eminent victorians-第49章

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unsanctified　by　anything　pure　and　elevated　in　its　desires；　it

becomes　a　spectacle　that　is　as　dizzying　and　almost　more　morally

distressing　than　the　shouts　and　gambols　of　a　set　of　lunatics。'

One　thing　struck　him　as　particularly　strange：　'It　is　very

startling；'　he　said；　'to　see　so　much　of　sin　combined　with　so

little　of　sorrow。'　The　naughtiest　boys　positively　seemed　to　enjoy

themselves　most。　There　were　moments　when　he　almost　lost　faith　in

his　whole　system　of　education；　when　he　began　to　doubt　whether

some　far　more　radical　reforms　than　any　he　had　attempted　might　not

be　necessary；　before　the　multitude　of　children　under　his　charge

shouting　and　gambolling；　and　yet　plunged　all　the　while　deep　in

moral　evil　could　ever　be　transformed　into　a　set　of　Christian

gentlemen。　But　then　he　remembered　his　general　principles；　the

conduct　of　Jehovah　with　the　Chosen　People；　and　the　childhood　of

the　human　race。　No；　it　was　for　him　to　make　himself；　as　one　of　his

pupils　afterwards　described　him；　in　the　words　of　Bacon；　'kin　to

God　in　spirit'；　he　would　rule　the　school　majestically　from　on

high。　He　would　deliver　a　series　of　sermons　analysing　'the　six

vices'　by　which　'great　schools　were　corrupted；　and　changed　from

the　likeness　of　God's　temple　to　that　of　a　den　of　thieves'。　He

would　exhort；　he　would　denounce；　he　would　sweep　through　the

corridors；　he　would　turn　the　pages　of　Facciolati's　Lexicon　more

imposingly　than　ever；　and　the　rest　he　would　leave　to　the

Praepostors　in　the　Sixth　Form。



Upon　the　boys　in　the　Sixth　Form；　indeed；　a　strange　burden　would

seem　to　have　fallen。　Dr。　Arnold　himself　was　very　well　aware　of

this。　'I　cannot　deny；'　he　told　them　in　a　sermon；　'that　you　have

an　anxious　duty　a　duty　which　some　might　suppose　was　too　heavy

for　your　years'；　and　every　term　he　pointed　out　to　them；　in　a

short　address；　the　responsibilities　of　their　position；　and

impressed　upon　them　'the　enormous　influence'　they　possessed　'for

good　or　for　evil'。　Nevertheless　most　youths　of　seventeen；　in

spite　of　the　warnings　of　their　elders；　have　a　singular　trick　of

carrying　moral　burdens　lightly。　The　Doctor　might　preach　and　look

grave；　but　young　Brooke　was　ready　enough　to　preside　at　a　fight

behind　the　Chapel；　though　he　was　in　the　Sixth；　and　knew　that

fighting　was　against　the　rules。　At　their　best；　it　may　be　supposed

that　the　Praepostors　administered　a　kind　of　barbaric　justice；　but

they　were　not　always　at　their　best；　and　the　pages　of　〃Tom　Brown's

Schooldays〃　show　us　what　was　no　doubt　the　normal　condition　of

affairs　under　Dr。　Arnold；　when　the　boys　in　the　Sixth　Form　were

weak　or　brutal；　and　the　blackguard　Flashman；　in　the　intervals　of

swigging　brandy…punch　with　his　boon　companions；　amused　himself　by

toasting　fags　before　the　fire。



But　there　was　an　exceptional　kind　of　boy；　upon　whom　the　high…

pitched　exhortations　of　Dr。　Arnold　produced　a　very　different

effect。　A　minority　of　susceptible　and　serious　youths　fell

completely　under　his　sway；　responded　like　wax　to　the　pressure　of

his　influence；　and　moulded　their　whole　lives　with　passionate

reverence　upon　the　teaching　of　their　adored　master。　Conspicuous

among　these　was　Arthur　Clough。　Having　been　sent　to　Rugby　at　the

age　of　ten；　he　quickly　entered　into　every　phase　of　school　life；

though；　we　are　told；　'a　weakness　in　his　ankles　prevented　him　from

taking　a　prominent　part　in　the　games　of　the　place'。　At　the　age　of

sixteen；　he　was　in　the　Sixth　Form；　and　not　merely　a　Praepostor；

but　head　of　the　School　House。　Never　did　Dr。　Arnold　have　an　apter

pupil。　This　earnest　adolescent；　with　the　weak　ankles　and　the

solemn　face；　lived　entirely　with　the　highest　ends　in　view。　He

thought　of　nothing　but　moral　good；　moral　evil；　moral　influence；

and　moral　responsibility。　Some　of　his　early　letters　have　been

preserved；　and　they　reveal　both　the　intensity　with　which　he　felt

the　importance　of　his　own　position；　and　the　strange　stress　of

spirit　under　which　he　laboured。　'I　have　been　in　one　continued

state　of　excitement　for　at　least　the　last　three　years；'　he　wrote

when　he　was　not　yet　seventeen；　'and　now　comes　the　time　of

exhaustion。'　But　he　did　not　allow　himself　to　rest；　and　a　few

months　later　he　was　writing　to　a　schoolfellow　as　follows：　'I

verily　believe　my　whole　being　is　soaked　through　with　the　wishing

and　hoping　and　striving　to　do　the　school　good；　or　rather　to　keep

it　up　and　hinder　it　from　falling　in　this；　I　do　think；　very

critical　time；　so　that　my　cares　and　affections　and　conversations；

thoughts；　words；　and　deeds　look　to　that　in　voluntarily。　I　am

afraid　you　will　be　inclined　to　think　this　〃cant〃　and　I　am

conscious　that　even　one's　truest　feelings；　if　very　frequently　put

out　in　the　light；　do　make　a　bad　and　disagreeable　appearance；　but

this；　however；　is　true；　and　even　if　I　am　carrying　it　too　far；　I

do　not　think　it　has　made　me　really　forgetful　of　my　personal

friends；　such　as；　in　particular；　Gell　and　Burbidge　and　Walrond；

and　yourself；　my　dear　Simpkinson　。'



Perhaps　it　was　not　surprising　that　a　young　man　brought　up　in　such

an　atmosphere；　should　have　fallen　a　prey　at　Oxford；　to　the

frenzies　of　religious　controversy；　that　he　should　have　been

driven　almost　out　of　his　wits　by　the　ratiocinations　of　W。　G。

Ward；　that　he　should　have　lost　his　faith；　that　he　should　have

spent　the　rest　of　his　existence　lamenting　that　loss；　both　in

prose　and　verse；　and　that　he　should　have　eventually　succumbed；

conscientiously　doing　up　brown　paper　parcels　for　Florence

Nightingale。



In　the　earlier　years　of　his　headmastership　Dr。　Arnold　had　to　face

a　good　deal　of　opposition。　His　advanced　religious　views　were

disliked；　and　there　were　many　parents　to　whom　his　system　of

school　government　did　not　commend　itself。　But　in　time　this

hostility　melted　away。　Succeeding　generations　of　favourite　pupils

began　to　spread　his　fame　through　the　Universities。　At　Oxford

especially；　men　were　profoundly　impressed　by　the　pious　aims　of

the　boys　from　Rugby。　It　was　a　new　thing　to　see　undergraduates

going　to　Chapel　more　often　than　they　were　obliged；　and　visiting

the　good　poor。　Their　reverent　admiration　for　Dr。　Arnold　was　no

less　remarkable。　Whenever　two　of　his　old　pupils　met；　they　joined

in　his　praises；　and　the　sight　of　his　picture　had　been　known　to

call　forth；　from　one　who　had　not　even　reached　the　Sixth；

exclamations　of　rapture　lasting　for　ten　minutes　and　filling　with

astonishment　the　young　men　from　other　schools　who　happened　to　be

present。



He　became　a　celebrity；　he　became　at　last　a　great　man。　Rugby

prospered；　its　numbers　rose　higher　than　ever　before；　and；　after

thirteen　years　as　headmaster；　Dr。　Arnold　began　to　feel　that　his

work　there　was　accomplished；　and　that　he　might　look　forward

either　to　other　labours　or；　perhaps；　to　a　dignified　retirement。

But　it　was　not　to　be。



His　father　had　died　suddenly　at　the　age　of　fifty…three　from

angina　pectoris；　and　he　himself　was　haunted　by　forebodings　of　an

early　death。　To　be　snatched　away　without　a　warning；　to　come　in　a

moment　from　the　seductions　of　this　World　to　the　presence　of

Eternity　his　most　ordinary　actions；　the　most　casual　remarks；

served　to　keep　him　in　remembrance　of　that　dreadful　possibility。

When　one　of　his　little　boys　clapped　his　hands　at　the　thought　of

the　approaching　holidays；　the　Doctor　gently　checked　him；　and

repeated　the　story　of　his　own　early　childhood；　how　his　own　father

had　made　him　read　aloud　a　sermon　on　the　text　'Boast　not　thyself

of　tomorrow〃；　and　how；　within　the　week；　his　father　was　dead。　On

the　title　page　of　his　MS。　volume　of　sermons；　he　was　always

careful　to　write　the　date　of　its　commencement；　leaving　a　blank

for　that　of　its　completion。　One　of　his　children　asked　him　the

meaning　of　this。　'It　is　one　of　the　most　solemn　things　I　do；'　he

replied；　'to　write　the　beginning　of　that　sentence；　and　think　that

I　may　perhaps　not　live　to　finish　it。'



It　was　noticed　that　in　the　spring　of　1842　such　thoughts　seemed　to

be　even　more　frequently　in　his　mind　than　usual。　He　was　only　in

his　forty…seventh　year；　but　he　d