eminent victorians-第48章

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Scripture　was　to　be　submitted　to　the　searchings　of　human　reason；

how　could　the　question　of　its　inspiration　escape　the　same

tribunal？　And　the　proofs　of　revelation；　and　even　of　the　existence

of　God？　What　human　faculty　was　capable　of　deciding　upon　such

enormous　questions？　And　would　not　the　logical　result　be　a

condition　of　universal　doubt？



'On　a　very　moderate　computation；　Ward　argued；　'five　times　the

amount　of　a　man's　natural　life　might　qualify　a　person　endowed

with　extraordinary　genius　to　have　some　faint　notion　（though　even

this　we　doubt）　on　which　side　truth　lies。'　It　was　not　that　he　had

the　slightest　doubt　of　Dr。　Arnold's　orthodoxy　Dr。　Arnold；　whose

piety　was　universally　recognisedDr。　Arnold；　who　had　held　up　to

scorn　and　execration　Strauss's　Leben　Jesu　without　reading　it。

What　Ward　complained　of　was　the　Doctor's　lack　of　logic；　not　his

lack　of　faith。　Could　he　not　see　that　if　he　really　carried　out　his

own　principles　to　a　logical　conclusion　he　would　eventually　find

himself；　precisely；　in　the　arms　of　Strauss？　The　young　man；　whose

personal　friendship　remained　unshaken；　determined　upon　an

interview；　and　went　down　to　Rugby　primed　with　first　principles；

syllogisms；　and　dilemmas。　Finding　that　the　headmaster　was　busy　in

school；　he　spent　the　afternoon　reading　novels　on　the　sofa　in　the

drawing…room。　When　at　last；　late　in　the　evening；　the　Doctor

returned；　tired　out　with　his　day's　work；　Ward　fell　upon　him　with

all　his　vigour。　The　contest　was　long　and　furious；　it　was　also

entirely　inconclusive。　When　it　was　over；　Ward；　with　none　of　his

brilliant　arguments　disposed　of；　and　none　of　his　probing

questions　satisfactorily　answered；　returned　to　the　University　to

plunge　headlong　into　the　vortex　of　the　Oxford　Movement；　and　Dr。

Arnold；　worried；　perplexed；　and　exhausted；　went　to　bed；　where　he

remained　for　the　next　thirty…six　hours。



The　Commentary　on　the　New　Testament　was　never　finished；　and　the

great　work　on　Church　and　State　itself　remained　a　fragment。　Dr。

Arnold's　active　mind　was　diverted　from　political　and　theological

speculations　to　the　study　of　philology；　and　to　historical

composition。　His　Roman　History；　which　he　regarded　as　'the　chief

monument　of　his　historical　fame'；　was　based　partly　upon　the

researches　of　Niebuhr；　and　partly　upon　an　aversion　to　Gibbon。　'My

highest　ambition；'　he　wrote；　'is　to　make　my　history　the　very

reverse　of　Gibbon　in　this　respect；　that　whereas　the　whole　spirit

of　his　work；　from　its　low　morality；　is　hostile　to　religion；

without　speaking　directly　against　it；　so　my　greatest　desire　would

be；　in　my　History；　by　its　high　morals　and　its　general　tone；　to　be

of　use　to　the　cause　without　actually　bringing　it　forward。'　These

efforts　were　rewarded；　in　1841；　by　the　Professorship　of　Modern

History　at　Oxford。　Meanwhile；　he　was　engaged　in　the　study　of　the

Sanskrit　and　Slavonic　languages；　bringing　out　an　elaborate

edition　of　Thucydides；　and　carrying　on　a　voluminous

correspondence　upon　a　multitude　of　topics　with　a　large　circle　of

men　of　learning。　At　his　death；　his　published　works；　composed

during　such　intervals　as　he　could　spare　from　the　management　of　a

great　public　school；　filled；　besides　a　large　number　of　pamphlets

and　articles；　no　less　than　seventeen　volumes。　It　was　no　wonder

that　Carlyle；　after　a　visit　to　Rugby；　should　have　characterised

Dr。　Arnold　as　a　man　of　'unhasting；　unresting　diligence'。



Mrs。　Arnold；　too；　no　doubt　agreed　with　Carlyle。　During　the　first

eight　years　of　their　married　life；　she　bore　him　six　children；　and

four　more　were　to　follow。　In　this　large　and　growing　domestic

circle　his　hours　of　relaxation　were　spent。　There　those　who　had

only　known　him　in　his　professional　capacity　were　surprised　to

find　him　displaying　the　tenderness　and　jocosity　of　a　parent。　The

dignified　and　stern　headmaster　was　actually　seen　to　dandle

infants　and　to　caracole　upon　the　hearthrug　on　all　fours。　Yet；　we

are　told；　'the　sense　of　his　authority　as　a　father　was　never　lost

in　his　playfulness　as　a　companion'。　On　more　serious　occasions；

the　voice　of　the　spiritual　teacher　sometimes　made　itself　heard。

An　intimate　friend　described　how　'on　a　comparison　having　been

made　in　his　family　circle；　which　seemed　to　place　St。　Paul　above

St。　John；'　the　tears　rushed　to　the　Doctor's　eyes　and　how；

repeating　one　of　the　verses　from　St。　John；　he　begged　that　the

comparison　might　never　again　be　made。　The　longer　holidays　were

spent　in　Westmorland；　where；　rambling　with　his　offspring　among

the　mountains；　gathering　wild　flowers；　and　pointing　out　the

beauties　of　Nature；　Dr。　Arnold　enjoyed；　as　he　himself　would　often

say；　'an　almost　awful　happiness'。　Music　he　did　not　appreciate；

though　he　occasionally　desired　his　eldest　boy；　Matthew；　to　sing

him　the　Confirmation　Hymn　of　Dr。　Hinds；　to　which　he　had　become

endeared；　owing　to　its　use　in　Rugby　Chapel。　But　his　lack　of　ear

was；　he　considered；　amply　recompensed　by　his　love　of　flowers：

'they　are　my　music；'　he　declared。　Yet；　in　such　a　matter；　he　was

careful　to　refrain　from　an　excess　of　feeling；　such　as；　in　his

opinion；　marked　the　famous　lines　of　Wordsworth：



'To　me　the　meanest　flower　that　blows　can　give　Thoughts　that　do

often　lie　too　deep　for　tears。'



He　found　the　sentiment　morbid。　'Life；'　he　said；　'is　not　long

enough　to　take　such　intense　interest　in　objects　in　themselves　so

little。'　As　for　the　animal　world；　his　feelings　towards　it　were　of

a　very　different　cast。　'The　whole　subject；'　he　said；　'of　the

brute　creation　is　to　me　one　of　such　painful　mystery；　that　I　dare

not　approach　it。'　The　Unitarians　themselves　were　a　less

distressing　thought。



Once　or　twice　he　found　time　to　visit　the　Continent；　and　the

letters　and　journals　recording　in　minute　detail　his　reflections

and　impressions　in　France　or　Italy　show　us　that　Dr。　Arnold

preserved；　in　spite　of　the　distractions　of　foreign　scenes　and

foreign　manners；　his　accustomed　habits　of　mind。　Taking　very

little　interest　in　works　of　art；　he　was　occasionally　moved　by　the

beauty　of　natural　objects；　but　his　principal　preoccupation

remained　with　the　moral　aspects　of　things。　From　this　point　of

view；　he　found　much　to　reprehend　in　the　conduct　of　his　own

countrymen。　'I　fear；'　he　wrote；　'that　our　countrymen　who　live

abroad　are　not　in　the　best　possible　moral　state；　however　much

they　may　do　in　science　or　literature。'　And　this　was　unfortunate；

because　'a　thorough　English　gentlemanChristian；　manly；　and

enlightenedis　more；　I　believe；　than　Guizot　or　Sismondi　could

comprehend；　it　is　a　finer　specimen　of　human　nature　than　any　other

country；　I　believe；　could　furnish'。　Nevertheless；　our　travellers

would　imitate　foreign　customs　without　discrimination；　'as　in　the

absurd　habit　of　not　eating　fish　with　a　knife；　borrowed　from　the

French；　who　do　it　because　they　have　no　knives　fit　for　use'。

Places；　no　less　than　people；　aroused　similar　reflections。　By

Pompeii；　Dr。　Arnold　was　not　particularly　impressed。　'There　is

only；'　he　observed；　'the　same　sort　of　interest　with　which　one

would　see　the　ruins　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　but　indeed　there　is

less。　One　is　not　authorised　to　ascribe　so　solemn　a　character　to

the　destruction　of　Pompeii。'　The　lake　of　Como　moved　him　more

profoundly。　As　he　gazed　upon　the　overwhelming　beauty　around　him；

he　thought　of　'moral　evil'；　and　was　appalled　by　the　contrast。

'May　the　sense　of　moral　evil'；　he　prayed；　'be　as　strong　in　me　as

my　delight　in　external　beauty；　for　in　a　deep　sense　of　moral　evil；

more　perhaps　than　in　anything　else；　abides　a　saving　knowledge　of

God！'



His　prayer　was　answered：　Dr。　Arnold　was　never　in　any　danger　of

losing　his　sense　of　moral　evil。　If　the　landscapes　of　Italy　only

served　to　remind　him　of　it；　how　could　he　forget　it　among　the　boys

at　Rugby　School？　The　daily　sight　of　so　many　young　creatures　in

the　hands　of　the　Evil　One　filled　him　with　agitated　grief。　'When

the　spring　and　activity　of　youth；'　he　wrote；　'is　altogether

unsanctified　by　anything　pure　and　elevated　in　its　desires；　it

becomes　a　spectacle　that　is　as　dizzying　an