The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-08
Sheds Light on
Cardinal
MANNING'S LIFE.
First Anglican, Then Roman
/Catholic.

In publishing a cheaper edition of the
Life of Cardinal Manning, Archbishop
of Westminster by Edward Sheridan
Purcell, the Macmillan Company have
brought within the means of the aver
age book-buyer the most notable biog-
raphy of the year 1896, and one of the
most elaborate and important works
or It's KIND of the century. In its cheap
Ter form it consists of two large vol
umes, the first devoted to Manning as
an Anglican, the second to Manning
as a Roman Catholic with portraits of
MN in his youth, as archdeacon of
Chichester, and in his old age, as card
inal and archbishop of Westminster. In
sense, these portraits are symbolic Of
the changes which were wrought in his
life and temperament. Between the
young archdeacon. with his generous,
responsive, open countenance, his glow
ing eye and noble idealism, and the man
OF 49, with his calm old face. sharpened
Dy ascetlclsm, the individuality lapsed
in the type and all the early fire and
esctacy quenched, between the two how
many turbulent years, how many dis
entertainments! The first volume con-
talns over 700 pages; the second, over
500.
Mr. Purcell, the biographer, is a mem
o
ana While he speaks at times with all
most sensational frankness he is in
sympathy with Manning and the
church IN which the latter years of mis-
NE were passed, and thoroughly mas
ter of the vast amount of ecclesiastical
ana personal details of which the life
OF Cardinal Manning was the center.
MI. Purcell has proved himself in the
main a. JudiciouS historian although he
at times intrudes unnecessarily his re-
llslous pas and not infrequently as
sumes the role of apologist for Cardinal
Manning where manliness would have
dictated another course. The most con-
spicuous example of this insincerity is
in connection with the marriage of
ington.
By this marriage the designs of pro-
violence in regard to the future car
dinal of the holy Roman church
seemed to have been frustrated" com
placently remarks MIR. Purcell But
Providence has a long arm, and God
in his wisdom, took to Himself. in the
fourth year of his marriage, the wife
Iot Henry Edward Manning-the car
dinal priest to be-" He is also appar-
entity in sympathy with Manning in his
singular reticence" regarding this
marriage. As a fact. so well did Man
ming keep secret the knowledge of this
marriage that at the time of his death
Roman Catholics, with one or two ex-
ceptlons, as we'll as the general pub
nc, knew nothing about his married
life. After his conversion to the Ro-
man Catholic church he was never
known to allude to his marriage, and
in all his letters innumerable, his Jour
nails, diaries, notebooks and rnenoran-
da and his most intimate communica-
lions he made not the remotest allu-
tfN n iG mo f-R-isa
record written obviously for after
publication, about 1880. This auto
biographical note" says Mr.. Purcell,
may be aptly described as Mannings
apologize pro matrimonio suo." The
one brief sentence in which Cardinal
Manning chronicles his marriage and
its dissolution by death, is as follows.
In this state of mind and light, know
ing nothing of the Catholic life. or in
stincts, or projections; in November
1888, | was married, and in July. 1897
found myself again in the state in
which have been for more than 40
years"
1t was Cardinal Manning's wish that
the volume treating of his Anglican
life should be published during his life
time, and between the years 1886 and
1880 he gave his biographer constant
opportunities of learning from his own
lips the story of his life from its he
ginnings to its close. To this end he
placed in Mr. Purcells hands-but NOT
until 1t had been edited-his earliest
diary, written in his Lavington DAYS
with all his other diaries, journal an.
photographed notes and a voluminous
correspondence Out of this stIpend ous
mass of information nothing. the hi
ographer claims, that could aid in the
falthful presentation of character or to
the true story OF events has been omit
TED excepting only one autobiography
cal note relative to the corporate action
of the Society of Jesus in England and
in Rome. 1t will thus be seen how
careful and how comprehensive Mr.
PurcelFs work is No romance could
be more absorbingly interesting. and
the reader lays down the second vol
ume with a sense of loss not very diff
Ierent from that which attends the
| conclusion of a great novel: but few
works of fiction can compare for
dramatic climaxes, picturesqueness. and
+! fascination with the story Of the life
of Henry Edward Manning.
AS young man, Manning had
passion for politics, and it was only
| the financial failure Of his father thai
drove him to take up the church as a
| profession. His incinatiCns were all
the other way-for life in the world in
! parliament. But it WAS necessary tn
do something, and as His university ed
ucation and oxford connections pointod
to the church as a profession nearest at
| hand, he became Il clergyman In his
old age. Cardinal Manning attributed
| his sacrifice to spiritual motives. and
said of it that ''it was as purely call
| from God as all that He has given me
| since" A similar confession cIeut into
his mind also with regard 10 the no
| litical life" which he had resigned To
take orders in the English church
| whereas he simply gave up minor no
sition in the civil service His chance
| of entering political life was lost bv
his fathers bankruptcy in 1891.
Like Gladstone, Manning lef, oxford
without even suspicion Of the re-
ligious ferment going on in the minds
of Newman and Hurrell Fioude. and
| of those under their Immediate infnl-
| ence; it does not appear that he once
met Newman while at oxford. and
there is no record that Kcble's famous
| sermon on national apostacy which
stirred oxford to its depths, was even
known at the time OF its delivery ia
| Manning. Up to the year 1888, Man
ming seems TO have devoted himself 10
pastoral work at Layington, reading
the Tracts for the Times" but in no
way Identifying himself with the Trac-
| tartan movement. 1t H. true he entered
the controversial arena, but as a critic
both of popular Protestantism" ana
| of "Romanism," although all the tlfoo
he was sending the pr1of-shects Of his
tracts to Newman for supervision.
| In 1S43 Manning emphaticalIy ran,t-
| dated the rumor that he Was foilnu,.
err of Newman or Pusey, yet in ts97
he made what his biographor calls n
profession OF faith in Newman and Pm
| sey Upon NeWfnars retirement Va
| I fitVf he