New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-22
THE MASTER OF BALLIOL.
H..
HIS SOCIAL POSITION AND RELATIONS
HIS ORTHODOXY-HIS PLATO.


got on better at Balliol than a boy who had
none The best answer to this charge is
that Balliol was, of all the colleges of the Uni
versitv Of oxford. pre-eminently the college of
the poor There was and is none other so
much freauented by those Of narrow means;
none other where so much help is given to the
needy student: none other whose head did so
much personally, out Of his own heart and his
own pocket for Them none other on whose
honor list figure the names of so many 10
whom college and university existence has peeh
a long pecuniary struggle. He was generous
Of money and generous Of his time, which he
valued more than money. l doubt whether ne
had a greater pleasure than that which came
TO him when he heard of the success Of some
pupil who owed to him his start in life or
his chance of university education.
The other point is more difficult to deal
with. not on Jowett's account, but from the
nature of the subject and perhaps also from
the prejudice Of some classes Of American read
ers. There Americans as there are Englsh-
men, whose democracy s. in social life OF so
fierce a kind as to tolerate compromise with
those whom we have been taught to call the
classes. If man have the misfortune to be born
into a station of life which. by mere birth, be-
slows on him wealth or social rank away with
To men Of this mind it will be idle to plead in
behalf of Jowett or in behalf of anybody who
Judges of men as men, and not as members
Of this or that section in society. To others
this may be said: That ii was his habit to
accept the best come they from what quarter
they might. To care for the best is ever a
good rule and of the best there are many
species of many different origins.
l suppose everybody will accept this view In
the abstract Jowetts critics themselves
might but their complaint of him began. as
so often happens. when he began to put in
practice the principle to which, as a principle
or as a rule of conduct. nobody objected. I'm
doubtedly he liked to have about him men OF
the world and of the best world. socially speak
ing They and he had much in common, and
each had something to impart to the other
His very shyness led him to Ovet the COM
pany of men and women who were free from
shyness. They put him at his ease; whereas
two shy persons act and react on each other
and the timidity of each increases. and the
awkwardness of each.
Their meeting brought oxford and London
together; and each gained something from the
contact. Jowett was something more than a
man Of letters. and very much more than a
mere University Don. but he was not quite
a man of the world in all respects He lacked
as we have seen. case Of manner. He was sure
of himself in essentials; not SO sure in those SO
cial gifts which make the best social intercourse
a fine art Teacher as he was by trade, he knew
how to value, and did value highly, those
qualities and accomplishments which are not
to be derived from books He liked the charm
ing department Of well-bred men and women
He liked their serenity their power OF meeting
everybody on even terms; their habit OF doing
and saying the right thing and OF emitting TO
say the wrong thing. He saw very clearly that
people who were at the top Of the tree had not
got there without some knowledge Of the art Of
climbing; nor without courage, capacity Of
high order, and character; which last is, after
ALL more than attainments.
He liked the tone which prevails among these
fortunate persons; the simplicity. the total alb
sence of pretence. or Of affectation, or Of self
assertion, which is in itself an unfailing test OF
social position. dare say he liked women who
were we'll dressed. and who knew how TO wear
their clothes and how to carry themselves-
women and men. too, with soft voices well
modulated and with the accent which comes
from long association with the best people, and
from that only. If that be a reproach to him,
let 1t be a reproech. Certain 1t is that he often
gathered about him little parties of such peo-
pie, and the Masters House at BGol knew
many celebrity a guest. How should it be
otherwise when half Of the really eminent men
and women in England were his personal
friends?
He has been described opposed to freedom
Of thought. I don't think he was ever that.
He was opposed to fire sdom Of thought based
on mere ignorance. To begin with he thought
for himself, and nobody ever accused him Of
4ln bict,f ba HaH
cut for him. What he disliked was the pre-
mature, or immature sceptcism Of youth or
at any period Of life when it not accord
Ing to knowledge. He considered that man
who meant to set up for himself in matters
Of religious or philosophical belief was bound
to know the best Of what had been said and
thought on such subjects. He was not him
self O great theologian or a great philosopher,
but he had mastered the literature Of both sub
jects He expected others to do as much be-
fore they began to dogmatize. Nor had he
great liking for mere dogma in any form.
'He had strange mind" said the late Arch
bishop TAFT of Jowett; 1T is amusing to note
how entirely uninterested he is all the
peculiar subjects now exercising the clerical
mind He lives in region of critical and meta
physical theology, apart by himself" 1t is
very true account of him. far it goes,
quite sufficient explanatons-why the orthodox
clergy always looked at Jowett askance. His
was. in truth. a religious mind. but he con-
cerned himself less with the forms than with
the substance of things.
II he belonged to any party in the Church it
was the Broad Church; the distinguishing char
acter Of which is not to be a party at all. but
to embrace all parties. 1t is the other parties
who refuse to be embraced. Because of his
breadth Of view, and of his tolerance Of other
views than his own he was prosecuted. Oxford
prosecuted him. after such mild fashion the
customs of the present day permit. She would,
at one time have starved him If she could.
but finding she could not. grew ashamed of
herself, and paid him his wages professor,
and then for four years submitted to be gov
erned by the man whom she could not crush.
To this day he has not been wholly forgiven for
.-lox..c