After this preface as an apology, if it is one, for my last sentences of last week, and for standing to my text, in spite of all that can be urged, I proceed to another of my narratives, which, if not the most interesting and important in my eyes, is not the least so; and, after which, in reply to such as might mention some of the English rudenesses to us, and say to me, "What do you say to that?" I would just say, "What do you say to this?"—I mean my interview with Lord Palmerston.
Through the month of May of the year 1851, I was engaged to preach evening lectures in one of the London chapels, and I had my days to devote in a great measure to the pursuit, so inconceivably interesting to me, of conversations with leading people on my great topic. I was at that time greatly debilitated, and could walk but very little, and to relieve me, therefore, as well as to enable me to make the most of my time, a generous friend, who was interested in my proceedings, furnished me with means to go from house to house in a cab. One of these bright forenoons, I turned into Carlton Gardens, and asked to see Lord Palmerston. I was not an entire stranger to him, any more than to the other two noble persons of whom I have already written. It will not be foreign to my purpose to relate how my acquaintance with his lordship had been formed. May I venture to call it a friendship? It was at the close of a long run with Lord Derby's stag-hounds; I mean the grandfather of the present earl, I think in 1821; we finished, I think, twenty-four miles from London, and I was making up my mind for a long, tedious ride home on my tired horse (for I was not up to having second horses and grooms in my suite on those occasions), when Lord Palmerston, who was likewise in at, not the death, but the taking (I forget the proper sporting term) of the stag, understanding my case, and knowing me by sight, though I think till then we had never spoken, gave my horse in charge to his groom, and took me home with himself in a post-chaise. For the short remaining time of my being known as a young man about town, as we met at one party or another, Lord Palmerston continued to accost me with a kind word, to which I had good reason, it will be allowed, to respond in the best manner I knew how. At the close of the London season of 1822 I made my bow, and withdrew from that stage to prepare for taking orders, and, except an interview of a few minutes in 1834, we had never met till I appeared before the now far-famed and, by many, dreaded Foreign Secretary, with my Passionist habit and sandalled feet for a private audience. Like what Lord Clarendon said in the Park Lodge, Dublin, I might have said here, "Great changes, my lord, since we first spoke together!" On this occasion, however, no time was spent in mere conversation. I had called, as I have said, in the forenoon. His lordship had sent me a message as being busy, requesting me to call again at two o'clock. On entering his private room, I found him engaged in looking over what seemed official papers, which he had upon his knee, while we spoke, though without the least sign of impatience or wish to get rid of me; but I saw that what became me was to enter on business at once without waste of time or words. I do not remember all the words which I used in this interview so well as what I said to Lord John Russell and Lord Clarendon. The position was not now so new and striking to me. I think I began without any kind of apology; for his lordship's looks gave me no feeling that any was needful or expected. I said, "that in coming to speak to his lordship on this subject, I had not so much in view to ascertain more and more that there was no danger of what I proposed causing offence to our Government, as I thought what I had heard from others was sufficient proof of this; but I wished to put as many of our public men as I could meet with in possession of all my intentions and proceedings, in order that if, at last, I succeeded, as I hoped, in moving the Catholics to be interested about them, and these matters came before the public, they might know from myself in person what I really intended, and might be enabled, if they thought well, to do me justice." This was the substance of what I said to him. Having thus concluded, I awaited his answer, which was about as follows:—"As you wish to know what I think of your doings, I must say I do not by any means agree with you in considering it a desirable result that this country should again be brought under subjection to Rome. I do not profess to take my view from the elevated and sublime ground on which you place yourself; I mean, I speak not with reference to religious interests, but to political; and as a politician, when we consider the way in which the Pope's government is opposed to the progress of liberty, and liberal institutions, I cannot say that I wish to see England again under such influence." Thus far, I do not mean to say, that what I heard was anything agreeable to me. Neither the matter nor the tone were agreeable to me. There was something sarcastic in his tone. And does that suit my purpose? it may be asked. I answer, "It does very well." Could it be expected that he would speak very agreeably and favourably of the end I told him I was aiming at? If he had, that would, I conceive, have just thrown a doubt on the sincerity of what he said immediately after, in a tone simply and perfectly agreeable, on the effect likely to result immediately from what I was doing: and this was: "But as to what you are doing, as it must tend to conciliate Catholic powers towards England, what have I to say, but that it is excellent?" or some such word expressing full and cordial approbation. After this, he went on with some remarks on the establishment of the Hierarchy, which, of course, were in accordance with what he had, I think, been saying a few days previously in Parliament, complaining of it as offensive and injurious; but on this part of the conversation I need not dwell, as it had no bearing on the subject which I had proposed to him. With regard to that, my impression on leaving him was this: that he had listened with attention to what I had said, had at once perfectly understood me, had answered me so as to make me perfectly understand him on the subject simply and openly, and that what he had said was entirely satisfactory to me. I could wish for nothing more; except, of course, what St. Paul wished for in the presence of Festus and Agrippa. I then rose: so did he; then shook hands with me, and most kindly thanked me for having renewed our old acquaintance. To the account of this conversation with Lord Palmerston, I will add, that I asked, in the same bright month of May, for an interview with Lord Derby. He requested I would rather explain myself in writing: which I did; and received in answer from him a most condescending and kind letter, in which, while he asserted his own steadfast adherence to the Church of England, he declared his opinion that no one could reasonably find fault with me for exerting myself as I did to advance what I believed to be the truth.
Besides these interviews just recorded in his own words, he had several others with minor celebrities. He met some Protestant bishops; among the rest, Dr. Blomfield, whom he tried to move to praying for unity. Dr. Blomfield promised. Some of the bishops refuse to see him, and others are "out" when he calls. He had an interview with Dr. Cumming, and the doctor's account of it did not eventually serve to raise that gentleman in the estimation of honourable or sensible people. He records in his journal being sent away ignominiously by Baptist and Methodist ministers, and, after one of these rebuffs, on May 24, 1851, he got so fearful a mobbing, when coming along the Charter House in London, that he was nearly killed. Had not some good shopkeeper opened his door for him, and helped him to a cab by a back passage, he believed he would certainly have fallen a victim to the fury of the crowd.
The day after this adventure, he assisted in Warwick-street at the ordination of his Grace the present Archbishop of Westminster, as sub-deacon.
He is a few months on the Continent again in this year. He preaches in French through Lille, Liège, Maestricht, Aix-la-Chapelle, always upon "the crusade." Before arriving in Cologne he had his address translated into German, in order to be able to speak to the Prussian children and people upon his favourite theme. As he was walking through Cologne one day, he accidentally met his brother, Lord Spencer. Lord Spencer wondered at the figure approaching him, and thought he recognized the features. At length he exclaimed, "Hilloa, George, what are you doing here?" "Begging," replied Father Ignatius. Those who knew them were much gratified at seeing the earl and the monk having a little friendly chat about old schoolboy days. Both seemed a little embarrassed and surprised at first, but after a minute or two they were quite at home with each other.
He prepared a petition for the King of Prussia, who was visiting Cologne, requesting an audience; but, after waiting patiently a few days, he writes in the journal: "The King is come and gone, but no notice of me. I must be content with Rex regum." He received a letter from Father Eugene a day or two before this, summoning him home to England for our Provincial Chapter, and his tour terminates on the 21st August.
CHAPTER IX.
Visit To Home And "The Association Of Prayers."
At the Provincial Chapter, Father Ignatius was chosen Rector of St. Joseph's Retreat, The Hyde. It was also arranged that before proceeding further with his projects and schemes for prayers and unity, he should submit them to the Roman Curia. He accordingly starts for Rome on September 4, and arrives at the Retreat of SS. John and Paul on the 13th. We shall let himself relate the events and success of this expedition.
"I went on then, taking occasions as they were offered me to move Catholics to interest themselves in it till September, 1851, when I went to Rome. I had other reasons for going; but it might well be expected that what mainly interested me was to recommend the cause of England's conversion in the centre of Catholicity, and to obtain from the Holy See sanction and authority for pursuing this end as I had been doing before, or in whatever way would be deemed preferable. I was four months and a half at Rome, with the interruption of a fortnight, during which I was engaged on a mission in the country with some of our Fathers. My affair had to be transacted, as may be supposed, chiefly at the Propaganda, where the affairs of all Catholic missions are managed and directed, much in the way that our Board of Admiralty directs all the naval operations of this country, but under entire dependence on his Holiness and obedience to him—the secretary of the Propaganda, Monsignor Barnabò, having regularly once a week, that is, every Sunday evening, an audience of the Pope, to make him reports, and to receive his orders. For the first six weeks or two months I felt my footing at the Propaganda more or less doubtful and precarious. I did not gain much attention. This was mortifying; but I see, and I saw it then, to be right. The Propaganda is a place where all Catholic schemers and projectors in matters of religion try to get a hearing—as our Admiralty is besieged, I suppose, by all who think they have an important proposal to make for naval enterprise or improvement. They must be kept at arm's length for a time, till it is judged whether their ideas are worth attending to. It was on the 1st of November that it happened that I dined at the College of Propaganda, and sat next to Monsignor Barnabò, who made me a remark about in these words: 'Surely if you can convert England, we should gain half the world—or all the world,' I forget which. I answered, 'Well, Monsignor, and why not try?' Nothing more was said then; but it seemed to me as if this was the turning-point of my fortunes at Rome. Certain it is, that from that time Monsignor Barnabò, in the midst of all his pressing affairs, was invariably ready to listen to me at the office or at his own house, read through all my long memorials, spoke for me to the Pope whenever I asked him, and gained me what I asked on this matter, had my papers printed free of cost at the press of the Propaganda, &c. It had been told me previously by one of the minutanti (under secretaries) of the Propaganda, Monsignor Vespasiani, that my proposals would be looked upon more favourably, if England were not mentioned as the only object of interest. He adverted especially with great feeling to the case of the Greeks, of whom he spoke as possessing genius and capacity for such great things, if they were only reunited to the Church. At his suggestion I drew up, in concert with one of our Fathers, a paper of proposals for an Association for the Conversion of all separated from the Church, giving reasons, however, as I do in the little paper of admission to our Association, why we should direct our immediate aim at the recovery of those nations which have been separated from the Church by heresy or schism, and why, among these, England should still be regarded as the most important and leading object. This document was read by Mgr. Barnabò, who ordered 5,000 copies to be printed by the press of the Propaganda—rather, he told me, to order as many as I wished, as well as of another shorter paper containing an invitation to prayer and good works for the conversion of all separated from the Church, but especially of England. This shorter one was prepared at the express desire of the Cardinal-Vicar of Rome, and distributed by his order through all the religious houses of the city. To pass over other details, it was on the 26th of November that I received a letter of recommendation, addressed by the Cardinal-Prefect of Propaganda to all Bishops, Vicars-Apostolic, and Superiors of Missions in the world, desiring them to receive me favourably and to assist me in my designs to the utmost of their power. The words in Latin at this part of the letter are the following:—'... Proindeque illum sacrae congregationis testimonialibus hisce literis instructum esse volumus, ut omnes Episcopi, Vicarii Apostolici, et Missionum Superiores benigne illum excipere, ac pro viribus piissimis ejusdem votis favere haud omittant.' As I have not this letter at hand while writing, I quote this part from memory. The former part, of which I have not the words by heart, expresses why this recommendation was to be given me; namely, because my zeal for promoting the Catholic faith, especially among my people of England, was highly to be commended. Now, if the Propaganda should have ever heard anything true about how I carried on my ordinary duties in England, they could only have heard that I had not incurred suspension, though I might have deserved it; and that, in comparison with my brother priests in our great towns, for instance, what I had done for religion must be put down as next to nothing. The only thing on which they could ever have heard me spoken about as remarkable must have been my exertions, which, against my wishes, I must certainly concede to have been singularly active and persevering in calling people's attention to the object of the conversion of England and to prayers for it.