eminent victorians-第31章

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sheets；　he　turned　her　attention　from　this　painful　topic　towards　a

discussion　of　Quietism。　'I　don't　see　why；'　said　the　Master　of

Balliol；　'active　life　might　not　become　a　sort　of　passive　life

too。'　And　then；　he　added；　'I　sometimes　fancy　there　are

possibilities　of　human　character　much　greater　than　have　been

realised。'　She　found　such　sentiments　helpful；　underlining　them　in

blue　pencil；　and；　in　return；　she　assisted　her　friend　with　a　long

series　of　elaborate　comments　upon　the　Dialogues　of　Plato；　most　of

which　he　embodied　in　the　second　edition　of　his　translation。

Gradually　her　interest　became　more　personal；　she　told　him　never

to　work　again　after　midnight；　and　he　obeyed　her。　Then　she　helped

him　to　draw　up　a　special　form　of　daily　service　for　the　College

Chapel；　with　selections　from　the　Psalms　under　the　heads　of　'God

the　Lord；　God　the　judge；　God　the　Father；　and　God　the　Friend'

though；　indeed；　this　project　was　never　realised；　for　the　Bishop

of　Oxford　disallowed　the　alterations；　exercising　his　legal

powers；　on　the　advice　of　Sir　Travers　Twiss。



Their　relations　became　intimate。　'The　spirit　of　the　Twenty…third　

Psalm　and　the　spirit　of　the　Nineteenth　Psalm　should　be　united　in

our　lives；'　Mr。　Jowett　said。　Eventually；　she　asked　him　to　do　her

a　singular　favour。　Would　he；　knowing　what　he　did　of　her　religious

views；　come　to　London　and　administer　to　her　the　Holy　Sacrament？

He　did　not　hesitate；　and　afterwards　declared　that　he　would　always

regard　the　occasion　as　a　solemn　event　in　his　life。　He　was　devoted

to　her　though　the　precise　nature　of　his　feelings　towards　her

never　quite　transpired。　Her　feelings　towards　him　were　more　mixed。

At　first；　he　was　'that　great　and　good　man''that　true　saint；　Mr。

Jowett'；　but；　as　time　went　on；　some　gall　was　mingled　with　the

balm；　the　acrimony　of　her　nature　asserted　itself。　She　felt　that

she　gave　more　sympathy　than　she　received；　she　was　exhausted；　and

she　was　annoyed　by　his　conversation。　Her　tongue；　one　day；　could

not　refrain　from　shooting　out　at　him：　'He　comes　to　me；　and　he

talks　to　me；'　she　said；　'as　if　I　were　someone　else。'



V



AT　one　time　she　had　almost　decided　to　end　her　life　in　retirement

as　a　patient　at　St。　Thomas's　Hospital。　But　partly　owing　to　the

persuasions　of　Mr。　Jowett；　she　changed　her　mind；　for　forty…five

years　she　remained　in　South　Street；　and　in　South　Street　she　died。

As　old　age　approached；　though　her　influence　with　the　official

world　gradually　diminished；　her　activities　seemed　to　remain　as

intense　and　widespread　as　before。　When　hospitals　were　to　be

built；　when　schemes　of　sanitary　reform　were　in　agitation；　when

wars　broke　out；　she　was　still　the　adviser　of　all　Europe。　Still；

with　a　characteristic　self…assurance；　she　watched　from　her

Mayfair　bedroom　over　the　welfare　of　India。　Still；　with　an

indefatigable　enthusiasm；　she　pushed　forward　the　work；　which；

perhaps；　was　nearer　to　her　heart；　more　completely　her　own；　than

all　the　rest　the　training　of　nurses。　　In　her　moments　of　deepest

depression；　when　her　greatest　achievements　seemed　to　lose　their

lustre；　she　thought　of　her　nurses；　and　was　comforted。　The　ways　of

God；　she　found；　were　strange　indeed。　'How　inefficient　I　was　in

the　Crimea；'　she　noted。　'Yet　He　has　raised　up　from　it　trained

nursing。'



At　other　times；　she　was　better　satisfied。　Looking　back；　she　was

amazed　by　the　enormous　change　which；　since　her　early　days；　had

come　over　the　whole　treatment　of　illness；　the　whole　conception　of

public　and　domestic　healtha　change　in　which；　she　knew；　she　had

played　her　part。　One　of　her　Indian　admirers；　the　Aga　Khan；　came

to　visit　her。　She　expatiated　on　the　marvellous　advances　she　had

lived　to　see　in　the　management　of　hospitals　in　drainage；　in

ventilation；　in　sanitary　work　of　every　kind。　There　was　a　pause；

and　then；　'Do　you　think　you　are　improving？'　asked　the　Aga　Khan。

She　was　a　little　taken　aback；　and　said；　'What　do　you　mean　by

〃improving〃？'　He　replied；　'Believing　more　in　God。'　She　saw　that

he　had　a　view　of　God　which　was　different　from　hers。　'A　most

interesting　man；'　she　noted　after　the　interview；　'but　you　could

never　teach　him　sanitation。'



When　old　age　actually　came；　something　curious　happened。　Destiny；

having　waited　very　patiently；　played　a　queer　trick　on　Miss

Nightingale。　The　benevolence　and　public　spirit　of　that　long　life

had　only　been　equalled　by　its　acerbity。　Her　virtue　had　dwelt　in

hardness；　and　she　had　poured　forth　her　unstinted　usefulness　with

a　bitter　smile　upon　her　lips。　And　now　the　sarcastic　years　brought

the　proud　woman　her　punishment。　She　was　not　to　die　as　she　had

lived。　The　sting　was　to　be　taken　out　of　her；　she　was　to　be　made

soft；　she　was　to　be　reduced　to　compliance　and　complacency。　The

change　came　gradually；　but　at　last　it　was　unmistakable。　The

terrible　commander　who　had　driven　Sidney　Herbert　to　his　death；　to

whom　Mr。　Jowett　had　applied　the　words　of　Homer；　amoton　memaniia

raging　insatiably　now　accepted　small　compliments　with

gratitude；　and　indulged　in　sentimental　friendships　with　young

girls。　The　author　of　〃Notes　on　Nursing〃that　classical

compendium　of　the　besetting　sins　of　the　sisterhood；　drawn　up　with

the　detailed　acrimony；　the　vindictive　relish；　of　a　Swiftnow

spent　long　hours　in　composing　sympathetic　Addresses　to

Probationers；　whom　she　petted　and　wept　over　in　turn。　And；　at　the

same　time；　there　appeared　a　corresponding　alteration　in　her

physical　mood。　The　thin；　angular　woman；　with　her　haughty　eye　and

her　acrid　mouth；　had　vanished；　and　in　her　place　was　the　rounded；

bulky　form　of　a　fat　old　lady；　smiling　all　day　long。　Then

something　else　became　visible。　The　brain　which　had　been　steeled

at　Scutari　was　indeed；　literally；　growing　soft。　Senilityan　ever

more　and　more　amiable　senilitydescended。　Towards　the　end；

consciousness　itself　grew　lost　in　a　roseate　haze；　and　melted　into

nothingness。



It　was　just　then；　three　years　before　her　death；　when　she　was

eighty…seven　years　old　（1907）；　that　those　in　authority　bethought

them　that　the　opportune　moment　had　come　for　bestowing　a　public

honour　on　Florence　Nightingale。　She　was　offered　the　Order　of

Merit。　That　Order；　whose　roll　contains；　among　other　distinguished

names；　those　of　Sir　Lawrence　Alma　Tadema　and　Sir　Edward　Elgar；　is

remarkable　chiefly　for　the　fact　that；　as　its　title　indicates；　it

is　bestowed　because　its　recipient　deserves　it；　and　for　no　other

reason。　Miss　Nightingale's　representatives　accepted　the　honour；

and　her　name；　after　a　lapse　of　many　years；　once　more　appeared　in

the　Press。　Congratulations　from　all　sides　came　pouring　in。　There

was　a　universal　burst　of　enthusiasma　final　revivification　of

the　ancient　myth。　Among　her　other　admirers；　the　German　Emperor

took　this　opportunity　of　expressing　his　feelings　towards　her。

'His　Majesty；'　wrote　the　German　Ambassador；　'having　just　brought

to　a　close　a　most　enjoyable　stay　in　the　beautiful　neighbourhood

of　your　old　home　near　Romsey；　has　commanded　me　to　present　you

with　some　flowers　as　a　token　of　his　esteem。'　Then；　by　Royal

command；　the　Order　of　Merit　was　brought　to　South　Street；　and

there　was　a　little　ceremony　of　presentation。　Sir　Douglas　Dawson；

after　a　short　speech；　stepped　forward；　and　handed　the　insignia　of

the　Order　to　Miss　Nightingale。　Propped　up　by　pillows；　she　dimly

recognised　that　some　compliment　was　being　paid　her。　'Too　kind

too　kind；'　she　murmured；　and　she　was　not　ironical。



BIBLIOGRAPHY



Sir　E。　Cook。　Life　of　Florence　Nightingale。　

A。　W。　Kinglake。　The　Invasion　of　the　Crimea。　

Lord　Sidney　Godolphin　Osborne。　Scutari　and　its　Hospitals。　

S。　M。　Mitra。　Life　of　Sir　John　Hall。　

Lord　Stanmore。　Sidney　Herbert。　

Sir　G。　Douglas。　The　Panmure　Papers。　

Sir　H。　Maxwell。　Life　and　Letters　of　the　Fourth　Earl　of　Clarendon。



E。Abbott　and　L。　Campbell。　Life　and　Letters　of　Benjamin　Jowett。　

A。H。　Clough。　Poems　and　Memoir。







Dr。　Arnold



IN　1827　the　headmastership　of　Rugby　School　fell　vacant；　and　it

became　necessary　for　the　twelve　trustees；　noblemen　and　gentlemen

of　Warwickshire；　to　appoint　a　successor　to　the　post。　Reform　was

in　the　airpolitical；　social；　religious；　there　was　even　a

feeling　abroad　that　our　great　public　schools　were　not　quite　all

that　they　should　be；　and　that　some　change　or　otherno　one

precisely　knew　whatbut　some　change　in　the　system　of　their

management；　was　highly　desirable。　Thus　it　was　natural　that　when

the　twelve　noblemen　and　gentlemen；　who　had　determined　to　be

guided　entirely　by　the　merits　of　the　candidates；　found　among　the

testimonials　pouring　in　upon　them　a　letter　from　Dr。　Hawkins；　the

Provost　of　Oriel；　predicting　that　if　they　elected　Mr。　Thomas

Arnold　he　would　'change　the　face　of　education　all　through　the

public　schools　of　England'；　they　hesitated　no　longer；　obviously；

Mr。　Thomas　Arnold　was　their　man。　He　was　elected　therefore；

received；　as　was　fitting；　priest's　orders；　became；　as　was　no　less

fitting；　a　Doctor　of　Divinity；　and　in　August；　1828；　took　up　the

duties　of　his　office。



All　that　was　known　of　the　previous　life　of　Dr。　Arnold　seemed　to

justify　the　prediction　of　the　Provost　of　Oriel；　and　the　choice　of

the　Trustees。　The　son　of　a　respectable　Collector　of　Customs；　he

had　been　educated　at　Winchester　and　at　Oxford；　where　his　industry

and　piety　had　given　him　a　conspicuous　place　among　his　fellow

students。　It　is　true　that；　as　a　schoolboy；　a　certain　pompousness

in　the　style　of　his　letters　home　suggested　to　the　more　clear…

sighted　among　his　relatives　the　possibility　that　young　Thomas

might　grow　up　into　a　prig；　but；　after　all；　what　else　could　be

expected　from　a　child　who；　at　the　age　of　three；　had　been

presented　by　his　father；　as　a　reward　for　proficiency　in　his

studies；　with　the　twenty…four　volumes　of　Smollett's　History　of

England？



His　career　at　Oxford　had　been　a　distinguished　one；　winding　up

with　an　Oriel　fellowship。　It　was　at　about　this　time　that　the

smooth　and　satisfactory　progress　of　his　life　was　for　a　moment

interrupted：　he　began　to　be　troubled　by　religious　doubts。　These

doubts；　as　we　learn　from　one　of　his　contemporaries；　who

afterwards　became　Mr。　Justice　Coleridge；　'were　not　low　nor

rationalistic　in　their　tendency；　according　to　the　bad　sense　of

that　term；　there　was　no　indisposition　in　him　to　believe　merely

because　the　article　transcended　his　reason；　he　doubted　the　proof

and　the　interpretation　of　the　textual　authority'。　In　his

perturbation；　Arnold　consulted　Keble；　who　was　at　that　time　one　of

his　closest　friends；　and　a　Fellow　of　the　same　College。　'The

subject　of　these　distressing　thoughts；'　Keble　wrote　to　Coleridge；

'is　that　most　awful　one；　on　which　all　very　inquisitive　reasoning

minds　are；　I　believe；　most　liable　to　such　temptationsI　mean；

the　doctrine　of　the　blessed　Trinity。　Do　not　start；　my　dear

Coleridge；　I　do　not　believe　that　Arnold　has　any　serious　scruples

of　the　UNDERSTANDING　about　it；　but　it　is　a　defect　of　his　mind

that　he　cannot　get　rid　of　a　certain　feeling　of　objections。'　What

was　to　be　done？　Keble's　advice　was　per