eminent victorians-第2章

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Henry's　mind　a　quality　at　least　as　firmly　planted　in　it　as　his

fear　of　Hell　and　his　belief　in　the　arguments　of　Paley。



It　had　been　his　father's　wish　that　Manning　should　go　into　the

Church；　but　the　thought　disgusted　him；　and　when　he　reached

Oxford；　his　tastes；　his　ambitions；　his　successes　at　the　Union；

all　seemed　to　mark　him　out　for　a　political　career。　He　was　a　year

junior　to　Samuel　Wilberforce；　and　a　year　senior　to　Gladstone。　In

those　days　the　Union　was　the　recruiting…ground　for　young

politicians；　Ministers　came　down　from　London　to　listen　to　the

debates；　and　a　few　years　later　the　Duke　of　Newcastle　gave

Gladstone　a　pocket　borough　on　the　strength　of　his　speech　at　the

Union　against　the　Reform　Bill。　To　those　three　young　men；　indeed；

the　whole　world　lay　open。　Were　they　not　rich；　well…connected；　and

endowed　with　an　infinite　capacity　for　making　speeches？　The　event

justified　the　highest　expectations　of　their　friends；　for　the

least　distinguished　of　the　three　died　a　bishop。　The　only　danger

lay　in　another　direction。　'Watch；　my　dear　Samuel；'　wrote　the

elder　Wilberforce　to　his　son；　'watch　with　jealousy　whether　you

find　yourself　unduly　solicitous　about　acquitting　yourself；

whether　you　are　too　much　chagrined　when　you　fail；　or　are　puffed

up　by　your　success。　Undue　solicitude　about　popular　estimation　is

a　weakness　against　which　all　real　Christians　must　guard　with　the

utmost　jealous　watchfulness。　The　more　you　can　retain　the

impression　of　your　being　surrounded　by　a　cloud　of　witnesses　of

the　invisible　world；　to　use　the　scripture　phrase；　the　more　you

will　be　armed　against　this　besetting　sin。'　But　suddenly　it　seemed

as　if　such　a　warning　could；　after　all；　have　very　little　relevance

to　Manning；　for；　on　his　leaving　Oxford；　the　brimming　cup　was

dashed　from　his　lips。　He　was　already　beginning　to　dream　of

himself　in　the　House　of　Commons；　the　solitary　advocate　of　some

great　cause　whose　triumph　was　to　be　eventually　brought　about　by

his　extraordinary　efforts；　when　his　father　was　declared　a

bankrupt；　and　all　his　hopes　of　a　political　career　came　to　an　end

forever。



It　was　at　this　time　that　Manning　became　intimate　with　a　pious

lady；　the　sister　of　one　of　his　College　friends；　whom　he　used　to

describe　as　his　Spiritual　Mother。　He　made　her　his　confidante；　and

one　day；　as　they　walked　together　in　the　shrubbery；　he　revealed

the　bitterness　of　the　disappointment　into　which　his　father's

failure　had　plunged　him。　She　tried　to　cheer　him；　and　then　she

added　that　there　were　higher　aims　open　to　him　which　he　had　not

considered。　'What　do　you　mean？'　he　asked。　'The　kingdom　of

Heaven；'　she　answered；　'heavenly　ambitions　are　not　closed　against

you。'　The　young　man　listened；　was　silent；　and　said　at　last　that

he　did　not　know　but　she　was　right。　She　suggested　reading　the

Bible　together；　and　they　accordingly　did　so　during　the　whole　of

that　Vacation；　every　morning　after　breakfast。　Yet；　in　spite　of

these　devotional　exercises；　and　in　spite　of　a　voluminous

correspondence　on　religious　subjects　with　his　Spiritual　Mother；

Manning　still　continued　to　indulge　in　secular　hopes。　He　entered

the　Colonial　Office　as　a　supernumerary　clerk；　and　it　was　only

when　the　offer　of　a　Merton　Fellowship　seemed　to　depend　upon　his

taking　orders　that　his　heavenly　ambitions　began　to　assume　a

definite　shape。　Just　then　he　fell　in　love　with　Miss　Deffell；

whose　father　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　a　young　man　without

prospects；　and　forbade　him　the　house。　It　was　only　too　true；　what

WERE　the　prospects　of　a　supernumerary　clerk　in　the　Colonial

Office？　Manning　went　to　Oxford　and　took　orders。　He　was　elected　to

the　Merton　Fellowship；　and　obtained　through　the　influence　of　the

Wilberforces　a　curacy　in　Sussex。　At　the　last　moment　he　almost

drew　back。　'I　think　the　whole　step　has　been　too　precipitate；'　he

wrote　to　his　brother…in…law。　'I　have　rather　allowed　the　instance

of　my　friends；　and　the　allurements　of　an　agreeable　curacy　in　many

respects；　to　get　the　better　of　my　sober　judgment。'　His　vast

ambitions；　his　dreams　of　public　service；　of　honours；　and　of

power；　was　all　this　to　end　in　a　little　country　curacy　'agreeable

in　many　respects'？　But　there　was　nothing　for　it；　the　deed　was

done；　and　the　Fates　had　apparently　succeeded　very　effectively　in

getting　rid　of　Manning。　All　he　could　do　was　to　make　the　best　of　a

bad　business。



Accordingly；　in　the　first　place；　he　decided　that　he　had　received

a　call　from　God　'ad　veritatem　et　ad　seipsum'；　and；　in　the　second；

forgetting　Miss　Deffell；　he　married　his　rector's　daughter。　Within

a　few　months　the　rector　died；　and　Manning　stepped　into　his　shoes；

and　at　least　it　could　be　said　that　the　shoes　were　not

uncomfortable。　For　the　next　seven　years　he　fulfilled　the

functions　of　a　country　clergyman。　He　was　energetic　and　devout；　he

was　polite　and　handsome；　his　fame　grew　in　the　diocese。　At　last　he

began　to　be　spoken　of　as　the　probable　successor　to　the　old

Archdeacon　of　Chichester。　When　Mrs。　Manning　prematurely　died；　he

was　at　first　inconsolable；　but　he　found　relief　in　the　distraction

of　redoubled　work。　How　could　he　have　guessed　that　one　day　he

would　come　to　number　that　loss　among　'God's　special　mercies？　Yet

so　it　was　to　be。　In　after　years；　the　memory　of　his　wife　seemed　to

be　blotted　from　his　mind；　he　never　spoke　of　her；　every　letter；

every　record；　of　his　married　life　he　destroyed；　and　when　word　was

sent　to　him　that　her　grave　was　falling　into　ruin：　'It　is　best

so；'　the　Cardinal　answered；　'let　it　be。　Time　effaces　all　things。'

But；　when　the　grave　was　yet　fresh；　the　young　Rector　would　sit

beside　it；　day　after　day；　writing　his　sermons。



II



IN　the　meantime；　a　series　of　events　was　taking　place　in　another

part　of　England；　which　was　to　have　a　no　less　profound　effect　upon

Manning's　history　than　the　merciful　removal　of　his　wife。　In　the

same　year　in　which　he　took　up　his　Sussex　curacy；　the　Tracts　for

the　Times　had　begun　to　appear　at　Oxford。　The　'Oxford　Movement'；

in　fact；　had　started　on　its　course。　The　phrase　is　still　familiar；

but　its　meaning　has　become　somewhat　obscured　both　by　the　lapse　of

time　and　the　intrinsic　ambiguity　of　the　subjects　connected　with

it。　Let　us　borrow　for　a　moment　the　wings　of　Historic　Imagination；

and；　hovering　lightly　over　the　Oxford　of　the　thirties；　take　a

rapid　bird's…eye　view。



For　many　generations　the　Church　of　England　had　slept　the　sleep　of

the。。fortable。　The　sullen　murmurings　of　dissent；　the　loud

battle…cry　of　Revolution；　had　hardly　disturbed　her　slumbers。

Portly　divines　subscribed　with　a　sigh　or　a　smile　to　the　Thirty…

nine　Articles；　sank　quietly　into　easy　living；　rode　gaily　to

hounds　of　a　morning　as　gentlemen　should；　and；　as　gentlemen

should；　carried　their　two　bottles　of　an　evening。　To　be　in　the

Church　was　in　fact　simply　to　pursue　one　of　those　professions

which　Nature　and　Society　had　decided　were　proper　to　gentlemen　and

gentlemen　alone。　The　fervours　of　piety；　the　zeal　of　Apostolic

charity；　the　enthusiasm　of　self…renunciation　these　things　were

all　very　well　in　their　way　and　in　their　place；　but　their　place

was　certainly　not　the　Church　of　England。　Gentlemen　were　neither

fervid　nor　zealous；　and　above　all　they　were　not　enthusiastic。

There　were；　it　was　true；　occasionally　to　be　found　within　the

Church　some　strait…laced　parsons　of　the　high　Tory　school　who

looked　back　with　regret　to　the　days　of　Laud　or　talked　of　the

Apostolical　Succession；　and　there　were　groups　of　square…toed

Evangelicals　who　were　earnest　over　the　Atonement；　confessed　to　a

personal　love　of　Jesus　Christ；　and　seemed　to　have　arranged　the

whole　of　their　lives；　down　to　the　minutest　details　of　act　and

speech；　with　reference　to　Eternity。　But　such　extremes　were　the

rare　exceptions。　The　great　bulk　of　the　clergy　walked　calmly　along

the　smooth　road　of　ordinary　duty。　They　kept　an　eye　on　the　poor　of

the　parish；　and　they　conducted　the　Sunday　Services　in　a　becoming

manner；　for　the　rest；　they　differed　neither　outwardly　nor

inwardly　from　the　great　bulk　of　the　laity；　to　whom　the　Church　was

a　useful　organisation　for　the　maintenance　of　Religion；　as　by　law

established。



The　awakening　came　at　last；　however；　and　it　was　a　rude　one。　The

liberal　principles　of　the　French　Revolution；　checked　at　first　in

the　terrors　of　reaction；　began　to　make　their　way　into　England。

Rationalists　lifted　up　their　heads；　Bentham　and　the　Mills

propounded　Utilitarianism；　the　Reform　Bill　was　passed；　and　there

were　rumours　abroad　of　disestablishment。　Even　Churchmen　seemed　to

have　caught　the　infection。　Dr。　Whately　was　so　bold　as　to　assert

that；　in　the　interpretation　of　Scripture；　different　opinions

might　be　permitted　upon　matters　of　doubt；　and；　Dr。　Arnold　drew　up

a　disquieting　scheme　for　allowing　Dissenters　into　the　Church；

though　it　is　true　that　he　did　not　go　quite　so　far　as　to

contemplate　the　admission　of　Unitarians。



At　this　time；　there　was　living　in　a　country　parish；　a　young

clergyman　of　the　name　of　John　Keble。　He　had　gone　to　Oxford　at　the

age　of　fifteen；　where；　after　a　successful　academic　career；　he　had

been　made　a　Fellow　of　Oriel。　He　had　then　returned　to　his　father's

parish　and　taken　up　the　duties　of　a　curate。　He　had　a　thorough

knowledge　of　the　contents　of　the　Prayer…book；　the　ways　of　a

Common　Room；　the　conjugations　of　the　Greek　Irregular　Verbs；　and

the　small　jests　of　a　country　parsonage；　and　the　defects　of　his

experience　in　other　directions　were　replaced　by　a　zeal　and　a

piety　which　were　soon　to　prove　themselves　equal；　and　more　than

equal；　to　whatever　calls　might　be　made　upon　them。　The

superabundance　of　his　piety　overflowed　into　verse；　and　the　holy

simplicity　of　the　Christian　Year　carried　his　name　into　the

remotest　lodging…houses　of　England。



As　for　his　zeal；　however；　it　needed　another　outlet。　Looking　forth

upon　the　doings　of　his　fellow…men　through　his　rectory　windows　in

Gloucestershire；　Keble　felt　his　whole　soul　shaken　with　loathing；

anger；　and　dread。　Infidelity　was　stalking　through　the　land；

authority　was　laughed　at；　the　hideous　doctrines　of　Democracy　were


being　openly　preached。　Worse　still；　if　possible；　the　Church

herself　was　ignorant　and　lukewarm；　she　had　forgotten　the

mysteries　of　the　sacraments；　she　had　lost　faith　in　the

Apostolical　Succession；　she　was　no　longer　interested　in　the　Early

Fathers；　and　she　submitted　herself　to　the　control　of　a　secular

legislature；　the　members　of　which　were　not　even　bound　to　profess

belief　in　the　Atonement。　In　the　face　of　such　enormities　what

could　Keble　do？　He　was　ready　to　do　anything；　but　he　was　a　simple

and　an　unambitious　man；　and　his　wrath　would　in　all　probability

have　consumed　itself　unappeased　within　him　had　he　not　chanced　to

come　into　contact；　at　the　critical　moment；　with　a　spirit　more

excitable　and　daring　than　his　own。



Hurrell　Froude；　one　of　Keble's　pupils；　was　a　clever　young　man　to

whom　had　fallen　a　rather　larger　share　of　self…assurance　and

intolerance　than　even　clever　young　men　usually　possess。　What　was

singular　a