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remarkable fact that liquefactions of blood are common at Naples…

…and; unless it is irreverent to the Great Author of Miracles to

be obstinate in the inquiry; the question certainly rises whether

there is something in the air。 (Mind; I don't believe there is

and; speaking humbly; and without having seen it; think it a true

miracle but I am arguing。) We saw the blood of St Patrizia;

half liquid; i。e。 liquefying; on her feast day。 St John Baptist's

blood sometimes liquefies on the 29th of August; and did when we

were at Naples; but we had not time to go to the church。 We saw

the liquid blood of an Oratorian Father; a good man; but not a

saint; who died two centuries ago; I think; and we saw the liquid

blood of Da Ponte; the great and holy Jesuit; who; I suppose; was

almost a saint。 But these instances do not account for

liquefaction on certain days; if this is the case。 But the most

strange phenomenon is what happens at Ravello; a village or town

above Amalfi。 There is the blood of St。 Pantaleon。 It is in a

vessel amid the stonework of the Altar … it is not touched but on

his feast in June it liquefies。 And more; there is an

excommunication against those who bring portions of the True

Cross into the Church。 Why? Because the blood liquefies; whenever



it is brought。 A person I know; not knowing the prohibition;

brought in a portion; and the Priest suddenly said; who showed

the blood; 〃Who has got the Holy Cross about him?〃 I tell you

what was told me by a grave and religious man。 It is a curious

coincidence that in telling this to our Father Director here; he

said; 〃Why; we have a portion of St。 Pantaleon's blood at the

Chiesa Nuova; and it is always liquid。〃'



After leaving Naples; Newman visited Loreto; and inspected the

house of the Holy Family; which; as is known to the faithful; was

transported thither; in three hops; from Palestine。 'I went to

Loreto;' he wrote; 'with a simple faith; believing what I still

more believed when I saw it。 I have no doubt now。 If you ask me

why I believe it; it is because everyone believes it at Rome;

cautious as they are and sceptical about some other things。 I

have no antecedent difficulty in the matter。 He who floated the

Ark on the surges of a world…wide sea; and enclosed in it all

living things; who has hidden the terrestrial paradise; who said

that faith might move mountains; who sustained thousands for

forty years in a sterile wilderness; who transported Elias and

keeps him hidden till the end; could do this wonder also。'



Here; whatever else there may be; there is certainly no trace of

a desire to deceive。 Could a state of mind; in fact; be revealed

with more absolute transparency?



When Newman was a child he 'wished that he could believe the

Arabian Nights were true'。 When he came to be a man; his wish

seems to have been granted。



Tract No。 90 was officially condemned by the authorities at

Oxford; and in the hubbub that followed; the contending parties

closed their ranks; henceforward; any compromise between the

friends and the enemies of the Movement was impossible。

Archdeacon Manning was in too conspicuous a position to be able

to remain silent; he was obliged to declare himself; and he did

not hesitate。 In an archidiaconal charge; delivered within a few

months of his appointment; he firmly repudiated the Tractarians。

But the repudiation was not deemed sufficient; and a year later

he repeated it with greater emphasis。 Still; however; the horrid

rumours were afloat。 The 〃Record〃 began to investigate matters;

and its vigilance was soon rewarded by an alarming discovery: the

sacrament had been administered in Chichester Cathedral on a

weekday; and 'Archdeacon Manning; one of the most noted and

determined of the Tractarians; had acted a conspicuous part on

the occasion'。 It was clear that the only way of silencing these

malevolent whispers was by some public demonstration whose import

nobody could doubt。 The annual sermon preached on Guy Fawkes Day

before the University of Oxford seemed to offer the very

opportunity that Manning required。 He seized it; got himself

appointed preacher; and delivered from the pulpit of St。 Mary's a

virulently Protestant harangue。 This time there could indeed be

no doubt about the matter: Manning had shouted 'No Popery!' in

the very citadel of the Movement; and every one; including

Newman; recognised that he had finally cut himself off from his

old friends。 Everyone; that is to say; except the Archdeacon

himself。 On the day after the sermon; Manning walked out to the

neighbouring village of Littlemore; where Newman was now living

in retirement with a few chosen disciples; in the hope of being

able to give a satisfactory explanation of what he had done。 But

he was disappointed; for when; after an awkward interval; one of

the disciples appeared at the door; he was informed that Mr。

Newman was not at home。



With his retirement to Littlemore; Newman had entered upon the

final period of his Anglican career。 Even he could no longer help

perceiving that the end was now only a matter of time。 His

progress was hastened in an agitating manner by the indiscreet

activity of one of his proselytes; W。 G。 Ward。 a young man who

combined an extraordinary aptitude for a priori reasoning with a

passionate devotion to Opera Bouffe。 It was difficult; in fact;

to decide whether the inner nature of Ward was more truly

expressing itself when he was firing off some train of scholastic

paradoxes on the Eucharist or when he was trilling the airs of

Figaro and plunging through the hilarious roulades of the Largo

al Factotum。 Even Dr。 Pusey could riot be quite sure; though he

was Ward's spiritual director。 On one occasion his young penitent

came to him; and confessed that a vow which he had taken to

abstain from music during Lent was beginning to affect his

health。 Could Dr。 Pusey see his way to releasing him from the

vow?  The Doctor decided that a little sacred music would not be

amiss。 Ward was all gratitude; and that night a party was

arranged in a friend's rooms。 The concert began with the solemn

harmonies of Handel; which were followed by the holy strains of

the '0h Salutaris' of Cherubini。 Then came the elevation and the

pomp of 'Possenti Numi' from the Magic Flute。 But; alas! there

lies much danger in Mozart。 The page was turned and there was the

delicious duet between Papageno and Papagena。 Flesh and blood

could not resist that; then song followed song; the music waxed

faster and lighter; until; at last Ward burst into the

intoxicating merriment of the Largo al Factotum。 When it was

over; a faint but persistent knocking made itself heard upon the

wall; and it was only then that the company remembered that the

rooms next door were Dr。 Pusey's。



The same entrain which carried Ward away when he sat down to a

piano possessed him whenever he embarked on a religious

discussion。 'The thing that was utterly abhorrent to him;' said

one of his friends; 'was to stop short。' Given the premises; he

would follow out their implications with the mercilessness of a

medieval monk; and when he had reached the last limits of

argument; be ready to maintain whatever propositions he might

find there with his dying breath。 He had the extreme innocence of

a child and a mathematician。 Captivated by the glittering eye of

Newman; he swallowed whole the supernatural conception of the

universe which Newman had evolved; accepted it as a fundamental

premise; and 'began at once to deduce from it whatsoever there

might be to be deduced。' His very first deductions included

irrefutable proofs of (I) God's particular providence for

individuals; (2) the real efficacy of intercessory prayer; (3)

the reality of our communion with the saints departed; (4) the 

constant presence and assistance of the angels of God。  Later on

he explained mathematically the importance of the Ember Days:

'Who can tell;' he added; 'the degree of bles

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