The Irish standard., 1896-01-18
LIFE OF A PRlELA1E
The Earlier Thoughts, Trials,
Struggles And Tetnpta=
< ,.st1
s tions.
sE ----------------- --
Cardinal Manning In the En- glish
s# Church And His Con-
version.
Friendship of Gladstone Was
Severed Through the Re-
I Iigious Change.

1 Messrs. Macmillan & Co. have almost
livery soon after this letter appears in
print, two volumes Of the life of Cardinal
Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, by
Edmund Sheridan Purcell. While Car
dinal Manning has not, perhaps the pic
turesque interest, or While he had aot
the loyable qualities of Cardinal New
man, he was, at the same time, one Of the
most stirring figures among the English
writes Jeanette l.. Glider, in the Chi
cago Tribune. ..
Mr.. Purcell has had every opportunity
for writing this life, as Cardinal Man
ming gave him constant opportunities OF
|slearning from his own lips the story OF
his life from it's earliest beginning to its
close. He wanted Mr.. Purcell to write
i Of his Anglican life during his lifetime
but insurmountable obstacles set in the
way Of carrying out this proposition. The
cardinals reason was that he wanted to
read that part Of his biography himself
In the prime Of his life, in the fullness OF
his fame as Archbishop OF Westminster
and father of the vatican council Arch
bishop Manning resolved tnat what he
had done in his Anglican days, the days
before the "flood,' as he called them
when he was still in the twilight, should
be buried and forgotten. But MI. PuT-
cell tells us as his life began to wane mis-
heart reverted with a strong yearning TO
the days OF old, to the memories of the
past. The closed book of his Anglican
life opened, it's pages were perused with
a fresh and youthful delight, the waste
of the dead years. litetrally as we'll as
metaphorically, after the lapse of half a
lifetime, was swept aside.
I In placing in Mr.. Purcell's hands his
earliest diary, written in his Lavington
days. Cardinal Manning said: THE eye
OF no man has seen this little book; it has
never passed out Of my :keeping.'. This
! diary, in which We're recorded 'shis inner
1 most thpnghts, his sorrows Of heart, his
1 loneliness at Lavington, his confession,
his trials and temptations,' had evident
! ly never been opened by Cardinal Man
| ming since the day he left Lavington for
ever, for the dust of time, the faded
| flowers, and bookmarkers that had ]oo
their once brilliant colors, menentoes OF
the past, lay between the pages. Before,
| however this intimate record of his early
life was given to Mr. Purcell for the pur-
pose of the biography, Cardinal Manning g
carefully and wisely removed from its
pa ges every record or reflection or state
ment which he did not consider fit or ex-
! pedient to lay before the public eye. But,
besides ana beyand his letters and dia-
ries, Cardinal Manning himself was a
| living source of Information. When the
mood or inspiration came he opened his
mind and spoke without reserve. In q
Hike manner and for a like purpose all
his other diaries, in accordance with his
wish, passed into Mr.. Purcells possess
| ioll. In these" says his }iographar, ''he
! told the tory of his own life, laid bare
| the workings of his heart, it's trials and
temptations, sometimes it's secrets and
sorrows.'' In writing these two volumes
Mr.. Purcell has not omitted or suppressed
! a single letter, document, or biographical
note essential to q faithful. character or
| to the true story of events, with one
| single exception. This sole exception is
an autobiographical note written by Car
| dinal Manning in 1890 on the corporate
action of the Society Of Jesus in England
and in Rome. Itwas considered wise to
omit this on the ground that it might
|
woke controversy at home Or abroad.
Mr.. Purcell is indebted to Mr.. Glad
stone with whom Cardinal Manning was
| at one time on terms of close intimacy,
| FOR the kind and active interest which ne
took in the preparation of this life, supply
| ing it's author with information known
only to himself concerning incidents con-
| nected with Manning S Anglican life. Car
| dinal Manning and Mr.. Gladstone differed
| in opinion as to the character of the ter
rination or suspension of Their mutual
| intimacy in 1881. Mr.. Gladstone said,
says Mr. Purcell, "on Manning becoming
a Roman Catholic our friendship died a
natural death, for outside of the Anglican
Church and its concerns we had no ideas
or interests in common Cardinal Man
ming on the other hand, maintained that
his friendship for Mr.. Gladstone survived
as Of old, though its expression was i'll
terrupted by external circumstances.
Mr.. Purcell tells us distinctly that Car
dinal Manning never looked over line Of
this biography after it was written, With
| the exception of one early episode. In
speaking to Mr.. Purcell once of his earli-
est days he said: Il never was like New
man, student or a recluse. Newman,
| from the beginning to the end, was a re-
| cluse-at Or:el, Litilemore, and at Edg-
barton; but I, from the beginning, was
| pitched head over heels into public life,
| and have lived eversssince in the full
glare of day.
| Henry Edward Manning was born on
the 18th of July, 1907. His. father was a
member of Parliament, and man OF
means, and could afford the luxury Of
giving his son university education. As
/ q boy Manning went to Harrow, and as a
man to Oxford In writing, of his boy
hood days at Harrow Cardinal Manning
1 says: Harrow was certainly the least
religio,,s time of my life. I had faith, and
great fear Of hell, and sad my prayers.
Beyond all was a blank. OF his studies
he liked the classics, especially the poets,
and he liked composition.
He was fond of cricket and played in
/ the eleven. He was also fond Of walking.
That and cricket we're his faYorite pas
tines. There was some doubt as to
whether his father could afford to send
Ihim to oxford, but it was finally decided
that the effort should be made, and it was.
sWlfen he first went to Oxford 1t seemed
/ as IL politics interested him more than re-
lsIigion He belonged to the union, and he
lsHass one 0f It's crack speakers. Io quote