eminent victorians-第1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！





Eminent　Victorians



by　Lytton　Strachey









Preface



THE　history　of　the　Victorian　Age　will　never　be　written；　we　know

too　much　about　it。　For　ignorance　is　the　first　requisite　of　the

historianignorance；　which　simplifies　and　clarifies；　which

selects　and　omits；　with　a　placid　perfection　unattainable　by　the

highest　art。　Concerning　the　Age　which　has　just　passed；　our

fathers　and　our　grandfathers　have　poured　forth　and　accumulated　so

vast　a　quantity　of　information　that　the　industry　of　a　Ranke　would

be　submerged　by　it；　and　the　perspicacity　of　a　Gibbon　would　quail

before　it。　It　is　not　by　the　direct　method　of　a　scrupulous

narration　that　the　explorer　of　the　past　can　hope　to　depict　that

singular　epoch。　If　he　is　wise；　he　will　adopt　a　subtler　strategy。

He　will　attack　his　subject　in　unexpected　places；　he　will　fall

upon　the　flank；　or　the　rear；　he　will　shoot　a　sudden；　revealing

searchlight　into　obscure　recesses；　hitherto　undivined。　He　will

row　out　over　that　great　ocean　of　material；　and　lower　down　into

it；　here　and　there；　a　little　bucket；　which　will　bring　up　to　the

light　of　day　some　characteristic　specimen；　from　those　far　depths；

to　be　examined　with　a　careful　curiosity。　Guided　by　these

considerations；　I　have　written　the　ensuing　studies。　I　have

attempted；　through　the　medium　of　biography；　to　present　some

Victorian　visions　to　the　modern　eye。　They　are；　in　one　sense；

haphazard　visions　that　is　to　say；　my　choice　of　subjects　has

been

determined　by　no　desire　to　construct　a　system　or　to　prove　a

theory；　but　by　simple　motives　of　convenience　and　of　art。　It　has

been　my　purpose　to　illustrate　rather　than　to　explain。　It　would

have　been　futile　to　hope　to　tell　even　a　precis　of　the　truth　about

the　Victorian　age；　for　the　shortest　precis　must　fill　innumerable

volumes。　But；　in　the　lives　of　an　ecclesiastic；　an　educational

authority；　a　woman　of　action；　and　a　man　of　adventure；　I　have

sought　to　examine　and　elucidate　certain　fragments　of　the　truth

which　took　my　fancy　and　lay　to　my　hand。



I　hope；　however；　that　the　following　pages　may　prove　to　be　of

interest　from　the　strictly　biographical；　no　less　than　from　the

historical　point　of　view。　Human　beings　are　too　important　to　be

treated　as　mere　symptoms　of　the　past。　They　have　a　value　which　is

independent　of　any　temporal　processes　which　is　eternal；　and

must

be　felt　for　its　own　sake。　The　art　of　biography　seems　to　have

fallen　on　evil　times　in　England。　We　have　had；　it　is　true；　a　few

masterpieces；　but　we　have　never　had；　like　the　French；　a　great

biographical　tradition；　we　have　had　no　Fontenelles　and

Condorcets；　with　their　incomparable　eloges；　compressing　into　a

few　shining　pages　the　manifold　existences　of　men。　With　us；　the

most　delicate　and　humane　of　all　the　branches　of　the　art　of

writing　has　been　relegated　to　the　journeymen　of　letters；　we　do

not　reflect　that　it　is　perhaps　as　difficult　to　write　a　good　life

as　to　live　one。　Those　two　fat　volumes；　with　which　it　is　our

custom　to　commemorate　the　deadwho　does　not　know　them；　with

their　ill…digested　masses　of　material；　their　slipshod　style；

their　tone　of　tedious　panegyric；　their　lamentable　lack　of

selection；　of　detachment；　of　design？　They　are　as　familiar　as　the

cortege　of　the　undertaker；　and　wear　the　same　air　of　slow；

funereal　barbarism。　One　is　tempted　to　suppose；　of　some　of　them；

that　they　were　composed　by　that　functionary　as　the　final　item　of

his　job。　The　studies　in　this　book　are　indebted；　in　more　ways　than

one；　to　such　works　works　which　certainly　deserve　the　name　of

Standard　Biographies。　For　they　have　provided　me　not　only　with

much　indispensable　information；　but　with　something　even　more

precious　an　example。　How　many　lessons　are　to　be　learned　from

them！　But　it　is　hardly　necessary　to　particularise。　To　preserve；

for　instance；　a　becoming　brevity　a　brevity　which　excludes

everything　that　is　redundant　and　nothing　that　is　significant

that；　surely；　is　the　first　duty　of　the　biographer。　The　second；　no

less　surely；　is　to　maintain　his　own　freedom　of　spirit。　It　is　not

his　business　to　be　complimentary；　it　is　his　business　to　lay　bare

the　facts　of　the　case；　as　he　understands　them。　That　is　what　I

have　aimed　at　in　this　book　to　lay　bare　the　facts　of　some　cases；

as　I　understand　them；　dispassionately；　impartially；　and　without

ulterior　intentions。　To　quote　the　words　of　a　Master'Je　n'impose

rien；　je　ne　propose　rien：　j'expose。'





A　list　of　the　principal　sources　from　which　I　have　drawn　is

appended　to　each　Biography。　I　would　indicate；　as　an　honourable

exception　to　the　current　commodity；　Sir　Edward　Cook's　excellent

Life　of　Florence　Nightingale；　without　which　my　own　study；　though

composed　on　a　very　different　scale　and　from　a　decidedly　different

angle；　could　not　have　been　written。







Cardinal　Manning



HENRY　EDWARD　MANNING　was　born　in　1807　and　died　in　1892。　His　life

was　extraordinary　in　many　ways；　but　its　interest　for　the　modern

inquirer　depends　mainly　upon　two　considerationsthe　light　which

his　career　throws　upon　the　spirit　of　his　age；　and　the

psychological　problems　suggested　by　his　inner　history。　He

belonged　to　that　class　of　eminent　ecclesiastics　　and　it　is　by

no　means　a　small　class　　who　have　been　distinguished　less　for

saintliness　and　learning　than　for　practical　ability。　Had　he　lived

in　the　Middle　Ages　he　would　certainly　have　been　neither　a　Francis

nor　an　Aquinas；　but　he　might　have　been　an　Innocent。　As　it　was；

born　in　the　England　of　the　nineteenth　century；　growing　up　in　the

very　seed…time　of　modern　progress；　coming　to　maturity　with　the

first　onrush　of　Liberalism；　and　living　long　enough　to　witness　the

victories　of　Science　and　Democracy；　he　yet；　by　a　strange

concatenation　of　circumstances；　seemed　almost　to　revive　in　his

own　person　that　long　line　of　diplomatic　and　administrative

clerics　which；　one　would　have　thought；　had　come　to　an　end　for

ever　with　Cardinal　Wolsey。



In　Manning；　so　it　appeared；　the　Middle　Ages　lived　again。　The　tall

gaunt　figure；　with　the　face　of　smiling　asceticism；　the　robes；　and

the　biretta；　as　it　passed　in　triumph　from　High　Mass　at　the

Oratory　to　philanthropic　gatherings　at　Exeter　Hall；　from　Strike

Committees　at　the　Docks　to　Mayfair　drawing…rooms　where

fashionable　ladies　knelt　to　the　Prince　of　the　Church；　certainly

bore　witness　to　a　singular　condition　of　affairs。　What　had

happened？　Had　a　dominating　character　imposed　itself　upon　a

hostile　environment？　Or　was　the　nineteenth　century；　after　all；

not　so　hostile？　Was　there　something　in　it；　scientific　and

progressive　as　it　was；　which　went　out　to　welcome　the

representative　of　ancient　tradition　and　uncompromising　faith？　Had

it；　perhaps；　a　place　in　its　heart　for　such　as　Manninga　soft

place；　one　might　almost　say？　Or；　on　the　other　hand；　was　it　he　who

had　been　supple　and　yielding？　He　who　had　won　by　art　what　he　would

never　have　won　by　force；　and　who　had　managed；　so　to　speak；　to　be

one　of　the　leaders　of　the　procession　less　through　merit　than

through　a　superior　faculty　for　gliding　adroitly　to　the　front

rank？　And；　in　any　case；　by　what　odd　chances；　what　shifts　and

struggles；　what　combinations　of　circumstance　and　character；　had

this　old　man　come　to　be　where　he　was？　Such　questions　are　easier

to　ask　than　to　answer；　but　it　may　be　instructive；　and　even

amusing；　to　look　a　little　more　closely　into　the　complexities　of

so　curious　a　story。



I



UNDOUBTEDLY；　what　is　most　obviously　striking　in　the　history　of

Manning's　career　is　the　persistent　strength　of　his　innate

characteristics。　Through　all　the　changes　of　his　fortunes　the

powerful　spirit　of　the　man　worked　on　undismayed。　It　was　as　if　the

Fates　had　laid　a　wager　that　they　would　daunt　him；　and　in　the　end

they　lost　their　bet。



His　father　was　a　rich　West　Indian　merchant；　a　governor　of　the

Bank　of　England；　a　Member　of　Parliament；　who　drove　into　town

every　day　from　his　country　scat　in　a　coach　and　four；　and　was

content　with　nothing　short　of　a　bishop　for　the　christening　of　his

children。　Little　Henry；　li