eminent victorians-第46章

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disapprobation；　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　read　him　until　he

was　forty；　when；　it　is　true；　he　was　much　struck　by　the　'Clouds'。

But　Juvenal；　the　Doctor　could　never　bring　himself　to　read　at　all。



Physical　science　was　not　taught　at　Rugby。　Since；　in　Dr。　Arnold's

opinion；　it　was　too　great　a　subject　to　be　studied　en　parergo；

obviously　only　two　alternatives　were　possible：　it　must　either

take　the　chief　place　in　the　school　curriculum；　or　it　must　be　left

out　altogether。　Before　such　a　choice；　Dr。　Arnold　did　not　hesitate

for　a　moment。　'Rather　than　have　physical　science　the　principal

thing　in　my　son's　mind；'　he　exclaimed　in　a　letter　to　a　friend；　I

would　gladly　have　him　think　that　the　sun　went　around　the　earth；

and　that　the　stars　were　so　many　spangles　set　in　the　bright　blue

firmament。　Surely　the　one　thing　needful　for　a　Christian　and　an

English　man　to　study　is　Christian；　moral；　and　political

philosophy。'



A　Christian　and　an　Englishman！　After　all；　it　was　not　in　the

classroom；　nor　in　the　boarding…house；　that　the　essential　elements

of　instruction　could　be　imparted　which　should　qualify　the

youthful　neophyte　to　deserve　those　names。　The　final；　the

fundamental　lesson　could　only　be　taught　in　the　school　chapel；　in

the　school　chapel　the　centre　of　Dr。　Arnold's　system　of　education

was　inevitably　fixed。　There；　too；　the　Doctor　himself　appeared　in

the　plenitude　of　his　dignity　and　his　enthusiasm。　There；　with　the

morning　sun　shining　on　the　freshly　scrubbed　faces　of　his　300

pupils；　or；　in　the　dusk　of　evening；　through　a　glimmer　of　candles；

his　stately　form；　rapt　in　devotion　or　vibrant　with　exhortation；

would　dominate　the　scene。　Every　phase　of　the　Church　service

seemed　to　receive　its　supreme　expression　in　his　voice；　his

attitude；　his　look。　During　the　Te　Deum；　his　whole　countenance

would　light　up；　and　he　read　the　Psalms　with　such　conviction　that

boys　would　often　declare；　after　hearing　him；　that　they　understood

them　now　for　the　first　time。



It　was　his　opinion　that　the　creeds　in　public　worship　ought　to　be

used　as　triumphant　hymns　of　thanksgiving；　and；　in　accordance　with

this　view；　although　unfortunately　he　possessed　no　natural　gift

for　music；　he　regularly　joined　in　the　chanting　of　the　Nicene

Creed　with　a　visible　animation　and　a　peculiar　fervour；　which　it

was　impossible　to　forget。　The　Communion　service　he　regarded　as　a

direct　and　special　counterpoise　to　that　false　communion　and　false

companionship；　which；　as　he　often　observed；　was　a　great　source　of

mischief　in　the　school；　and　he　bent　himself　down　with　glistening

eyes；　and　trembling　voice；　and　looks　of　paternal　solicitude；　in

the　administration　of　the　elements。　Nor　was　it　only　the　different

sections　of　the　liturgy；　but　the　very　divisions　of　the

ecclesiastical　year　that　reflected　themselves　in　his　demeanour；

the　most　careless　observer；　we　are　told；　'could　not　fail　to　be

struck　by　the　triumphant　exultation　of　his　whole　manner　on　Easter

Sunday'；　though　it　needed　a　more　familiar　eye　to　discern　the

subtleties　in　his　bearing　which　were　produced　by　the　approach　or

Advent；　and　the　solemn　thoughts　which　it　awakened　of　the　advance

of　human　life；　the　progress　of　the　human　race；　and　the　condition

of　the　Church　of　England。



At　the　end　of　the　evening　service；　the　culminating　moment　of　the

week　had　come：　the　Doctor　delivered　his　sermon。　It　was　not　until

then；　as　all　who　had　known　him　agreed；　it　was　not　until　one　had

heard　and　seen　him　in　the　pulpit；　that　one　could　fully　realise

what　it　was　to　be　face　to　face　with　Dr。　Arnold。　The　whole

character　of　the　manso　we　are　assuredstood　at　last　revealed。

His　congregation　sat　in　fixed　attention　（with　the　exception　of

the　younger　boys；　whose　thoughts　occasionally　wandered）；　while　he

propounded　the　general　principles　both　of　his　own　conduct　and

that　of　the　Almighty；　or　indicated　the　bearing　of　the　incidents

of　Jewish　history　in　the　sixth　century　B。C。　upon　the　conduct　of

English　schoolboys　in　1830。　Then；　more　than　ever；　his　deep

consciousness　of　the　invisible　world　became　evident；　then；　more

than　ever；　he　seemed　to　be　battling　with　the　wicked　one。　For　his

sermons　ran　on　the　eternal　themes　of　the　darkness　of　evil；　the

craft　of　the　tempter；　the　punishment　of　obliquity；　and　he

justified　the　persistence　with　which　he　dwelt　upon　these　painful

subjects　by　an　appeal　to　a　general　principle：　'The　spirit　of

Elijah；'　he　said；　'must　ever　precede　the　spirit　of　Christ。'



The　impression　produced　upon　the　boys　was　remarkable。　It　was

noticed　that　even　the　most　careless　would　sometimes；　during　the

course　of　the　week；　refer　almost　involuntarily　to　the　sermon　of

the　past　Sunday；　as　a　condemnation　of　what　they　were　doing。

Others　were　heard　to　wonder　how　it　was　that　the　Doctor's

preaching；　to　which　they　had　attended　at　the　time　so　assiduously；

seemed；　after　all；　to　have　such　a　small　effect　upon　what　they

did。　An　old　gentleman；　recalling　those　vanished　hours；　tried　to

recapture　in　words　his　state　of　mind　as　he　sat　in　the　darkened

chapel；　while　Dr。　Arnold's　sermons；　with　their　high…toned

exhortations；　their　grave　and　sombre　messages　of　incalculable

import；　clothed；　like　Dr。　Arnold's　body　in　its　gown　and　bands；　in

the　traditional　stiffness　of　a　formal　phraseology；　reverberated

through　his　adolescent　ears。　'I　used；'　he　said；　'to　listen　to

those　sermons　from　first　to　last　with　a　kind　of　awe。'



His　success　was　not　limited　to　his　pupils　and　immediate　auditors。

The　sermons　were　collected　into　five　large　volumes；　they　were　the

first　of　their　kind；　and　they　were　received　with　admiration　by　a

wide　circle　of　pious　readers。　Queen　Victoria　herself　possessed　a

copy　in　which　several　passages　were　marked　in　pencil；　by　the

Royal　hand。



Dr。　Arnold's　energies　were　by　no　means　exhausted　by　his　duties　at

Rugby。　He　became　known　not　merely　as　a　headmaster；　but　as　a

public　man。　He　held　decided　opinions　upon　a　large　number　of

topics；　and　he　enunciated　thembased　as　they　were　almost

invariably　upon　general　principlesin　pamphlets；　in　prefaces；

and　in　magazine　articles；　with　an　impressive　self…confidence。　He

was；　as　he　constantly　declared；　a　Liberal。　In　his　opinion；　by　the

very　constitution　of　human　nature；　the　principles　of　progress　and

reform　had　been　those　of　wisdom　and　justice　in　every　age　of　the

worldexcept　one：　that　which　had　preceded　the　fall　of　man　from

Paradise。　Had　he　lived　then；　Dr。　Arnold　would　have　been　a

Conservative。　As　it　was；　his　Liberalism　was　tempered　by　an

'abhorrence　of　the　spirit　of　1789；　of　the　American　War；　of　the

French　Economistes；　and　of　the　English　Whigs　of　the　latter　part

of　the　seventeenth　century'；　and　he　always　entertained　a　profound

respect　for　the　hereditary　peerage。　It　might　almost　be　said；　in

fact；　that　he　was　an　orthodox　Liberal。　He　believed　in　toleration

too；　within　limits；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　toleration　of　those

with　whom　he　agreed。　'I　would　give　James　Mill　as　much　opportunity

for　advocating　his　opinion；'　he　said；　'as　is　consistent　with　a

voyage　to　Botany　Bay。'



He　had　become　convinced　of　the　duty　of　sympathising　with　the

lower　orders　ever　since　he　had　made　a　serious　study　of　the

Epistle　of　St。　James；　but　he　perceived　clearly　that　the　lower

orders　fell　into　two　classes；　and　that　it　was　necessary　to

distinguish　between　them。　There　were　the　'good　poor'and　there

were　the　others。　'I　am　glad　that　you　have　made　acquaintance　with

some　of　the　good　poor；'　he　wrote　to　a　Cambridge　undergraduate。　'I

quite　agree　with　you　that　it　is　most　instructive　to　visit　them。'

Dr。　Arnold　himself　occasionally　visited　them；　in　Rugby；　and　the

condescension　with　which　he　shook　hands　with　old　men　and　women　of

the　working　classes　was　long　remembered　in　the　neighbourhood。　As

for　the　others；　he　regarded　them　with　horror　and　alarm。　'The

disorders　in　our　social　state；'　he　wrote　to　the　Chevalier　Bunsen

in　1834；　'appear　to　me　to　continue　unabated。　You　have　heard；　I

doubt　not；　of　the　Trades　Unions；　a　fearful　engine　of　mischief；

ready　to　riot　or　t