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Eminent Victorians
by Lytton Strachey
Preface
THE history of the Victorian Age will never be written； we know
too much about it。 For ignorance is the first requisite of the
historianignorance； which simplifies and clarifies； which
selects and omits； with a placid perfection unattainable by the
highest art。 Concerning the Age which has just passed； our
fathers and our grandfathers have poured forth and accumulated so
vast a quantity of information that the industry of a Ranke would
be submerged by it； and the perspicacity of a Gibbon would quail
before it。 It is not by the direct method of a scrupulous
narration that the explorer of the past can hope to depict that
singular epoch。 If he is wise； he will adopt a subtler strategy。
He will attack his subject in unexpected places； he will fall
upon the flank； or the rear； he will shoot a sudden； revealing
searchlight into obscure recesses； hitherto undivined。 He will
row out over that great ocean of material； and lower down into
it； here and there； a little bucket； which will bring up to the
light of day some characteristic specimen； from those far depths；
to be examined with a careful curiosity。 Guided by these
considerations； I have written the ensuing studies。 I have
attempted； through the medium of biography； to present some
Victorian visions to the modern eye。 They are； in one sense；
haphazard visions that is to say； my choice of subjects has
been
determined by no desire to construct a system or to prove a
theory； but by simple motives of convenience and of art。 It has
been my purpose to illustrate rather than to explain。 It would
have been futile to hope to tell even a precis of the truth about
the Victorian age； for the shortest precis must fill innumerable
volumes。 But； in the lives of an ecclesiastic； an educational
authority； a woman of action； and a man of adventure； I have
sought to examine and elucidate certain fragments of the truth
which took my fancy and lay to my hand。
I hope； however； that the following pages may prove to be of
interest from the strictly biographical； no less than from the
historical point of view。 Human beings are too important to be
treated as mere symptoms of the past。 They have a value which is
independent of any temporal processes which is eternal； and
must
be felt for its own sake。 The art of biography seems to have
fallen on evil times in England。 We have had； it is true； a few
masterpieces； but we have never had； like the French； a great
biographical tradition； we have had no Fontenelles and
Condorcets； with their incomparable eloges； compressing into a
few shining pages the manifold existences of men。 With us； the
most delicate and humane of all the branches of the art of
writing has been relegated to the journeymen of letters； we do
not reflect that it is perhaps as difficult to write a good life
as to live one。 Those two fat volumes； with which it is our
custom to commemorate the deadwho does not know them； with
their ill…digested masses of material； their slipshod style；
their tone of tedious panegyric； their lamentable lack of
selection； of detachment； of design？ They are as familiar as the
cortege of the undertaker； and wear the same air of slow；
funereal barbarism。 One is tempted to suppose； of some of them；
that they were composed by that functionary as the final item of
his job。 The studies in this book are indebted； in more ways than
one； to such works works which certainly deserve the name of
Standard Biographies。 For they have provided me not only with
much indispensable information； but with something even more
precious an example。 How many lessons are to be learned from
them！ But it is hardly necessary to particularise。 To preserve；
for instance； a becoming brevity a brevity which excludes
everything that is redundant and nothing that is significant
that； surely； is the first duty of the biographer。 The second； no
less surely； is to maintain his own freedom of spirit。 It is not
his business to be complimentary； it is his business to lay bare
the facts of the case； as he understands them。 That is what I
have aimed at in this book to lay bare the facts of some cases；
as I understand them； dispassionately； impartially； and without
ulterior intentions。 To quote the words of a Master'Je n'impose
rien； je ne propose rien： j'expose。'
A list of the principal sources from which I have drawn is
appended to each Biography。 I would indicate； as an honourable
exception to the current commodity； Sir Edward Cook's excellent
Life of Florence Nightingale； without which my own study； though
composed on a very different scale and from a decidedly different
angle； could not have been written。
Cardinal Manning
HENRY EDWARD MANNING was born in 1807 and died in 1892。 His life
was extraordinary in many ways； but its interest for the modern
inquirer depends mainly upon two considerationsthe light which
his career throws upon the spirit of his age； and the
psychological problems suggested by his inner history。 He
belonged to that class of eminent ecclesiastics and it is by
no means a small class who have been distinguished less for
saintliness and learning than for practical ability。 Had he lived
in the Middle Ages he would certainly have been neither a Francis
nor an Aquinas； but he might have been an Innocent。 As it was；
born in the England of the nineteenth century； growing up in the
very seed…time of modern progress； coming to maturity with the
first onrush of Liberalism； and living long enough to witness the
victories of Science and Democracy； he yet； by a strange
concatenation of circumstances； seemed almost to revive in his
own person that long line of diplomatic and administrative
clerics which； one would have thought； had come to an end for
ever with Cardinal Wolsey。
In Manning； so it appeared； the Middle Ages lived again。 The tall
gaunt figure； with the face of smiling asceticism； the robes； and
the biretta； as it passed in triumph from High Mass at the
Oratory to philanthropic gatherings at Exeter Hall； from Strike
Committees at the Docks to Mayfair drawing…rooms where
fashionable ladies knelt to the Prince of the Church； certainly
bore witness to a singular condition of affairs。 What had
happened？ Had a dominating character imposed itself upon a
hostile environment？ Or was the nineteenth century； after all；
not so hostile？ Was there something in it； scientific and
progressive as it was； which went out to welcome the
representative of ancient tradition and uncompromising faith？ Had
it； perhaps； a place in its heart for such as Manninga soft
place； one might almost say？ Or； on the other hand； was it he who
had been supple and yielding？ He who had won by art what he would
never have won by force； and who had managed； so to speak； to be
one of the leaders of the procession less through merit than
through a superior faculty for gliding adroitly