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eminent victorians-第19章

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reason that I should prefer the Pope's acting himself。'



But the Holy Father himself was doubting。 In his indecision; he

ordered a month of prayers and masses。 The suspense grew and

grew。 Everything seemed against Manning。 The whole English

episcopate was opposed to him; he had quarrelled with the

Chapter; he was a convert of but few years' standing; even the

congregated Cardinals did not venture to suggest the appointment

of such a man。 But suddenly; the Holy Father's doubts came to an

end。 He heard a voice a mysterious inward voice whispering

something in his ear。 'Mettetelo li! Mettetelo li!'  the voice

repeated; over and over again。 Mettetelo li! It was an

inspiration; and Pius IX; brushing aside the recommendations of

the Chapter and the deliberations of the Cardinals; made Manning;

by a Pontifical act; Archbishop of Westminster。



Monsignor Talbot's felicity was complete; and he took occasion in

conveying his congratulations to his friend; to make some

illuminating reflections upon the great event。 'MY policy

throughout;' he wrote; 'was never to propose you DIRECTLY to the

Pope; but; to make others do so; so that both you and I can

always say that it was not I who induced the Holy Father to name

you which would lessen the weight of your appointment。 This I

say; because many have said that your being named was all my

doing。 I do not say that the Pope did not know that I thought you

the only man eligible as I took care to tell him over and over

again what was against all the other candidates and in

consequence; he was almost driven into naming you。 After he had

named you; the Holy Father said to me; 〃What a diplomatist you

are; to make what you wished come to pass!〃



'Nevertheless;' concluded Monsignor Talbot; 'I believe your

appointment was specially directed by the Holy Ghost。'



Manning himself was apparently of the same opinion。 'My dear

Child;' he wrote to a lady penitent; 'I have in these last three

weeks felt as if our Lord had called me by name。 Everything else 

has passed out of my mind。 The firm belief that I have long had

that the Holy Father is the most supernatural person I have ever

seen has given me this feeling more deeply。 'Still; I feel as if

I had been brought; contrary to all human wills; by the Divine

Will; into an immediate relation to our Divine Lord。'



'If indeed;' he wrote to Lady Herbert; 'it were the will of our

Divine Lord to lay upon me this heavy burden; He could have done

it in no way more strengthening and consoling to me。 To receive

it from the hands of His Vicar; and from Pius IX; and after long

invocation of the Holy Ghost; and not only without human

influences; but in spite of manifold aria powerful human

opposition; gives me the last strength for such a cross。'





VI



MANNING'S appointment filled his opponents with alarm。 Wrath and

vengeance seemed to be hanging over them; what might not be

expected from the formidable enemy against whom they had

struggled for so long; and who now stood among them armed with

archiepiscopal powers and invested with the special confidence of

Rome? Great was their amazement; great was their relief; when

they found that their dreaded master breathed nothing but

kindness; gentleness; and conciliation。 The old scores; they

found; were not to be paid off; but to be wiped out。 The new

archbishop poured forth upon every side all the tact; all the

courtesy; all the dignified graces of a Christian magnanimity。 It

was impossible to withstand such treatment。 Bishops who had spent

years in thwarting him became his devoted adherents; even the

Chapter of Westminster forgot its hatred。 Monsignor Talbot was

extremely surprised。 'Your greatest enemies have entirely come

round;' he wrote。 'I received the other day a panegyric of you

from Searle。 This change of feeling I cannot attribute to

anything but the Holy Ghost。' Monsignor Talbot was very fond of

the Holy Ghost; but; so far; at any rate as Searle was concerned;

there was another explanation。 Manning; instead of dismissing

Searle from his position of 'oeconomus' in the episcopal

household; had kept him onat an increased salary; and the poor

man; who had not scrupled in the days of his pride to call

Manning a thief; was now duly grateful。



As to Dr。 Errington; he gave an example of humility and

submission

by at once withdrawing into a complete obscurity。 For years the

Archbishop of Trebizond; the ejected heir to the See of

Westminster; laboured as a parish priest in the

Isle of Man。 He nursed no resentment in his heart; and; after a

long and edifying life of peace and silence; he died in 1886; a

professor of theology at Clifton。



It might be supposed that Manning could now feel that his triumph

was complete。 His position was secure; his power was absolute;

his prestige was daily growing。 Yet there was something that

irked him still。 As he cast his eyes over the Roman Catholic

community in England; he was aware of one figure which; by virtue

of a peculiar eminence; seemed to challenge the supremacy of his

own。 That figure was Newman's。



Since his conversion; Newman's life had been a long series of

misfortunes and disappointments。 When he had left the Church of

England; he was its most distinguished; its most revered member;

whose words; however strange; were listened to with profound

attention; and whose opinions; however dubious; were followed in

all their fluctuations with an eager and indeed a trembling

respect。 He entered the Church of Rome; and found himself

forthwith an unimportant man。 He was received at the Papal Court

with a politeness which only faintly concealed a total lack of

interest and understanding。 His delicate mind; with its

refinements; its hesitations; its complexitieshis soft;

spectacled; Oxford manner; with its half…effeminate diffidence…

such things were ill calculated to impress a throng of busy

Cardinals and Bishops; whose days were spent amid the practical

details of ecclesiastical organisation; the long…drawn

involutions of papal diplomacy; and the delicious bickerings of

personal intrigue。 And when; at last; he did succeed in making

some impression upon these surroundings; it was no better; it was

worse。 An uneasy suspicion gradually arose; it began to dawn upon

the Roman authorities that Dr。 Newman was a man of ideas。 Was it

possible that Dr。 Newman did not understand that ideas in Rome

were; to say the least of it; out of place? Apparently; he did

not nor was that all; not content with having ideas; he

positively seemed anxious to spread them。 When that was known;

the politeness in high places was seen to be wearing decidedly

thin。 His Holiness; who on Newman's arrival had graciously

expressed the wish to see him 'again and again'; now; apparently;

was constantly engaged。 At first Newman supposed that the growing

coolness was the result of misapprehension; his Italian was

faulty; Latin was not spoken at Rome; his writings had 
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