The sun., 1908-08-23

81. Aldgate's evinces. has also broken out
into architecture. The rest Of the city was
In general appearance much the same a. IL
Ia now. OF individual undergraduates who
were In residence at the time Mr.. Wright
mentions only three-A. G. Swinburne and
John Addington Symonds Of Balliol and
John Richard Green Of Jesus. Thirteen
years had elapsed since Newman had gone
over to Rome; Pussy, who was SO. had
thirty more years to live; Keble was 90 and
had only eight years before him. Tho
Broad Church leaders, Stanley and Jowett.
were Just to Matthew Arnold, who was %.
had been appointed professor OF postry In
the preceding year. and his lectures, owing
largely 70 his gibes ct the 'Philistines,'
were attracting Wide attention. Az regards
the dons, very many wero Of the old school
oven tho hard drinker not being extinct
but here and thcre might be found
Tractarian and here and there Q Scientist.
Suoh was the state Of the university into
which Pater, Q raw youth Of 10. had drifted.
We may here mention that after O year or
two at Queens Pater found his oiroum-
stances less narrow. and the walls Of his
rooms. formerly graoelsss and austere.'
began to olothe themselves. though the
decorative features were used with guarded
moderation. II 10 noteworthy that with all
Pater's reputation for esthsticssm the
equipment Of every set Of rooms occupied
by him and OF each Of his houses until the
last few years Of his Life. was scanty and
even bald. He was thrifty even to an
amusing degree, a. persons who have known
penury often are. and the habit grew.
It has been asserted by Mr.. Gosse and by
most Of the writer's who have followed
him that Pater's severance from religion
synohroniEed with his adoption Of human
istio ideas-that is to say, shortly after
his removal from Queens College to Brase-
nose. The author Of these volumes shows.
however. that Pater began to be doubter
even before he left the Kings School at
Canterbury. and he lost all belief by the
time he was II. Up to the year
1859 he had been influenced chiefly by
Stanley, Kingsley and Maurice. For q
time he called himself Christian Socialist.
Before long. however. he broke quite away
from Christianity and pained his friend
Mcqueen by indulging In -Mephistophelean
speers" not only at "trammelling creeds'
but at religion In whatever form and in
attacks upon the Bible. after tho manner
of Voltaire. although many Of his remarks
were evidently made simply with desire
to give his hearers q shock. Mcqueen
reminded him Of their peaceful. happy
religious life at Canterbury; but Pater
in reply said. AT Canterbury was oon-
temptible hypoorite.'
In March. 1850, the English religious
world was cast into q ferment by the pub
hcation OF sEesays and Reviews.' written
by seven Broad Churchmen, whom their
opponents bitingly called sThe Seven
Against Christ Benjamin Jowett. the
abiest OF the Fssayists and Reviewers-
Little Benjamin. ss tho undergraduates
called him-was at this time and had been
since October. 1855. regfus professor Of
Greek. which she taught the university
for nothing'-that is to say, GO year;
nor was 1t till 1885 that. aafter much bitter
ness.' his salary was raised to $500. Pater.
who attended Jowett's lectures. was much
drawn to the great man. and II is recorded
that Jowett. pleased with some remark
that Pater made. once said to him. you
have q mind that will attain eminenoe.'
Referring to Jowett's great originality
as o writer and q thinker Pater afterward
said. He seemed to have taken the measure
not merely Of all opinions but Of all posaible
OhCb eshi w DoVo phS Sho it.os AethtchtOAito
on literary expression.' And again. when
he lectured on Plato II was q fascinating
thing TO see those qualities Of his a. II in
the act Of creation. his lectures boing in
formal, unwritten and seemingly unpre-
meditated. but studded with many o long
remembered gem OF expression or delight
fully novel idea, which seemed to be lying
In wait whenever at q loes for a moment
in his somewhat hesitating discourse
he opened book OF loose notes. II from
Jowett, as certainly was the case. Pater
caught his enthusiasm for Plato, 1t was
probably the influence Of Jowett that now
caused him to cease writing poetry. Jowett.
indeed, whose cold water would have
queuched anybody less inhammable than
Swinburne, was never tired Of projecting
his scorn upon poets. especially Of the
undergraduate variety. But II Jowett
led Pater to fall out with verse, he caused
him to take an increased interest In prose
and to love above all things the art Of
biography writing. More charming minia-
ture biographies than Walter Pater's surely
never were written.
ii.
In 1890, having cast aside Christianity,
Pater tried to obliterate all his connections
with it. First he burned his manuscript
volumes Of poems. not because he thought
lightly Of their merits but simply because
Of their Christian tone. Next he resolved
to get rid of all the books on Christianity
which he had studied so sedulously at Can
terbury. The change In his religious views
brought about a separation from his two
intimate friends. Dombrain and Mcqueen.
Strangely enough, although Pater at this
time never lost an opportunity Of girding
at Christianity and although he had quite
lost faith in the efficacy Of prayer. he still
declared that he would take Holy Orders.
He still frequented places Of worship-
though only ornate services with elabor-
ate music and sweet heady incense pleased
him. for. like his favorite author. Goethe.
he now regarded religion as merely do
parment Of art.
In 1862 Pater passed his final examination.
but obtained only second class honors in
Litier,r Humaniores. Soon after taking his
degree Pater sought ordination at the
I.-l. - &ha n,aho, of IN,IDr hut kto