[Footnote 9: This was his continual aspiration. He wished to die like his Lord, deprived of human aid and sympathy.]
He receives news in the beginning of the year 1841 of six nuns having bound themselves by vow to pray for the conversion of England. But a more beautiful and consolatory piece of information still was, that a French missioner had formed an association in Persia of prayers for the same object. He goes to London and preaches in several churches, among others, in Lincoln's-Inn Fields, of course about the conversion of England, for he scarcely ever preached a sermon in which he did not introduce this topic; nay, he never held a half-hour's conversation without introducing it.
It was about this time, too, that he came across Mr. Pugin the elder. His first meeting was rather characteristic of both. Father Spencer had preached a sermon somewhere on the conversion of England, and he gave benediction after it. Pugin came into the sacristy. The famous Goth saw Father Spencer in a Roman cope, and he comes up to him in a kind of nettlesome mood, saying, "What! convert England with such a cope as that?" Father Spencer says in a letter written at this time, "I am not possessed with the enthusiastic zeal for correct forms (Gothic) which some are. It is not my special calling .... Mr. Pugin is the authority to which I would defer in these matters." The only other opinion of Pugin's he records in his letters, is that he said to Father Spencer one time, "It is absurd to expect to get anything for one's works from booksellers or publishers."
Another event that gave him joy, and afterwards a good deal of sorrow, was the conversion of a well-known, clergyman. This remarkable convert lived some time in Oscott after his conversion. Father Spencer took him with him sometimes on his parish duties, and had great hopes of him. These were all disappointed when, in a couple of years, he went back again after being ordained priest and having said mass. Father Ignatius often spoke of him, often visited him, and asked others to pray for him. He used to tell us one curious anecdote about him. Shortly after his apostasy, he was invited to a tea-party where Evangelical ladies assembled to congratulate themselves, and sip their tea with new relish by having it sugared with some telling remarks of the lately-rescued slave from Popery. He was put several questions, such as "What do you think of Transubstantiation?" He answered, "Oh, that's as plain as possible in the Bible," and so forth. They were, of course, egregiously disappointed. Father Ignatius used to lament with peculiar anguish over this sad case. He always hoped for his return to the Catholic faith, and, strange enough, one of the first pieces of news in the way of conversion which we heard after Father Ignatius's death, was his return to the faith he had deserted.
In the middle of the year 1842, he visits Ireland for the first time; he preaches in several places, in Dublin; especially for the Jesuits, in Gardiner Street; the Franciscans, Merchant's Quay. All, of course, about the conversion of England. He says: "My argument was, that the Irish having been specially victims of oppression under England, if I could gain the Irish to pray for England, prayers springing from such charity would be irresistible." He made a kind of a tour through Ireland, and got as far as Tuam. He feared the Archbishop of Tuam, knowing his opposition to England, and his detestation of English rule. For that very reason Father Spencer was the more anxious to convert him, or make him return good for evil. What was his surprise when he found the Archbishop not only kind and Irish in his hospitality, but really favourable to his projects. His grace got Father Spencer to preach, and promised him that he would give the substance of the same sermon to his people in their own sweet ancient tongue on the next Sunday. He was so enchanted at this, that he wrote off almost to every friend he had in the world about it. Though he often felt afterwards the powerful blows Dr. McHale delivered at England's doings, he never could forget his kind reception of himself, and always mentioned his grace's name with gratitude and reverence, only wishing that he would not be so hard on England.
The next event he writes about was the arrival in England of Father Dominic of the Mother of God (Passionist), and his staying at Oscott for some time in order to learn English and wait for an opening in Aston to begin the first retreat of the English province. Before we quote his account of Father Dominic, it may be well to give a rather characteristic remark of his which occurs in the letter to Mrs. Canning, who was a great promoter, in the letter-writing way, of Father Dominic's coming. He says, "Your accounts of yourself are always interesting, as they must be in all cases where a person knows how to delineate accurately his own interior; for, in seeing the picture of another well drawn, we always may discern little touches of our own portraiture which had before perhaps escaped us, and that gives all the pleasure of sympathy, which is one of the realest pleasures."
Further on in the same letter he writes:—
"Padre Domenico has had his cross to bear with us, all this time; it is not like what usually makes crosses for people. He mourns over having plenty to eat, having windows which keep the weather out, having chairs to sit on, and tables to sit at, and longs to be in his house, which I suppose will not have much of all this to trouble him. I have to try to console him now and then, which I do by telling him that I never hear of anything brought about in our ecclesiastical arrangements without long delay, and yet all comes right at last, with patience. I tell him also that he must have known enough of the deliberativeness with which things of the kind are settled by the known slowness of all things at Rome. However, why should you have to bear this burden with us? You will, I hope, be consoled before long by hearing that they are settled, and going on, and have first a chair, then a table, then a kettle, and likely to have a smoke-jack, toasting-fork, and such like in due course, and, what will be not less interesting in its way, having good novices, and plenty of converts."
The next thing he speaks about is not one event, but a series, though all only items in a great result for which he continually prayed and laboured—the conversions, which multiplied every day. In 1843 he says that converts are received in Birmingham at the rate of one a day, and many more elsewhere. He also mentions with great satisfaction that within the last year, 1842, three Anglican clergymen, four Oxford students, two countesses, and two earls' daughters had become converts. Although Father Spencer mentions these particularly, it is not to undervalue conversions from an humbler grade of life he does it. The soul of the beggar is as precious in the eyes of God, apud quern non est acceptatio personarum, as the soul of the king. Father Spencer did not undervalue the conversions of the middle and lower classes on the contrary, he worked hard to get as many as possible from them. He had always notions of a great move towards Catholicity, and he thought that if the higher ranks took the lead in this, the others would follow.
In 1844, he mentions his going to Nottingham with a large party, among whom is Mr. Ward, "one of the most advanced Oxford clergy. Oh! that he would come a little further, but at present he seems to have no thoughts of it. God knows whether he may not soon get a little help onwards. Make a good prayer for this." Mr. Ward did get certainly onwards. Here and there we find sighs escape him about his beloved people of Northampton and Brington. He did assuredly love his native place intensely, and it must have been a trial to his feelings that he could do nothing externally towards alleviating its spiritual destitution.