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stand。 Ernest himself was frightened at it； but he had once heard
someone say that the Psalms were many of them very poor； and on
looking at them more closely； after he had been told this； he found
that there could hardly be two opinions on the subject。 So he
caught up the remark and reproduced it as his own； concluding that
these psalms had probably never been written by David at all； but
had got in among the others by mistake。
The essay； perhaps on account of the passage about the Psalms；
created quite a sensation； and on the whole was well received。
Ernest's friends praised it more highly than it deserved； and he was
himself very proud of it； but he dared not show it at Battersby。 He
knew also that he was now at the end of his tether； this was his one
idea （I feel sure he had caught more than half of it from other
people）； and now he had not another thing left to write about。 He
found himself cursed with a small reputation which seemed to him
much bigger than it was； and a consciousness that he could never
keep it up。 Before many days were over he felt his unfortunate
essay to be a white elephant to him； which he must feed by hurrying
into all sorts of frantic attempts to cap his triumph； and； as may
be imagined； these attempts were failures。
He did not understand that if he waited and listened and observed；
another idea of some kind would probably occur to him some day； and
that the development of this would in its turn suggest still further
ones。 He did not yet know that the very worst way of getting hold
of ideas is to go hunting expressly after them。 The way to get them
is to study something of which one is fond； and to note down
whatever crosses one's mind in reference to it； either during study
or relaxation； in a little note…book kept always in the waistcoat
pocket。 Ernest has come to know all about this now； but it took him
a long time to find it out； for this is not the kind of thing that
is taught at schools and universities。
Nor yet did he know that ideas； no less than the living beings in
whose minds they arise； must be begotten by parents not very unlike
themselves； the most original still differing but slightly from the
parents that have given rise to them。 Life is like a fugue；
everything must grow out of the subject and there must be nothing
new。 Nor； again； did he see how hard it is to say where one idea
ends and another begins； nor yet how closely this is paralleled in
the difficulty of saying where a life begins or ends； or an action
or indeed anything； there being an unity in spite of infinite
multitude； and an infinite multitude in spite of unity。 He thought
that ideas came into clever people's heads by a kind of spontaneous
germination； without parentage in the thoughts of others or the
course of observation； for as yet he believed in genius； of which he
well knew that he had none； if it was the fine frenzied thing he
thought it was。
Not very long before this he had come of age； and Theobald had
handed him over his money； which amounted now to 5000 pounds； it was
invested to bring in 5 pounds per cent and gave him therefore an
income of 250 pounds a year。 He did not； however； realise the fact
（he could realise nothing so foreign to his experience） that he was
independent of his father till a long time afterwards； nor did
Theobald make any difference in his manner towards him。 So strong
was the hold which habit and association held over both father and
son； that the one considered he had as good a right as ever to
dictate； and the other that he had as little right as ever to
gainsay。
During his last year at Cambridge he overworked himself through this
very blind deference to his father's wishes； for there was no reason
why he should take more than a poll degree except that his father
laid such stress upon his taking honours。 He became so ill； indeed；
that it was doubtful how far he would be able to go in for his
degree at all； but he managed to do so； and when the list came out
was found to be placed higher than either he or anyone else
expected； being among the first three or four senior optimes； and a
few weeks later； in the lower half of the second class of the
Classical Tripos。 Ill as he was when he got home； Theobald made him
go over all the examination papers with him； and in fact reproduce
as nearly as possible the replies that he had sent in。 So little
kick had he in him； and so deep was the groove into which he had
got； that while at home he spent several hours a day in continuing
his classical and mathematical studies as though he had not yet
taken his degree。
CHAPTER XLVII
Ernest returned to Cambridge for the May term of 1858； on the plea
of reading for ordination； with which he was now face to face； and
much nearer than he liked。 Up to this time； though not religiously
inclined； he had never doubted the truth of anything that had been
told him about Christianity。 He had never seen anyone who doubted；
nor read anything that raised a suspicion in his mind as to the
historical character of the miracles recorded in the Old and New
Testaments。
It must be remembered that the year 1858 was the last of a term
during which the peace of the Church of England was singularly
unbroken。 Between 1844； when 〃Vestiges of Creation〃 appeared； and
1859； when 〃Essays and Reviews〃 marked the commencement of that
storm which raged until many years afterwards； there was not a
single book published in England that caused serious commotion
within the bosom of the Church。 Perhaps Buckle's 〃History of
Civilisation〃 and Mill's 〃Liberty〃 were the most alarming； but they
neither of them reached the substratum of the reading public； and
Ernest and his friends were ignorant of their very existence。 The
Evangelical movement； with the exception to which I shall revert
presently； had become almost a matter of ancient history。
Tractarianism had subsided into a tenth day's wonder； it was at
work； but it was not noisy。 The 〃Vestiges〃 were forgotten before
Ernest went up to Cambridge； the Catholic aggression scare had lost
its terrors； Ritualism was still unknown by the general provincial
public； and the Gorham and Hampden controversies were defunct some
years since； Dissent was not spreading； the Crimean war was the one
engrossing subject； to be followed by the Indian Mutiny and the
Franco…Austrian war。 These great events turned men's minds from
speculative subjects； and there was no enemy to the faith which
could arouse even a languid interest。 At no time probably since the
beginning of the century could an ordinary observer have detected
less sign of coming disturbance than at that of which I am writing。
I need hardly say that the calm was only on the surface。 Older men；
who knew more than undergraduates were likely to do； must have seen
that the wave of scepticism which had already broken over Germany
was setting towards our own shores； nor was it long； indeed； before
it reached them。 Ernest had hardly been ordained before three works
in quick succession arrested the attention even of those who paid
least heed to theological controversy。 I mean 〃Essays and Reviews；〃
C