood　and　persecution；　trailing　his　learning　so　discrepantly

along　the　dusty　Roman　way。　　But；　there　are　some　who　know　how　to

wear　their　Rome　with　a　difference；　and　Lord　Acton　was　one　of

these。



He　was　now　engaged　in　fluttering　like　a　moth　round　the　Council

and　in　writing　long　letters　to　Mr。　Gladstone；　impressing　upon　him

the　gravity　of　the　situation；　and　urging　him　to　bring　his

influence　to　bear。　If　the；　Dogma　were　carried　he　declared；　no

man　who　accepted　it　could　remain　a　loyal　subject　and　Catholics

would　everywhere　become　'irredeemable　enemies　of　civil　and

religious　liberty'。　In　these　circumstances；　was　it　not　plainly

incumbent　upon　the　English　Government；　involved　as　it　was　with

the　powerful　Roman　Catholic　forces　in　Ireland；　to　intervene？　Mr。

Gladstone　allowed　himself　to　become　convinced；　and　Lord　Acton

began　to　hope　that　his　efforts　would　be　successful。　But；　he　had

forgotten　one　element　in　the　situation；　he　had　reckoned　without

the　Archbishop　of　Westminster。　The　sharp　nose　of　Manning　sniffed

out　the　whole　intrigue。　Though　he　despised　Lord　Acton　almost　as

much　as　he　disliked　him'such　men；'　he　said；　'are　all　vanity：

they　have　the　inflation　of　German　professors；　and　the　ruthless

talk　of　undergraduates'yet　he　realised　clearly　enough　the

danger　of　his　correspondence　with　the　Prime　Minister；　and

immediately　took　steps　to　counteract　it。　There　was　a　semi…

official　agent　of　the　English　Government　in　Rome；　Mr。　Odo

Russell；

and　around　him　Manning　set　to　work　to　spin　his　spider's　web　of

delicate　and　clinging　diplomacy。　Preliminary　politenesses　were

followed　by　long　walks　upon　the　Pincio；　and　the　gradual

interchange　of　more　and　more　important　and　confidential

communications。　Soon　poor　Mr。　Russell　was　little　better　than　a

fly

buzzing　in　gossamer。　And　Manning　was　careful　to　see　that　he

buzzed　on　the　right　note。　In　his　dispatches　to　the　Foreign

Secretary；　Lord　Clarendon；　Mr。　Russell　explained　in　detail　the

true　nature　of　the　Council；　that　it　was　merely　a　meeting　of　a

few　Roman　Catholic　prelates　to　discuss　some　internal　matters　of

Church　discipline；　that　it　had　no　political　significance

whatever；　that　the　question　of　Infallibility；　about　which　there

had　been　so　much　random　talk；　was　a　purely　theological　question；

and　that；　whatever　decision　might　be　come　to　on　the　subject；　the

position　of　Roman　Catholics　throughout　the　world　would　remain

unchanged。



Whether　the　effect　of　these　affirmations　upon　Lord　Clarendon　was

as　great　as　Manning　supposed　is　somewhat　doubtful；　but　it　is　at

any　rate　certain　that　Mr。　Gladstone　failed　to　carry　the　Cabinet

with

him；　and；　when　at　last　a　proposal　was　definitely　made　that　the

English

Government　should　invite　the　Powers　of