eminent victorians-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



he　explained　mathematically　the　importance　of　the　Ember　Days：

'Who　can　tell；'　he　added；　'the　degree　of　blessing　lost　to　us　in

this　land　by　neglecting；　as　we　alone　of　Christian　Churches　do

neglect；　these　holy　days？'　He　then　proceeded　to　convict　the

Reformers；　not　only　of　rebellion；　but'for　my　own　part　I　see　not

how　we　can　avoid　addingof　perjury。'　Every　day　his　arguments

became　more　extreme；　more　rigorously　exact；　and　more　distressing

to　his　master。　Newman　was　in　the　position　of　a　cautious

commander…in…chief　being　hurried　into　an　engagement　against　his

will　by　a　dashing　cavalry　officer。　Ward　forced　him　forward　step

by　step　towards　…　no！　he　could　not　bear　it；　he　shuddered　and　drew

back。　But　it　was　of　no　avail。　In　vain　did　Keble　and　Pusey　wring

their　hands　and　stretch　forth　their　pleading　arms　to　their　now

vanishing　brother。　The　fatal　moment　was　fast　approaching。　Ward　at

last　published　a　devastating　book　in　which　he　proved

conclusively；　by　a　series　of　syllogisms；　that　the　only　proper

course　for　the　Church　of　England　was　to　repent　in　sackcloth　and

ashes　her　separation　from　the　Communion　of　Rome。　The　reckless

author　was　deprived　of　his　degree　by　an　outraged　University；　and

a　few　weeks　later　was　received　into　the　Catholic　Church。



Newman；　in　a　kind　of　despair；　had　flung　himself　into　the　labours

of　historical　compilation。　His　views　of　history　had　changed　since

the　days　when；　as　an　undergraduate；　he　had　feasted　on　the　worldly

pages　of　Gibbon。　'Revealed　religion；'　he　now　thought；　'furnishes

facts　to　other　sciences；　which　those　sciences；　left　to

themselves；　would　never　reach。　Thus；　in　the　science　of　history；

the　preservation　of　our　race　in　Noah's　Ark　is　an　historical　fact；

which　history　never　would　arrive　at　without　revelation。'　With

these　principles　to　guide　him；　he　plunged　with　his　disciples　into

a　prolonged　study　of　the　English　Saints。　Biographies　soon

appeared　of　St。　Bega；　St。　Adamnan；　St。　Gundleus；　St。　Guthlake；

Brother　Drithelm；　St。　Amphibalus；　St。　WuIstan；　St。　Ebba；　St。

Neot；　St。　Ninian；　and　Cunibert　the　Hermit。　Their　austerities；

their　virginity；　and　their　miraculous　powers　were　described　in

detail。　The　public　learned　with　astonishment　that　St　Ninian　had

turned　a　staff　into　a　tree；　that　St。　German　had　stopped　a　cock

from　crowing；　and　that　a　child　had　been　raised　from　the　dead　to

convert　St。　Helier。　The　series　has　subsequently　been　continued　by

a　more　modern　writer　whose　relation　of　the　history　of　the　blessed

St。　Mael　contains；　perhaps；　even　more　matter　for　edification　than

Newman's　biographies。



At　the　time；　indeed；　those　works　caused　considerable　scandal。

Clergymen　denounced　them　in　pamphlets。　St。　Cuthbert　was　described

by　his　biographer　as　having　'carried　the　jealousy　of　women；

characteristic　of　all　the　saints；　to　an　extraordinary　pitch'。　An

example　was　given；　whenever　he　held　a　spiritual　conversation　with

St　Ebba；　he　was　careful　to　spend　the　ensuing　ours　of　darkness　'in

prayer；　up　to　his　neck　in　water'。　'Persons　who　invent　such

tales；'　wrote　one　indignant　commentator；　'cast　very　grave　and

just　suspicions　on　the　purity　of　their　own　minds。　And　young

persons；　who　talk　and　think　in　this　way；　are　in　extreme　danger　of

falling　into　sinful　habits。　As　to　the　volumes　before　us；　the

authors　have；　in　their　fanatical　panegyrics　of　virginity；　made

use　of　language　downright　profane。'



One　of　the　disciples　at　Littlemore　was　James　Anthony　Froude；　the

younger　brother　of　Hurrell；　and　it　fell　to　his　lot　to　be

responsible　for　the　biography　of　St。　Neot。　While　he　was　composing

it；　he　began　to　feel　some　qualms。　Saints　who　lighted　fires　with

icicles；　changed　bandits　into　wolves；　and　floated　across　the

Irish　Channel　on　altar…stones；　produced　a　disturbing　effect　on

his　historical　conscience。　But　he　had　promised　his　services　to

Newman；　and　he　determined　to　carry　through　the　work　in　the　spirit

in　which　he　had　begun　it。　He　did　so；　but　he　thought　it　proper　to

add　the　following　sentence　by　way　of　conclusion：　'This　is　all；

and　indeed　rather　more　than　all；　that　is　known　to　men　of　the

blessed　St。　Neot；　but　not　more　than　is　known　to　the　angels　in

heaven。'



Meanwhile；　the　English　Roman　Catholics　were　growing　impatient；

was　the　great　conversion　never　coming；　for　which　they　had　prayed

so　fervently　and　so　long？　Dr。　Wiseman；　at　the　head　of　them；　was

watching　and　waiting　with　special　eagerness。　His　hand　was　held

out　under　the　ripening　fruit；　the　delicious　morsel　seemed　to　be

trembling　on　its　stalk；　and　yet　it　did　not　fall。　At　last；　unable

to　bear　the　suspense　any　longer；　he　dispatched　to　Littlemore

Father　Smith；　an　old　pupil　of　Newman's；　who　had　lately　joined　the

Roman　communion；　with　instructions　that　he　should　do　his　best；

under　cover　of　a　simple　visit　of　friendship；　to　discover　how　the

land　lay。　Father　Smith　was　received　somewhat　coldly；　and　the

conversation　ran　entirely　on　topics　which　had　nothing　to　do　with

religion。　When　the　company　separated　before　dinner；　he　was

beginning　to　think　that　his　errand　had　been　useless；　but；　on

their　reassembling；　he　suddenly　noticed　that　Newman　had　changed

his　trousers；　and　that　the　colour　of　the　pair　which　he　was　now

wearing　was　grey。　At　the　earliest　moment；　the　emissary　rushed

back　post…haste　to　Dr。　Wiseman。　'All　is　well；'　he　exclaimed；

'Newman　no　longer　considers　that　he　is　in　Anglican　orders。〃

Praise　be　to　God！'　answered　Dr　Wiseman。　'But　how　do　you　know？'

Father　Smith　described　what　he　had　seen。　'Oh；　is　that　all？　My

dear　father；　how　can　you　be　so　foolish？'　But　Father　Smith　was　not

to　be　shaken。　'I　know　the　man；'　he　said；　and　I　know　what　it

means。　Newman　will　come；　and　he　will　come　soon。'



And　Father　Smith　was　right。　A　few　weeks　later；　Newman　suddenly

slipped　off　to　a　priest；　and　all　was　over。　Perhaps　he　would　have

hesitated　longer　still；　if　he　could　have　foreseen　how　he　was　to

pass　the　next　thirty　years　of　his　unfortunate　existence；　but　the

future　was　hidden；　and　all　that　was　certain　was　that　the　past　had

gone　forever；　and　that　his　eyes　would　rest　no　more　upon　the

snapdragons　of　Trinity。



The　Oxford　Movement　was　now　ended。　The　University　breathed　such　a

sigh　of　relief　as　usually　follows　the　difficult　expulsion　of　a

hard　piece　of　matter　from　a　living　organism；　and　actually　began

to　attend　to　education。　As　for　the　Church　of　England；　she　had

tasted　blood；　and　it　was　clear　that　she　would　never　again　be

content　with　a　vegetable　diet。　Her　clergy；　however；　maintained

their　reputation　for　judicious　compromise；　for　they　followed

Newman　up　to　the　very　point　beyond　which　his　conclusions　were

logical；　and；　while　they　intoned；　confessed；　swung　incense；　and

burned　candles　with　the　exhilaration　of　converts；　they　yet

managed　to　do　so　with　a　subtle　nuance　which　showed　that　they　had

nothing　to　do　with　Rome。　Various　individuals　underwent　more

violent　changes。　Several　had　preceded　Newman　into　the　Roman　fold；

among　others　an　unhappy　Mr。　Sibthorpe；　who　subsequently　changed

his　mind；　and　returned　to　the　Church　of　his　fathers；　and　then

perhaps　it　was　only　natural　changed　his　mind　again。　Many　more

followed　Newman；　and　Dr。　Wiseman　was　particularly　pleased　by　the

conversion　of　a　Mr。　Morris；　who；　as　he　said；　was　'the　author　of

the　essay；　which　won　the　prize　on　the　best　method　of　proving

Christianity　to　the　Hindus'。　Hurrell　Froude　had　died　before

Newman　had　read　the　fatal　article　on　St。　Augustine；　but　his

brother；　James　Anthony；　together　with　Arthur　Clough；　the　poet；

went　through　an　experience　which　was　more　distressing　in　those

days　than　it　has　since　become；　they　lost　their　faith。　With　this

difference；　however；　that　while　in　Froude's　case　the　loss　of　his

faith　turned　out　to　be　rather　like　the　loss　of　a　heavy

portmanteau；　which　one　afterwards　discovers　to　have　been　full　of

old　rags　and　brickbats；　Clough　was　made　so　uneasy　by　the　loss　of

his　that　he　went　on　looking　for　it　everywhere　as　long　as　he

lived；　but　somehow　he　never　could　find　it。　On　the　other　hand；

Keble　and　P