eminent victorians-第24章

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One　of　the　secondary　results　of　the　Council　was　the

excommunication　of　Dr。　Dollinger；　and　a　few　more　of　the　most

uncompromising　of　the　Inopportunists。　Among　these；　however；　Lord　

Acton　was　not　included。　Nobody　ever　discovered　why。　Was　it

because　he　was　too　important　for　the　Holy　See　to　care　to

interfere　with　him？　Or　was　it　because　he　was　not　important

enough？



Another　ulterior　consequence　was　the　appearance　of　a　pamphlet　by

Mr。　Gladstone；　entitled　'Vaticanism'；　in　which　the　awful

implications　involved　in　the　declaration　of　Infallibility　were

laid　before　the　British　Public。　How　was　it　possible；　Mr。

Gladstone　asked；　with　all　the　fulminating　accompaniments　of　his

most　agitated　rhetoric；　to　depend　henceforward　upon　the　civil

allegiance　of　Roman　Catholics？　To　this　question　the　words　of

Cardinal　Antonelli　to　the　Austrian　Ambassador　might　have　seemed　a

sufficient　reply。　'There　is　a　great　difference；'　said　his

Eminence；　between　theory　and　practice。　No　one　will　ever　prevent

the　Church　from　proclaiming　the　great　principles　upon　which　its

Divine　fabric　is　based；　but；　as　regards　the　application　of　those

sacred　laws；　the　Church；　imitating　the　example　of　its　Divine

Founder；　is　inclined　to　take　into　consideration　the　natural

weaknesses　of　mankind。'　And；　in　any　case；　it　was　hard　to　see　how

the　system　of　Faith；　which　had　enabled　Pope　Gregory　XIII　to

effect；　by　the　hands　of　English　Catholics；　a　whole　series　of

attempts　to　murder　Queen　Elizabeth；　can　have　been　rendered　a　much

more　dangerous　engine　of　disloyalty　by　the　Definition　of　1870。

But　such　considerations　failed　to　reassure　Mr。　Gladstone；　the

British　Public　was　of　a　like　mind；　and　145；000　copies　of　the

pamphlet　were　sold　within　two　months。　Various　replies　appeared；

and　Manning　was　not　behindhand。　His　share　in　the　controversy　led

to　a　curious　personal　encounter。



His　conversion　had　come　as　a　great　shock　to　Mr。　Gladstone。

Manning

had　breathed　no　word　of　its　approach　to　his　old　and　intimate

friend；　and　when　the　news　reached　him；　it　seemed　almost　an　act　of

personal　injury。　'I　felt；'　Mr。　Gladstone　said；　'as　if　Manning　had

murdered　my　mother　by　mistake。'　For　twelve　years　the　two　men　did

not　meet；　after　which　they　occasionally　saw　each　other　and

renewed　their　correspondence。　This　was　the　condition　of　affairs

when　Mr。　Gladstone　published　his　pamphlet。　As　soon　as　it

appeared；

Manning　wrote　a　letter　to　the　New　York　Herald；　contradicting　its

conclusions　and　declaring　that　its　publication　was　'the　first

event　that　has　overcast　a　friendship　of　forty…five　years'。　Mr。

Gladstone　replied　to　this　letter　in　a　second　pamphlet。　At　the

close　of　his　theological　arguments；　he　added　the　following　

passage：　'I　feel　it　necessary；　in　concluding　this　answer；　to

state　that　Archbishop　Manning　has　fallen　into　most　serious

inaccuracy　in　his　letter　of　November　10th；　wherein　he　describes

'my

Expostulation　as　the　first　event　which　has　overcast　a　friendship

of　forty…five　years。　I　allude　to　the　subject　with　regret；　and

without　entering　into　details。'



Manning　replied　in　a　private　letter：



'My　dear　Gladstone；'　he　wrote；　'you　say　that　I　am　in　error　in

stating　that　your　former　pamphlet　is　the　first　act　which　has

overcast　our　friendship。



'If　you　refer　to　my　act　in　1851　in　submitting　to　the　Catholic

Church）　by　which　we　were　separated　for　some　twelve　years；　I　can

understand　it。



'If　you　refer　to　any　other　act　either　on　your　part　or　mine　I　am

not　conscious　of　it；　and　would　desire　to　know　what　it　may　be。



'My　act　in　1851　may　have　overcast　your　friendship　for　me。　It　did

not　overcast　my　friendship　for　you；　as　I　think　the　last　years

have　shown。



'You　will　not；　I　hope；　think　me　over…sensitive　in　asking　for　this

explanation。　Believe　me；　yours　affectionately；



'H。　E。　M。'



'My　dear　Archbishop　Manning；'　Mr。　Gladstone　answered；　'it　did；　I

confess；　seem　to　me　an　astonishing　error　to　state　in　public　that

a　friendship　had　not　been　overcast　for　forty…five　years　until

now；　which　your　letter　declares　has　been　suspended　as　to　all

action　for　twelve。。。



'I　wonder；　too；　at　your　forgetting　that　during　the　forty…five

years　I　had　been　charged　by　you　with　doing　the　work　of　the

Antichrist

in　regard　to　the　Temporal　Power　of　the　Pope。



'Our　differences；　my　dear　Archbishop；　are　indeed　profound。　We

refer　them；　I　suppose；　in　humble　silence　to　a　Higher　Power。。。

You　assured　me　once　of　your　prayers　at　all　and　at　the　most　solemn

time。　I　received　that　assurance　with　gratitude；　and　still　cherish

it。　As　and　when　they　move　upwards；　there　is　a　meeting…point　for

those　whom　a　chasm　separates　below。　I　remain　always；

affectionately　yours；



'W。　E。　GLADSTONE。'



Speaking　of　this　correspondence　in　after　years；　Cardinal　Manning

said：　'From　the　way　in　which　Mr。　Gladstone　alluded　to　the

overcasting　of　our　friendship；　people　might　have　thought　that　I

had　picked　his　pocket。'



VIII



IN　1875；　Manning's　labours　received　their　final　reward：　he　was

made　a　Cardinal。　His　long　and　strange　career；　with　its　high

hopes；　its　bitter　disappointments；　its　struggles；　its

renunciations；　had　come　at　last　to　fruition　in　a　Princedom　of　the

Church。　'Ask　in　faith　and　in　perfect　confidence；'　he　himself　once

wrote；　and　God　will　give　us　what　we　ask。　You　may　say；　〃But　do　you

mean　that　He　will　give　us　the　very　thing？〃　That；　God　has　not

said。　God　has　said　that　He　will　give　you　whatsoever　you　ask；　but

the　form　in　which　it　will　come；　and　the　time　in　which　He　will

give　it；　He　keeps　in　His　own　power。　Sometimes　our　prayers　are

answered　in　the　very　things　which　we　put　from　us；　sometimes　it

may　be　a　chastisement；　or　a　loss；　or　a　visitation　against　which

our　hearts　rise；　and　we　seem　to　see　that　God　has　not　only

forgotten　us；　but　has　begun　to　deal　with　us　in　severity。　Those

very　things　are　the　answers　to　our　prayers。　He　knows　what　we

desire；　and　He　gives　us　the　things　for　which　we　ask；　but　in　the

form

which　His　own　Divine　Wisdom　sees　to　be　best。'



There　was　one　to　whom　Manning's　elevation　would　no　doubt　have

given　a　peculiar　satisfactionhis　old　friend　Monsignor　Talbot。

But　this　was　not　to　be。　That　industrious　worker　in　the　cause　of

Rome　had　been　removed　some　years　previously　to　a　sequestered　home

at　Passy；　whose　padded　walls　were　impervious　to　the　rumours　of

the　outer　world。　Pius　IX　had　been　much　afflicted　by　this

unfortunate　event；　he　had　not　been　able　to　resign　himself　to　the

loss　of　his　secretary；　and　he　had　given　orders　that　Monsignor

Talbot's　apartment　in　the　Vatican　should　be　preserved　precisely

as　he　had　left　it；　in　case　of　his　return。　But　Monsignor　Talbot

never　returned。　Manning's　feelings　upon　the　subject　appear　to

have　been　less　tender　than　the　Pope's。　In　all　his　letters；　in　all

his　papers；　in　all　his　biographical　memoranda；　not　a　word　of

allusion　is　to　be　found　to　the　misfortune；　nor　to　the　death；　of

the　most　loyal　of　his　adherents。　Monsignor　Talbot's　name

disappears　suddenly　and　for　ever　like　a　stone　cast　into　the

waters。



Manning　was　now　an　old　man；　and　his　outward　form　had　assumed　that

appearance　of　austere　asceticism　which　is；　perhaps；　the　one　thing

immediately　suggested　by　his　name　to　the　ordinary　Englishman。　The

spare　and　stately　form；　the　head　massive；　emaciated；　terrible

with　the　great　nose；　the　glittering　eyes；　and　the　mouth　drawn

back　and　compressed　into　the　grim　rigidities　of　age；　self…

mortification；　and　authoritysuch　is　the　vision　that　still

lingers　in　the　public　mind　the　vision　which；　actual　and

palpable

like　some　embodied　memory　of　the　Middle　Ages；　used　to　pass　and

repass；　less　than　a　generation　since；　through　the　streets　of

London。　For　the　activities　of　this　extraordinary　figure　were

great　and　varied。　He　ruled　his　diocese　with　the　despotic　zeal　of

a　born　administrator。　He　threw　himself　into　social　work　of　every

kind；　he　organised　charities；　he　lectured　on　temperance；　he

delivered　innumerable　sermons；　he　produced　an　unending　series