eminent victorians-第3章

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Archdeacon　of　Chichester。　When　Mrs。　Manning　prematurely　died；　he

was　at　first　inconsolable；　but　he　found　relief　in　the　distraction

of　redoubled　work。　How　could　he　have　guessed　that　one　day　he

would　come　to　number　that　loss　among　'God's　special　mercies？　Yet

so　it　was　to　be。　In　after　years；　the　memory　of　his　wife　seemed　to

be　blotted　from　his　mind；　he　never　spoke　of　her；　every　letter；

every　record；　of　his　married　life　he　destroyed；　and　when　word　was

sent　to　him　that　her　grave　was　falling　into　ruin：　'It　is　best

so；'　the　Cardinal　answered；　'let　it　be。　Time　effaces　all　things。'

But；　when　the　grave　was　yet　fresh；　the　young　Rector　would　sit

beside　it；　day　after　day；　writing　his　sermons。



II



IN　the　meantime；　a　series　of　events　was　taking　place　in　another

part　of　England；　which　was　to　have　a　no　less　profound　effect　upon

Manning's　history　than　the　merciful　removal　of　his　wife。　In　the

same　year　in　which　he　took　up　his　Sussex　curacy；　the　Tracts　for

the　Times　had　begun　to　appear　at　Oxford。　The　'Oxford　Movement'；

in　fact；　had　started　on　its　course。　The　phrase　is　still　familiar；

but　its　meaning　has　become　somewhat　obscured　both　by　the　lapse　of

time　and　the　intrinsic　ambiguity　of　the　subjects　connected　with

it。　Let　us　borrow　for　a　moment　the　wings　of　Historic　Imagination；

and；　hovering　lightly　over　the　Oxford　of　the　thirties；　take　a

rapid　bird's…eye　view。



For　many　generations　the　Church　of　England　had　slept　the　sleep　of

the。。fortable。　The　sullen　murmurings　of　dissent；　the　loud

battle…cry　of　Revolution；　had　hardly　disturbed　her　slumbers。

Portly　divines　subscribed　with　a　sigh　or　a　smile　to　the　Thirty…

nine　Articles；　sank　quietly　into　easy　living；　rode　gaily　to

hounds　of　a　morning　as　gentlemen　should；　and；　as　gentlemen

should；　carried　their　two　bottles　of　an　evening。　To　be　in　the

Church　was　in　fact　simply　to　pursue　one　of　those　professions

which　Nature　and　Society　had　decided　were　proper　to　gentlemen　and

gentlemen　alone。　The　fervours　of　piety；　the　zeal　of　Apostolic

charity；　the　enthusiasm　of　self…renunciation　these　things　were

all　very　well　in　their　way　and　in　their　place；　but　their　place

was　certainly　not　the　Church　of　England。　Gentlemen　were　neither

fervid　nor　zealous；　and　above　all　they　were　not　enthusiastic。

There　were；　it　was　true；　occasionally　to　be　found　within　the

Church　some　strait…laced　parsons　of　the　high　Tory　school　who

looked　back　with　regret　to　the　days　of　Laud　or　talked　of　the

Apostolical　Succession；　and　there　were　groups　of　square…toed

Evangelicals　who　were　earnest　over　the　Atonement；　confessed　to　a

personal　love　of　Jesus　Christ；　and　seemed　to　have　arranged　the

whole　of　their　lives；　down　to　the　minutest　details　of　act　and

speech；　with　reference　to　Eternity。　But　such　extremes　were　the

rare　exceptions。　The　great　bulk　of　the　clergy　walked　calmly　along

the　smooth　road　of　ordinary　duty。　They　kept　an　eye　on　the　poor　of

the　parish；　and　they　conducted　the　Sunday　Services　in　a　becoming

manner；　for　the　rest；　they　differed　neither　outwardly　nor

inwardly　from　the　great　bulk　of　the　laity；　to　whom　the　Church　was

a　useful　organisation　for　the　maintenance　of　Religion；　as　by　law

established。



The　awakening　came　at　last；　however；　and　it　was　a　rude　one。　The

liberal　principles　of　the　French　Revolution；　checked　at　first　in

the　terrors　of　reaction；　began　to　make　their　way　into　England。

Rationalists　lifted　up　their　heads；　Bentham　and　the　Mills

propounded　Utilitarianism；　the　Reform　Bill　was　passed；　and　there

were　rumours　abroad　of　disestablishment。　Even　Churchmen　seemed　to

have　caught　the　infection。　Dr。　Whately　was　so　bold　as　to　assert

that；　in　the　interpretation　of　Scripture；　different　opinions

might　be　permitted　upon　matters　of　doubt；　and；　Dr。　Arnold　drew　up

a　disquieting　scheme　for　allowing　Dissenters　into　the　Church；

though　it　is　true　that　he　did　not　go　quite　so　far　as　to

contemplate　the　admission　of　Unitarians。



At　this　time；　there　was　living　in　a　country　parish；　a　young

clergyman　of　the　name　of　John　Keble。　He　had　gone　to　Oxford　at　the

age　of　fifteen；　where；　after　a　successful　academic　career；　he　had

been　made　a　Fellow　of　Oriel。　He　had　then　returned　to　his　father's

parish　and　taken　up　the　duties　of　a　curate。　He　had　a　thorough

knowledge　of　the　contents　of　the　Prayer…book；　the　ways　of　a

Common　Room；　the　conjugations　of　the　Greek　Irregular　Verbs；　and

the　small　jests　of　a　country　parsonage；　and　the　defects　of　his

experience　in　other　directions　were　replaced　by　a　zeal　and　a

piety　which　were　soon　to　prove　themselves　equal；　and　more　than

equal；　to　whatever　calls　might　be　made　upon　them。　The

superabundance　of　his　piety　overflowed　into　verse；　and　the　holy

simplicity　of　the　Christian　Year　carried　his　name　into　the

remotest　lodging…houses　of　England。



As　for　his　zeal；　however；　it　needed　another　outlet。　Looking　forth

upon　the　doings　of　his　fellow…men　through　his　rectory　windows　in

Gloucestershire；　Keble　felt　his　whole　soul　shaken　with　loathing；

anger；　and　dread。　Infidelity　was　stalking　through　the　land；

authority　was　laughed　at；　the　hideous　doctrines　of　Democracy　were


being　openly　preached。　Worse　still；　if　possible；　the　Church

herself　was　ignorant　and　lukewarm；　she　had　forgotten　the

mysteries　of　the　sacraments；　she　had　lost　faith　in　the

Apostolical　Succession；　she　was　no　longer　interested　in　the　Early

Fathers；　and　she　submitted　herself　to　the　control　of　a　secular

legislature；　the　members　of　which　were　not　even　bound　to　profess

belief　in　the　Atonement。　In　the　face　of　such　enormities　what

could　Keble　do？　He　was　ready　to　do　anything；　but　he　was　a　simple

and　an　unambitious　man；　and　his　wrath　would　in　all　probability

have　consumed　itself　unappeased　within　him　had　he　not　chanced　to

come　into　contact；　at　the　critical　moment；　with　a　spirit　more

excitable　and　daring　than　his　own。



Hurrell　Froude；　one　of　Keble's　pupils；　was　a　clever　young　man　to

whom　had　fallen　a　rather　larger　share　of　self…assurance　and

intolerance　than　even　clever　young　men　usually　possess。　What　was

singular　about　him；　however；　was　not　so　much　his　temper　as　his

tastes。　The　sort　of　ardour　which　impels　more　normal　youths　to

haunt　Music　Halls　and　fall　in　love　with　actresses　took　the　form；

in　Froude's　case；　of　a　romantic　devotion　to　the　Deity　and　an

intense　interest　in　the　state　of　his　own　soul。　He　was　obsessed　by

the　ideals　of　saintliness；　and　convinced　of　the　supreme

importance　of　not　eating　too　much。　He　kept　a　diary　in　which　he

recorded　his　delinquencies；　and　they　were　many。　'I　cannot　say

much　for　myself　today；'　he　writes　on　September　29th；　1826　（he　was

twenty…three　years　old）。　'I　did　not　read　the　Psalms　and　Second

Lesson　after　breakfast；　which　I　had　neglected　to　do　before；

though　I　had　plenty　of　time　on　my　hands。　Would　have　liked　to　be

thought　adventurous　for　a　scramble　I　had　at　the　Devil's　Bridge。

Looked　with　greediness　to　see　if　there　was　a　goose　on　the　table

for　dinner；　and　though　what　I　ate　was　of　the　plainest　sort；　and　I

took　no　variety；　yet　even　this　was　partly　the　effect　of　accident；

and　I　certainly　rather　exceeded　in　quantity；　as　I　was　fuzzy　and

sleepy　after　dinner。'　'I　allowed　myself　to　be　disgusted；　with　

's　pomposity；'　he　writes　a　little　later；　'also　smiled　at　an

allusion　in　the　Lessons　to　abstemiousness　in　eating。　I　hope　not

from　pride　or　vanity；　but　mistrust；　it　certainly　was

unintentional。'　And　again；　'As　to　my　meals；　I　can　say　that　I　was

always　careful　to　see　that　no　one　else　would　take　a　thing　before

I　served　myself；　and　I　believe　as　to　the　kind　of　my　food；　a　bit

of　cold　endings　of　a　dab　at　breakfast；　and　a　scrap　of　mackerel　at

dinner；　are　the　only　things　that　diverged　from　the　strict　rule　of

simplicity。'　'I　am　obliged　to　confess；'　he　notes；　'that　in　my

intercourse　with　the　Supreme　Being；　I　am　be　come　more　and　more

sluggish。'　And　then　he　exclaims：　'Thine　eye　trieth　my　inward

parts；　and　knoweth　my　thoughts　。。。　Oh　that　my　ways　were　made　so

direct　that　I　might　keep　Thy　statutes。　I　will　walk　in