eminent victorians-第44章

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frame；　especially　when　it　was　swathed　（as　it　usually　was）　in　the

flowing　robes　of　a　Doctor　of　Divinity；　was　full　of　an　imposing

vigour；　and　his　head；　set　decisively　upon　the　collar；　stock；　and

bands　of　ecclesiastical　tradition；　clearly　belonged　to　a　person

of　eminence。　The　thick；　dark　clusters　of　his　hair；　his　bushy

eyebrows　and　curling　whiskers；　his　straight　nose　and　bulky　chin；

his　firm　and　upward…curving　lower　lipall　these　revealed　a

temperament　of　ardour　and　determination。　His　eyes　were　bright　and

large；　they　were　also　obviously　honest。　And　yetwhy　was　it？　Was

it　in　the　lines　of　the　mouth　or　the　frown　on　the　forehead？it

was　hard　to　say；　but　it　was　unmistakablethere　was　a　slightly

puzzled　look　upon　the　face　of　Dr。　Arnold。



And　certainly；　if　he　was　to　fulfil　the　prophecy　of　the　Provost　of

Oriel；　the　task　before　him　was　sufficiently　perplexing。　The

public　schools　of　those　days　were　still　virgin　forests；　untouched

by　the　hand　of　reform。　Keate　was　still　reigning　at　Eton；　and　we

possess；　in　the　records　of　his　pupils；　a　picture　of　the　public

school　education　of　the　early　nineteenth　century；　in　its　most

characteristic　state。　It　was　a　system　of　anarchy　tempered　by

despotism。　Hundreds　of　boys；　herded　together　in　miscellaneous

boarding…houses；　or　in　that　grim　'Long　Chamber'　at　whose　name　in

after　years　aged　statesmen　and　warriors　would　turn　pale；　lived；

badgered　and　overawed　by　the　furious　incursions　of　an　irascible

little　old　man　carrying　a　bundle　of　birch…twigs；　a　life　in　which

licensed　barbarism　was　mingled　with　the　daily　and　hourly　study　of

the　niceties　of　Ovidian　verse。　It　was　a　life　of　freedom　and

terror；　of　prosody　and　rebellion；　of　interminable　floggings　and

appalling　practical　jokes。　Keate　ruled；　unaidedfor　the

undermasters　were　few　and　of　no　accountby　sheer　force　of

character。　But　there　were　times　when　even　that　indomitable　will

was　overwhelmed　by　the　flood　of　lawlessness。　Every　Sunday

afternoon　he　attempted　to　read　sermons　to　the　whole　school

assembled；　and　every　Sunday　afternoon　the　whole　school　assembled

shouted　him　down。　The　scenes　in　Chapel　were　far　from　edifying；

while　some　antique　Fellow　doddered　in　the　pulpit；　rats　would　be

let　loose　to　scurry　among　the　legs　of　the　exploding　boys。　But

next　morning　the　hand　of　discipline　would　reassert　itself；　and

the　savage　ritual　of　the　whipping…block　would　remind　a　batch　of

whimpering　children　that；　though　sins　against　man　and　God　might

be　forgiven　them；　a　false　quantity　could　only　be　expiated　in

tears　and　blood。



From　two　sides　this　system　of　education　was　beginning　to　be

assailed　by　the　awakening　public　opinion　of　the　upper　middle

classes。　On　the　one　hand；　there　was　a　desire　for　a　more　liberal

curriculum；　on　the　other；　there　was　a　demand　for　a　higher　moral

tone。　The　growing　utilitarianism　of　the　age　viewed　with

impatience　a　course　of　instruction　which　excluded　every　branch　of

knowledge　except　classical　philology；　while　its　growing

respectability　was　shocked　by　such　a　spectacle　of　disorder　and

brutality　as　was　afforded　by　the　Eton　of　Keate。　'The　public

schools；'　said　the　Rev。　Mr。　Bowdler；　'are　the　very　seats　and

nurseries　of　vice。'



Dr。　Arnold　agreed。　He　was　convinced　of　the　necessity　for　reform。

But　it　was　only　natural　that　to　one　of　his　temperament　and

education　it　should　have　been　the　moral　rather　than　the

intellectual　side　of　the　question　which　impressed　itself　upon　his

mind。　Doubtless　it　was　important　to　teach　boys　something　more

than　the　bleak　rigidities　of　the　ancient　tongues；　but　how　much

more　important　to　instil　into　them　the　elements　of　character　and

the　principles　of　conduct！　His　great　object；　throughout　his

career　at　Rugby；　was；　as　he　repeatedly　said；　to　'make　the　school

a　place　of　really　Christian　education'。　To　introduce　'a　religious

principle　into　education'；　was　his　'most　earnest　wish'；　he　wrote

to　a　friend　when　he　first　became　headmaster；　'but　to　do　this

would　be　to　succeed　beyond　all　my　hopes；　it　would　be　a　happiness

so　great；　that；　I　think；　the　world　would　yield　me　nothing

comparable　to　it'。　And　he　was　constantly　impressing　these

sentiments　upon　his　pupils。　'What　I　have　often　said　before；'　he

told　them；　'I　repeat　now：　what　we　must　look　for　here　is；　first；

religious　and　moral　principle；　secondly；　gentlemanly　conduct；

andthirdly；　intellectual　ability。'



There　can　be　no　doubt　that　Dr。　Arnold's　point　of　view　was　shared

by　the　great　mass　of　English　parents。　They　cared　very　little　for

classical　scholarship；　no　doubt　they　would　be　pleased　to　find

that　their　sons　were　being　instructed　in　history　or　in　French；

but　their　real　hopes；　their　real　wishes；　were　of　a　very　different

kind。　'Shall　I　tell　him　to　mind　his　work；　and　say　he's　sent　to

school　to　make　himself　a　good　scholar？'　meditated　old　Squire

Brown　when　he　was　sending　off　Tom　for　the　first　time　to　Rugby。

'Well；　but　he　isn't　sent　to　school　for　thatat　any　rate；　not　for

that　mainly。　I　don't　care　a　straw　for　Greek　particles；　or　the

digamma；　no　more　does　his　mother。　What　is　he　sent　to　school　for？

。。。　If　he'll　only　turn　out　a　brave；　helpful；　truth…telling

Englishman；　and　a　Christian；　that's　all　I　want。'



That　was　all；　and　it　was　that　that　Dr。　Arnold　set　himself　to

accomplish。　But　how　was　he　to　achieve　his　end？　Was　he　to　improve

the　character　of　his　pupils　by　gradually　spreading　around　them　an

atmosphere　of　cultivation　and　intelligence？　By　bringing　them　into

close　and　friendly　contact　with　civilised　men；　and　even；　perhaps；

with　civilised　women？　By　introducing　into　the　life　of　his　school

all　that　he　could　of　the　humane；　enlightened；　and　progressive

elements　in　the　life　of　the　community？　On　the　whole；　he　thought

not。　Such　considerations　left　him　cold；　and　he　preferred　to　be

guided　by　the　general　laws　of　Providence。　It　only　remained　to

discover　what　those　general　laws　were。　He　consulted　the　Old

Testament；　and　could　doubt　no　longer。　He　would　apply　to　his

scholars；　as　he　himself　explained　to　them　in　one　of　his　sermons；

'the　principle　which　seemed　to　him　to　have　been　adopted　in　the

training　of　the　childhood　of　the　human　race　itself'。　He　would

treat　the　boys　at　Rugby　as　Jehovah　had　treated　the　Chosen　People：

he　would　found　a　theocracy；　and　there　should　be　judges　in　Israel。



For　this　purpose；　the　system；　prevalent　in　most　of　the　public

schools　of　the　day；　by　which　the　elder　boys　were　deputed　to　keep

order　in　the　class…rooms；　lay　ready　to　Dr。　Arnold's　hand。　He

found　the　Praepostor　a　mere　disciplinary　convenience；　and　he

converted　him　into　an　organ　of　government。　Every　boy　in　the　Sixth

Form　became　ipso　facto　a　Praepostor；　with　powers　extending　over

every　department　of　school　life；　and　the　Sixth　Form　as　a　body　was

erected　into　an　authority　responsible　to　the　headmaster；　and　to

the　headmaster　alone；　for　the　internal　management　of　the　school。



This　was　the　means　by　which　Dr。　Arnold　hoped　to　turn　Rugby　into

'a　place　of　really　Christian　education'。　The　boys　were　to　work

out　their　own　salvation；　like　the　human　race。　He　himself；

involved　in　awful　grandeur；　ruled　remotely；　through　his　chosen

instruments；　from　an　inaccessible　heaven。　Remotely　and　yet　with

an　omnipresent　force。　As　the　Israelite　of　old　knew　that　his

almighty　Lawgiver　might　at　any　moment　thunder　to　him　from　the

whirlwind；　or　appear　before　his　very　eyes；　the　visible　embodiment

of　power　or　wrath；　so　the　Rugby　schoolboy　walked　in　a　holy　dread

of　some　sudden　manifestation　of　the　sweeping　gown；　the　majestic

tone；　the　piercing　glance；　of　Dr。　Arnold。　Among　the　lower　forms

of　the　school　his　appearances　were　rare　and　transitory；　and　upon

these　young　children　'the　chief　impression'；　we　are　told；　'was　of

extreme　fear'。　The　older　boys　saw　more　of　him；　but　they　did　not

see　much。　Outside　the　Sixth　Form；　no　part　of　the　school　came　into

close　intercourse　with　him；　and　it　would　often　happen　that　a　boy

would　leave　Rugby　without　having　had　any　personal　communication

with　him　at　all。



Yet　the　effect　whic