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the little boy came in from the farmyard； and his mother asked
him whether he had seen the peacock。 'I said yes； and the nurse
said no； and my mother made me kneel down and beg God to forgive
me for not speaking the truth。' At the age of four the child was
told by a cousin of the age of six that 'God had a book in which
He wrote down everything we did wrong。 This so terrified me for
days that I remember being found by my mother sitting under a
kind of writing…table in great fear。 I never forgot this at any
time in my life；' the Cardinal tells us； 'and it has been a great
grace to me。' When he was nine years old he 'devoured the
Apocalypse； and I never all through my life forgot the 〃lake that
burneth with fire and brimstone〃。 That verse has kept me like an
audible voice through all my life； and through worlds of danger
in my youth。'
At Harrow the worlds of danger were already around him； but yet
he listened to the audible voice。 'At school and college I never
failed to say my prayers； so far as memory serves me； even for a
day。' And he underwent another religious experience： he read
Paley's Evidences。 'I took in the whole argument；' wrote Manning；
when he was over seventy； 'and I thank God that nothing has ever
shaken it。' Yet on the whole he led the unspiritual life of an
ordinary schoolboy。 We have glimpses of him as a handsome lad；
playing cricket； or strutting about in tasselled Hessian top…
boots。 And on one occasion at least he gave proof of a certain
dexterity of conduct which deserved to be remembered。 He went out
of bounds； and a master； riding by and seeing him on the other
side of a field； tied his horse to a gate； and ran after him。 The
astute youth outran the master； fetched a circle； reached the
gate； jumped on to the horse's back and rode off。 For this he was
very properly chastised； but； of what use was chastisement？ No
whipping； however severe； could have eradicated from little
Henry's mind a quality at least as firmly planted in it as his
fear of Hell and his belief in the arguments of Paley。
It had been his father's wish that Manning should go into the
Church； but the thought disgusted him； and when he reached
Oxford； his tastes； his ambitions； his successes at the Union；
all seemed to mark him out for a political career。 He was a year
junior to Samuel Wilberforce； and a year senior to Gladstone。 In
those days the Union was the recruiting…ground for young
politicians； Ministers came down from London to listen to the
debates； and a few years later the Duke of Newcastle gave
Gladstone a pocket borough on the strength of his speech at the
Union against the Reform Bill。 To those three young men； indeed；
the whole world lay open。 Were they not rich； well…connected； and
endowed with an infinite capacity for making speeches？ The event
justified the highest expectations of their friends； for the
least distinguished of the three died a bishop。 The only danger
lay in another direction。 'Watch； my dear Samuel；' wrote the
elder Wilberforce to his son； 'watch with jealousy whether you
find yourself unduly solicitous about acquitting yourself；
whether you are too much chagrined when you fail； or are puffed
up by your success。 Undue solicitude about popular estimation is
a weakness against which all real Christians must guard with the
utmost jealous watchfulness。 The more you can retain the
impression of your being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses of
the invisible world； to use the scripture phrase； the more you
will be armed against this besetting sin。' But suddenly it seemed
as if such a warning could； after all； have very little relevance
to Manning； for； on his leaving Oxford； the brimming cup was
dashed from his lips。 He was already beginning to dream of
himself in the House of Commons； the solitary advocate of some
great cause whose triumph was to be eventually brought about by
his extraordinary efforts； when his father was declared a
bankrupt； and all his hopes of a political career came to an end
forever。
It was at this time that Manning became intimate with a pious
lady； the sister of one of his College friends； whom he used to
describe as his Spiritual Mother。 He made her his confidante； and
one day； as they walked together in the shrubbery； he revealed
the bitterness of the disappointment into which his father's
failure had plunged him。 She tried to cheer him； and then she
added that there were higher aims open to him which he had not
considered。 'What do you mean？' he asked。 'The kingdom of
Heaven；' she answered； 'heavenly ambitions are not closed against
you。' The young man listened； was silent； and said at last that
he did not know but she was right。 She suggested reading the
Bible together； and they accordingly did so during the whole of
that Vacation； every morning after breakfast。 Yet； in spite of
these devotional exercises； and in spite of a voluminous
correspondence on religious subjects with his Spiritual Mother；
Manning still continued to indulge in secular hopes。 He entered
the Colonial Office as a supernumerary clerk； and it was only
when the offer of a Merton Fellowship seemed to depend upon his
taking orders that his heavenly ambitions began to assume a
definite shape。 Just then he fell in love with Miss Deffell；
whose father would have nothing to say to a young man without
prospects； and forbade him the house。 It was only too true； what
WERE the prospects of a supernumerary clerk in the Colonial
Office？ Manning went to Oxford and took orders。 He was elected to
the Merton Fellowship； and obtained through the influence of the
Wilberforces a curacy in Sussex。 At the last moment he almost
drew back。 'I think the whole step has been too precipitate；' he
wrote to his brother…in…law。 'I have rather allowed the instance
of my friends； and the allurements of an agreeable curacy in many
respects； to get the better of my sober judgment。' His vast
ambitions； his dreams of public service； of honours； and of
power； was all this to end in a little country curacy 'agreeable
in many respects'？ But there was nothing for it； the deed was
done； and the Fates had apparently succeeded very effectively in
getting rid of Manning。 All he could do was to make the best of a
bad business。
Accordingly； in the first place； he decided that he had received
a call from God 'ad veritatem et ad seipsum'； and； in the second；
forgetting Miss Deffell； he married his rector's daughter。 Within
a few months the rector died； and Manning stepped into his shoes；
and at least it could be said that the shoes were not
uncomfortable。 For the next seven years he fulfilled the
functions of a country clergyman。 He was energetic and devout； he
was polite and handsome； his fame grew in the diocese。 At last he
began to be spoken of as the probable successor to the old
Archdeacon of Chichester。 When Mrs。 Manning prematurely died； he
was at first inconsolable； but he found relief in the distraction
of redoubled work。 How could he have guessed that one day he
would come to number that loss among 'God's special mercies？ Yet
so it was to be。 In after years； the memory of his wife seemed to
be blotted from his mind； he never spoke of her； every letter；
every record； of his married life he destroyed； and when word was
sent to him that her grave was falling into ruin： 'It is best
so；' the Cardinal answered； 'let it be。 Time effaces all things。'
But； when the grave was yet fresh； the young Rector would sit
beside it； day after day； writing his sermons。
II
IN the meantime； a series of events was taking place in another
part of England； which was to have a no less profound effect upon
Manning's history than the merciful removal of his wife。 In the
same year in which he took up his Sussex curacy； the Tracts for
the Times had begun to appear at Oxford。 The 'Oxford Movement'；
in fact； had started on its course。 The phrase is still familiar；
but its meaning has become somewhat obscured both by the lapse of
time and the intrinsic ambiguity of the subjects connected with
it。 Let us borrow for a moment the wings of Historic Imagination；
and； hovering lightly over the Oxford of the thirties； take a
rapid bird's…eye view。
For many generations the Church of England had slept the sleep of
the。。fortable。 The sullen murmurings of dissent； the loud
battle…cry of Revolution； had hardly disturbed her slumbers。
Portly divines subscribed with a sigh or a smile to the Thirty…
nine Articles； sank quietly into easy living； rode gaily to
hounds of a morning as gentlemen should； and； as gentlemen
should； carried their two bottles of an evening。 To be in the
Church was in fact simply to pursue one of those professions
which Nature and Society had decided were proper to gentlemen and
gentlemen alone。 The fervours of piety； the zeal of Apostolic
charity； the enthusiasm of self…renunciation these things were
all very well in their way and in th