eminent victorians-第50章

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be　even　more　frequently　in　his　mind　than　usual。　He　was　only　in

his　forty…seventh　year；　but　he　dwelt　darkly　on　the　fragility　of

human　existence。　Towards　the　end　of　May；　he　began　to　keep　a

diarya　private　memorandum　of　his　intimate　communings　with　the

Almighty。　Here；　evening　after　evening；　in　the　traditional

language　of　religious　devotion；　he　humbled　himself　before　God；

prayed　for　strength　and　purity；　and　threw　himself　upon　the　mercy

of　the　Most　High。　'Another　day　and　another　month　succeed'；　he

wrote　on　May　31st。　'May　God　keep　my　mind　and　heart　fixed　on　Him；

and　cleanse　me　from　all　sin。　I　would　wish　to　keep　a　watch　over　my

tongue；　as　to　vehement　speaking　and　censuring　of　others。。。I　would

desire　to　remember　my　latter　end　to　which　I　am　approaching。。。　May

God　keep　me　in　the　hour　of　death；　through　Jesus　Christ；　and

preserve　me　from　every　fear；　as　well　as　from　presumption。'　On

June　2nd　he　wrote；　'Again　the　day　is　over　and　I　am　going　to　rest。

Oh　Lord；　preserve　me　this　night；　and　strengthen　me　to　bear

whatever　Thou　shalt　see　fit　to　lay　on　me；　whether　pain；　sickness；

danger；　or　distress。'　On　Sunday；　June　5th；　the　reading　of　the

newspaper　aroused　'painful　and　solemn'　reflections。。。　'So　much　of

sin　and　so　much　of　suffering　in　the　world；　as　are　there

displayed；　and　no　one　seems　able　to　remedy　either。　And　then　the

thought　of　my　own　private　life；　so　full　of　comforts；　is　very

startling。'　He　was　puzzled；　but　he　concluded　with　a　prayer：　'May

I　be　kept　humble　and　zealous；　and　may　God　give　me　grace　to　labour

in　my　generation　for　the　good　of　my　brethren　and　for　His　Glory！'



The　end　of　the　term　was　approaching；　and　to　all　appearance　the

Doctor　was　in　excellent　spirits。　On　June　11th；　after　a　hard　day's

work；　he　spent　the　evening　with　a　friend　in　the　discussion　of

various　topics　upon　which　he　often　touched　in　his　conversation

the　comparison　of　the　art　of　medicine　in　barbarous　and　civilised

ages；　the　philological　importance　of　provincial　vocabularies；　and

the　threatening　prospect　of　the　moral　condition　of　the　United

States。　Left　alone；　he　turned　to　his　diary。　'The　day　after

tomorrow；'　he　wrote；　'is　my　birthday；　if　I　am　permitted　to　live

to　see　it　my　forty…seventh　birthday　since　my　birth。　How　large　a

portion　of　my　life　on　earth　is　already　passed！　And　then　what　is

to　follow　this　life？　How　visibly　my　outward　work　seems

contracting　and　softening　away　into　the　gentler　employments　of

old　age。　In　one　sense　how　nearly　can　I　now　say；　〃Vivi〃。　And　I

thank　God　that；　as　far　as　ambition　is　concerned；　it　is；　I　trust；

fully　mortified；　I　have　no　desire　other　than　to　step　back　from　my

present　place　in　the　world；　and　not　to　rise　to　a　higher。　Still

there　are　works　which；　with　God's　permission；　I　would　do　before

the　night　cometh。'　Dr。　Arnold　was　thinking　of　his　great　work　on

Church　and　State。



Early　next　morning　he　awoke　with　a　sharp　pain　in　his　chest。　The

pain　increasing；　a　physician　was　sent　for；　and　in　the　meantime

Mrs。　Arnold　read　aloud　to　her　husband　the　Fifty…first　Psalm。　Upon

one　of　their　boys　coming　into　the　room；　'My　son；　thank　God　for

me；'　said　Dr。　Arnold；　and　as　the　boy　did　not　at　once　catch　his

meaning；　he　added；　'Thank　God；　Tom；　for　giving　me　this　pain；　I

have　suffered　so　little　pain　in　my　life　that　I　feel　it　is　very

good　for　me。　Now　God　has　given　it　to　me；　and　I　do　so　thank　Him

for　it。'　Then　Mrs。　Arnold　read　from　the　Prayer…book　the

'Visitation　of　the　Sick'；　her　husband　listening　with　deep

attention；　and　assenting　with　an　emphatic　'Yes'　at　the　end　of

many　of　the　sentences。　When　the　physician　arrived；　he　perceived

at　once　the　gravity　of　the　case：　it　was　an　attack　of　angina

pectoris。　He　began　to　prepare　some　laudanum；　while　Mrs。　Arnold

went　out　to　fetch　the　children。　All　at　once；　as　the　medical　man

was　bending　over　his　glasses；　there　was　a　rattle　from　the　bed；　a

convulsive　struggle　followed；　and；　when　the　unhappy　woman；　with

the　children；　and　all　the　servants；　rushed　into　the　room；　Dr。

Arnold　had　passed　from　his　perplexities　forever。



There　can　be　little　doubt　that　what　he　had　achieved　justified　the

prediction　of　the　Provost　of　Oriel　that　he　would　'change　the　face

of　education　all　through　the　public　schools　of　England'。　It　is

true　that；　so　far　as　the　actual　machinery　of　education　was

concerned；　Dr。　Arnold　not　only　failed　to　effect　a　change；　but

deliberately　adhered　to　the　old　system。　The　monastic　and　literary

conceptions　of　education；　which　had　their　roots　in　the　Middle

Ages；　and　had　been　accepted　and　strengthened　at　the　revival　of

Learning；　he　adopted　almost　without　hesitation。　Under　him；　the

public　school　remained；　in　essentials；　a　conventional

establishment；　devoted　to　the　teaching　of　Greek　and　Latin

grammar。　Had　he　set　on　foot　reforms　in　these　directions；　it　seems

probable　that　he　might　have　succeeded　in　carrying　the　parents　of

England　with　him。　The　moment　was　ripe；　there　was　a　general　desire

for　educational　changes；　and　Dr。　Arnold's　great　reputation　could

hardly　have　been　resisted。　As　it　was；　he　threw　the　whole　weight

of　his　influence　into　the　opposite　scale；　and　the　ancient　system

became　more　firmly　established　than　ever。



The　changes　which　he　did　effect　were　of　a　very　different　nature。

By　introducing　morals　and　religion　into　his　scheme　of　education；

he　altered　the　whole　atmosphere　of　public…school　life。

Henceforward　the　old　rough…and…tumble；　which　was　typified　by　the

regime　of　Keate　at　Eton；　became　impossible。　After　Dr。　Arnold；　no

public　school　could　venture　to　ignore　the　virtues　of

respectability。　Again；　by　his　introduction　of　the　prefectorial

system；　Dr。　Arnold　produced　far…reaching　effectseffects　which

he　himself；　perhaps；　would　have　found　perplexing。　In　his　day；

when　the　school　hours　were　over；　the　boys　were　free　to　enjoy

themselves　as　they　liked；　to　bathe；　to　fish；　to　ramble　for　long

afternoons　in　the　country；　collecting　eggs　or　gathering　flowers。

'The　taste　of　the　boys　at　this　period；'　writes　an　old　Rugbaean

who　had　been　under　Arnold；　'leaned　strongly　towards　flowers'。　The

words　have　an　odd　look　today。　'The　modern　reader　of　〃Tom　Brown's

Schooldays〃　searches　in　vain　for　any　reference　to　compulsory

games；　house　colours；　or　cricket　averages。　In　those　days；　when

boys　played　games　they　played　them　for　pleasure；　but　in　those

days　the　prefectorial　system　the　system　which　hands　over　the

life　of　a　school　to　an　oligarchy　of　a　dozen　youths　of　seventeen

was　still　in　its　infancy；　and　had　not　yet　borne　its　fruit。



Teachers　and　prophets　have　strange　after…histories；　and　that　of

Dr。　Arnold　has　been　no　exception。　The　earnest　enthusiast　who

strove　to　make　his　pupils　Christian　gentlemen　and　who　governed

his　school　according　to　the　principles　of　the　Old　Testament；　has

proved　to　be　the　founder　of　the　worship　of　athletics　and　the

worship　of　good　form。　Upon　those　two　poles　our　public　schools

have　turned　for　so　long　that　we　have　almost　come　to　believe　that

such　is　their　essential　nature；　and　that　an　English　public

schoolboy　who　wears　the　wrong　clothes　and　takes　no　interest　in

football；　is　a　contradiction　in　terms。　Yet　it　was　not　so　before

Dr。　Arnold；　will　it　always　be　so　after　him？　We　shall　see。



BIBLIOGRAPHY



Dean　Stanley。　Life　and　Correspondence　of　Dr　Arnold。　

Thomas　Hughes。　Tom　Brown's　Schooldays。　

Sir　H。　Maxwell…Lyte。　History　of　Eton　College。　

Wilfrid　Ward。　W。　G。　Ward　and　the　Oxford　Movement。

H。　Clough。　Letters。　An　Old　Rugbaean。　Recollections　of　Rugby。

Thomas　Arnold。　Passages　in　a　Wandering　Life。







The　End　of　General　Gordon



DURING　the　year　1883　a　solitary　English　gentleman　was　to　be　seen；



wandering；　with　a　thick　book　under　his　arm；　in　the　neighbourhood　

of　Jerusalem。　His　unassuming　figure；　short　and　slight；　with　its　

half…gliding；　half…tripping　motion；　gave　him　a　boyish　aspect；　

which　contrasted；　oddly；　but　not　unpleasantly；　with　the　touch　of　

grey　on　his　hair　and　whiskers。　There　was　the　same　contrast

enigmatic　and　attractivebetween　the　sunburnt　brick…red