eminent victorians-第43章

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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　peremptory。　Arnold　was　'bid　to

pause　in　his　inquiries；　to　pray　earnestly　for　help　and　light　from

above；　and　turn　himself　more　strongly　than　ever　to　the　practical

duties　of　a　holy　life'。　He　did　so；　and　the　result　was　all　that

could　be　wished。　He　soon　found　himself　blessed　with　perfect　peace

of　mind；　and　a　settled　conviction。



One　other　difficulty；　and　one　only；　we　hear　of　at　this　point　in

his　life。　His　dislike　of　early　rising　amounted；　we　are　told；

'almost　to　a　constitutional　infirmity'。　This　weakness　too　he

overcame；　yet　not　quite　so　successfully　as　his　doubts　upon　the

doctrine　of　the　Trinity。　For　in　afterlife；　the　Doctor　would　often

declare　'that　early　rising　continued　to　be　a　daily　effort　to　him

and　that　in　this　instance　he　never　found　the　truth　of　the　usual

rule　that　all　things　are　made　easy　by　custom。



He　married　young　and　settled　down　in　the　country　as　a　private

tutor　for　youths　preparing　for　the　Universities。　There　he

remained　for　ten　yearshappy；　busy；　and　sufficiently　prosperous。

Occupied　chiefly　with　his　pupils；　he　nevertheless　devoted　much　of

his　energy　to　wider　interests。　He　delivered　a　series　of　sermons

in　the　parish　church；　and　he　began　to　write　a　History　of　Rome；　in

the　hope；　as　he　said；　that　its　tone　might　be　such　'that　the

strictest　of　what　is　called　the　Evangelical　party　would　not

object　to　putting　it　into　the　hands　of　their　children'。　His　views

on　the　religious　and　political　condition　of　the　country　began　to

crystallise。　He　was　alarmed　by　the　'want　of　Christian　principle

in　the　literature　of　the　day'；　looking　forward　anxiously　to　'the

approach　of　a　greater　struggle　between　good　and　evil　than　the

world　has　yet　seen'；　and；　after　a　serious　conversation　with　Dr。

Whately；　began　to　conceive　the　necessity　of　considerable

alterations　in　the　Church　Establishment。



All　who　knew　him　during　these　years　were　profoundly　impressed　by

the　earnestness　of　his　religious　convictions　and　feelings；　which；

as　one　observer　said；　'were　ever　bursting　forth'。　It　was

impossible　to　disregard　his　'deep　consciousness　of　the　invisible

world'　and　'the　peculiar　feeling　of　love　and　adoration　which　he

entertained　towards　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ'。　'His　manner　of　awful

reverence　when　speaking　of　God　or　of　the　Scriptures'　was

particularly　striking。　'No　one　could　know　him　even　a　little；'

said　another　friend；　'and　not　be　struck　by　his　absolute　wrestling



with　evil；　so　that　like　St。　Paul；　he　seemed　to　be　battling　with

the　wicked　one；　and　yet　with　a　feeling　of　God's　help　on　his

side。'



Such　was　the　man　who；　at　the　age　of　thirty…three；　became

headmaster　of　Rugby。　His　outward　appearance　was　the　index　of　his

inward　character；　everything　about　him　denoted　energy；

earnestness；　and　the　best　intentions。　His　legs；　perhaps；　were

shorter　than　they　should　have　been；　but　the　sturdy　athletic

frame；　especially　when　it　was　swathed　（as　it　usually　was）　in　the

flowing　robes　of　a　Doctor　of