eminent victorians-第15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！



special　revelation　to　stop　the　procession。　The　Cardinal；　however；

was　not　at　a　loss。　'You　may　let　the　procession　go　on；'　he

smilingly　replied。　'I　have　just　obtained　permission；　by　special

revelation；　to　proceed　with　it。'　His　leisure　hours　he　spent　in

the　writing　of　edifying　novels；　the　composition　of　acrostics　in

Latin　Verse；　and　in　playing　battledore　and　shuttlecock　with　his

little　nieces。　There　was；　indeed；　only　one　point　in　which　he

resembled　Bishop　Blougramhis　love　of　a　good　table。　Some　of

Newman's　disciples　were　astonished　and　grieved　to　find　that　he

sat　down　to　four　courses　of　fish　during　Lent。　'I　am　sorry　to

say；'　remarked　one　of　them　afterwards；　'that　there　is　a　lobster

salad　side　to　the　Cardinal。'



It　was　a　melancholy　fate　which　ordained　that　the　last　years　of

this　comfortable；　easygoing；　innocent　old　man　should　be

distracted　and　embittered　by　the　fury　of　opposing　principles　and

the　venom　of　personal　animosities。　But　so　it　was。　He　had　fallen

into　the　hands　of　one　who　cared　very　little　for　the　gentle

pleasures　of　repose。　Left　to　himself；　Wiseman　might　have

compromised　with　the　Old　Catholics　and　Dr。　Errington；　but　when

Manning　had　once　appeared　upon　the　scene；　all　compromise　became

impossible。　The　late　Archdeacon　of　Chichester；　who　had　understood

so　well　and　practised　with　such　careful　skill　the　precept　of　the

golden　mean　so　dear　to　the　heart　of　the　Church　of　England；　now；

as　Provost　of　Westminster；　flung　himself　into　the　fray　with　that

unyielding　intensity　of　fervour；　that　passion　for　the　extreme　and

the　absolute；　which　is　the　very　lifeblood　of　the　Church　of　Rome。

Even　the　redoubtable　Dr。　Errington；　short；　thickset；　determined；

with　his　‘hawk…like　expression　of　face'；　as　a　contemporary

described　him；　'as　he　looked　at　you　through　his　blue　spectacles'；

had　been　known　to　quail　in　the　presence　of　his；　antagonist；　with

his　tall　and　graceful　figure；　his　pale　ascetic　features；　his

compressed　and　icy　lips；　his　calm　and　penetrating　gaze。　As　for

the　poor　Cardinal；　he　was　helpless　indeed。



Henceforward；　there　was　to　be　no　paltering　with　that　dangerous

spirit　of　independencewas　it　not　almost　Gallicanism　which

possessed　the　Old　Catholic　families　of　England？　The　supremacy　of

the　Vicar　of　Christ　must　be　maintained　at　all　hazards。　Compared

with　such　an　object；　what　were　the　claims　of　personal　affection

and　domestic　peace？　The　Cardinal　pleaded　in　vain；　his　lifelong

friendship　with　Dr。Errington　was　plucked　up　by　the　roots；　and　the

harmony　of　his　private　life　was　utterly　destroyed。　His　own

household　was　turned　against　him。　His　favourite　nephew；　whom　he

had　placed　among　the　Oblates　under　Manning's　special　care；　left

the　congregation　and　openly　joined　the　party　of　Dr。　Errington。

His　secretary　followed　suit；　but　saddest　of　all　was　the　case　of

Monsignor　Searle。　Monsignor　Searle；　in　the　capacity　of

confidential　man　of　affairs；　had　dominated　over　the　Cardinal　in

private　for　years　with　the　autocratic　fidelity　of　a　servant　who

has　grown　indispensable。　His　devotion；　in　fact；　seemed　to　have

taken　the　form　of　physical　imitation；　for　he　was　hardly　less

gigantic　than　his　master。　The　two　were　inseparable；　their　huge

figures　loomed　together　like　neighbouring　mountains；　and　on　one

occasion；　meeting　them　in　the　street；　a　gentleman　congratulated

Wiseman　on　'your　Eminence's　fine　son'。　Yet　now　even　this

companionship　was　broken　up。　The　relentless　Provost　here　too

brought　a　sword。　There　were　explosions　and　recriminations。

Monsignor　Searle；　finding　that　his　power　was　slipping　from　him；

made　scenes　and　protests；　and　at　last　was　foolish　enough　to

accuse　Manning　of　peculation　to　his　face；　after　that　it　was　clear

that　his　day　was　over；　he　was　forced　to　slink　snarling　into　the

background；　while　the　Cardinal　shuddered　through　all　his

immensity；　and　wished　many　times　that　he　were　already　dead。



Yet；　he　was　not　altogether　without　his　consolations；　Manning　took

care　to　see　to　that。　His　piercing　eye　had　detected　the　secret　way

into　the　recesses　of　the　Cardinal's　hearthad　discerned　the　core

of　simple　faith　which　underlay　that　jovial　manner　and　that　facile

talk。　Others　were　content　to　laugh　and　chatter　and　transact　their

business；　Manning　was　more　artistic。　He　watched　his　opportunity；

and　then；　when　the　moment　came；　touched　with　a　deft　finger　the

chord　of　the　Conversion　of　England。　There　was　an　immediate

response；　and　he　struck　the　same　chord　again；　and　yet　again。　He

became　the　repository　of　the　Cardinal's　most　intimate

aspirations。　He　alone　sympathised　and　understood。　'If　God　gives

me　strength　to　undertake　a　great　wrestling…match　with

infidelity；'　Wiseman　wrote；　'I　shall　owe　it　to　him。'



But　what　he　really　found　himself　undertaking　was　a　wrestling…

match　with　Dr。　Errington。　The　struggle　over　St。　Edmund's　College

grew　more　and　more　acute。　There　were　high　words　in　the　Chapter；

where　Monsignor　Searle　led　the　assault　against　the　Provost；　and

carried　a　resolution　declaring　that　the　Oblates　of　St。　Charles

had　intruded　themselves　illegally　into　the　Seminary。　The　Cardinal

quashed　the　proceedings　of　the　Chapter；　whereupon；　the　Chapter

appealed　to　Rome。　Dr。　Errington；　carried　away　by　the　fury　of　the

controversy；　then　appeared　as　the　avowed　opponent　of　the　Provost

and　the　Cardinal。　With　his　own　hand　he　drew　up　a　document

justifying　the　appeal　of　the　Chapter　to　Rome　by　Canon　Law　and　the

decrees　of　the　Council　of　Trent。　Wiseman　was　deeply　pained：　'My

own　coadjutor；'　he　exclaimed；　'is　acting　as　solicitor　against　me

in　a　lawsuit。'　There　was　a　rush　to　Rome；　where；　for　several

ensuing　years；　the　hostile　English　parties　were　to　wage　a　furious

battle　in　the　antechambers　of　the　Vatican。　But　the　dispute　over

the　Oblates　now　sank　into　insignificance　beside　the　rage　of

contention　which　centred　round　a　new　and　far　more　deadly

question；　for　the　position　of　Dr。　Errington　himself　was　at　stake。

The　Cardinal；　in　spite　of　illness；　indolence；　and　the　ties　of

friendship；　had　been　brought　at　last　to　an　extraordinary　step

he　was　petitioning　the　Pope　for　nothing　less　than　the　deprivation

and　removal　of　the　Archbishop　of　Trebizond。



The　precise　details　of　what　followed　are　doubtful。　It　is　only

possible　to　discern　with　clearness；　amid　a　vast　cloud　of　official

documents　and　unofficial　correspondences　in　English；　Italian；　and

Latin；　of　Papal　decrees　and　voluminous　scritture；　of　confidential

reports　of　episcopal　whispers　and　the　secret　agitations　of

Cardinals；　the　form　of　Manning；　restless　and　indomitable；

scouring　like　a　stormy　petrel　the　angry　ocean　of　debate。　Wiseman；

dilatory；　unbusinesslike；　and　infirm；　was　ready　enough　to　leave

the　conduct　of　affairs　in　his　hands。　Nor　was　it　long　before

Manning　saw　where　the　key　of　the　whole　position　lay。　As　in　the

old　days；　at　Chichester；　he　had　secured　the　goodwill　of　Bishop

Shuttleworth　by　cultivating　the　friendship　of　Archdeacon　Hare；　so

now；　on　this　vaster　scale　of　operations；　his　sagacity　led　him

swiftly　and　unerringly　up　the　little　winding　staircase　in　the

Vatican　and　through　the　humble　door　which　opened　into　the　cabinet

of　Monsignor　Talbot；　the　private　secretary　of　the　Pope。　Monsignor

Talbot　was　a　priest　who　embodied　in　a　singular　manner；　if　not　the

highest；　at　least　the　most　persistent　traditions　of　the　Roman

Curia。　He　was　a　master　of　various　arts　which　the　practice　of　ages

has　brought　to　perfection　under　the　friendly　shadow　of　the　triple

tiara。　He　could　mingle　together　astuteness　and　holiness　without

any　difficulty；　he　could　make　innuendoes　as　naturally　as　an

ordinary　man　makes　statements　of　fact；　he　could　apply　flattery

with　so　unsparing　a　hand　that　even　Princes　of　the　Church　found　it

sufficient；　and；　on　occasion；　he　could　ring　the　changes　of

torture　on　a　human　soul　with　a　tact　which　called　forth　universal

approbation。　With　such　accomplishments；　it　could　hardly　be

expected　that　Monsignor　Talbot　should　be　remarkable　either　for　a

delicate　sense　of　conscientiousness　or　for　an　extrem