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FAITH AND FILTHY LUCRE.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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608 The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ Jvxk 30 , IS 60 ,
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the gaol : had lie been asked the same question twenty years ago / he might perhaps have replied , the Exchange . Xow , the ¦ University is the noblest and costliest building in Sydney : this is a great deal to say of a country which we have always been accustomed to consider as inspired by material and money-getting rather than by mental interests , the very scene and focus , indeed , of a rough and earnest scramble for the pocket ; and of such anxious fluctuations in the market , as to leave little time for better and higher things . But let us turn a little to President Nicholson ' s speech , who , after a humbler and simpler fashion , interests us far- more than either Brougham or Gladstone . We are glad to find that he speaks of . an increase of members matriculated , and of many more stniP-o 1 m < r ne-ainst earlv disadvantages , and most anxious to qualify struggling iigainst early disadvantage ' s , and most anxious to quality
themselves for matriculation , whilst the general acquirements of those who enter enable the authorities to raise the standard ; and means are taken for duly feeding the University . By public and private grants fifteen free scholarships have been established at the Sydney Grammar School , and three exhibitions at the University for scholars coining from that school . There is further the intention of systematising a scale of lower schools , from or through which guaranteed scholars will gradually be transmitted to the college itself , thus ensuring- a soundness of acquirement which we are endeavouring to attain by means of our middle-class examinations . The President speaks well and firmly to those who have failed , after " having fulfilled all the statutory obligations respecting attendance on lectures , " -he says : — if academic title is
" They , and all others , must admit that , an fo be regarded of . the / slightest conventional value , it must Jtonesth / he wJiai ' it . prof esses , that those by whom It has been achieved should be regarded as having truly and rightfully ,: ' tam moribits quam doctrind , earned the' distinction . " This is in a true English spirit , and saves us front the fear of a mere shallow conceited aping of our own " degrees . " He urges them hot " to pursue the utilities which are , likely to-bring : an immediate return to the pocket , as the faculties of -law and medicine , to the neglect of that general ' -accomplishment implied iri the faculty ofarts . . . . ¦ .. ¦ '¦ - .. . ... . ' .. ; ¦ ¦ ¦'¦ ¦ ¦ '¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦ . . . . . .. ' ' ¦; ¦ .. .. . Tiie Govefnor-Greneral speaks in the same strain with regard to the necessity of insisting upon soundness : — - ^ ' J They had no right to confer honours unless they were properly earned , especially when they recolieoted the fact that the English universities were connected with those of the colonies . "
' . ' ' "Weare not sorry to see that the sdiolarship , founded by David CoopEK i for proficiency in classical literature was not stwarded . There is a firmness about this refusal that ^ verifies the words above quoted from the President and Governor—rather not at all than not well ; but in the lower department there are classical prizemen . Our pool * old friend Ale ret Smith would persist to the last in his platitudes against Greek and Latin , listened _ to as oracles by people of , weak minds and discontinuous education ; it was indeed the only deep truth which he ever attempted to convey , and was no doubt the honest conviction of a mind which had been
broken away rather too soon from the H 031 EB and Yihgil . ^ Ten - < n ~ i 7 ^ eTrfrrH ^ areM ^ o- ~ ft ^ in ^ ' * fi ^ fo * " . * generally because their schools had been bad ones , for we never yet met with a man who had been made what could in the humblest sense be called a Greek or Latin scholar , who ever regretted it . This general talk is now over . The scholar is still respected ; ancl if a father , for special reasons , prefers German to Greek for his son , the niattor is arranged quietly , without immodest abuse of studies which are still deemed of importance by all those best qualified to judge on matters of general education . However , if any men in the civilized world were likely to have thrown the classics behind them , we should have said that the Australians would be the men . It seems to have turned out otherwise . Amongst much that is good in the addresses , there appears to TiB to be one important defect or omission . Religious interests of all kinds are strong in the colony , and conflicting- ones ; and we should be sorry to see an institution designed for universal good become a stronghold of ecclesiastical despotism ,, or an arena for contending religious parties , but there might have been at least inore of the form of usual deferential acknowledgment of divine superintendence , in which all Christian sects agree , something moro than the metaphors of " Heavenly dew" and the recognition of " Time " as the main
" Corrector where our judgments err . " "Wo scarcely remember n solitary instanco where so little reference wns made to " Providence , ' " or to moral purposes . At the next anniversary wo hopo the- superintendents of the , ceremony will not deem silen ' eo on such subjects the wisest or most palatable course . This defect wo feel bound to notice . May the University , liowtivoiv obtain tlia . blessing ,, for which , on this occasion , it ^ did not deign to ' rtfk , nnd grow in years and in honour , till it rorhhulH us bv its accomplishments and pureuitp of that onmicut scholar mul Voldier of Kltzabtittt , tho doBoorntion of whoso nnme we once regi ' ettod , and till amongst its other studies it can speak ' of its " botany course " without either a , smilo or a . pnngv
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the eye of our just and equal laws , and have given ourselves up to the belief that nowhere , except under the shadow of the . Inquisition , could such an outrage have even been attempted on the plea-of glorifying God . and advancing the true faith . But our English Jesuits ha \ e . shown that they can dare quite as ¦ much as any Roman priest , and with as reckless a disregard of the means they employ . Indeed , in this respect , the conduct of the persons who attempted to kidnap young Vansittart is infinitely more discreditable than that , of the priests of Bologna . Mortara was the son of a poor Jew ; Vaxsittart is the son of a ^ wealthy member of Parliament , and it was no secret that he would inherit a very considerable property . Some excuse may be urged for tlie tyranny of those who make proselytes purely out of a love for souls , and in the conscientious belief " that they are saving fellow-creatures from perdition . Religious zeal may lead such missionaries to employ means not altogether warrantable , but still their motives are
entitled to some degree of respect . It is a very different thing , however , when the primary motive is a sordid one , and when the aironcies made use of are those of deceit , concealment , imposition , and evil counsel - Young Vansittart's history during the lastthree months , as originally given by himself , is both curious and startling—quite a story of religious adventure by flood and field . His father . Mr . Vansittart , M . P , for Windsor , intended him for the navy ; but the boy failed to pass his examination , being unable to grapple with mathematics and 'double decimals . Indeed , it appears that the lad was rather deficient in intellect . After this failure he was placed with a Mr . Jaxsfx , who kept a military school at Brighton . In the holidays young Vaxsittart went on the Continent , his father being anxious that he should acquire a . pure French accent , with perhaps a smattering of German . The youth , however , seemed to bring back with him stronger impressions of the Catholic churches he bad visited than of anything else . Shortly after the bov ' . s return from the Continent Mr . VANSiTT . vjn' was
telegraphed for to Brighton , and oil going down he found that ins sou had been abducted from the school by a priest of the naiiie of Ceert- ; - and it was only on the . threat of a' iriand ' amifs -that CLEirr was -induced- to restore the boy to his father . Mr . Vaxsittatit now looked about foi * a sound Protestant clergyman with whom he could place liis son , and he found such a person as he desired in the Re \ % Mr ; H 0 Ddiox , vPf Riiclcheath . _ So to Rackheath the boy was sent , and ' Mr . " Hodgson deposes that ¦ '' while at his house the boy had not shown uny disinclination to join in Protestant worship ; but , on the contrary , exhibited un unusual inclination iii tiiat direction .
Young Taxstttart , however , had not been many days at Mr . Hodgson ' s before his Jesuit friends in Brighton found out his retreat . One day , when Mr . Hodgson had left home , the boy observed a man in a long 1 blue cloak and a little Italian liafc crouching down under a hedge near the rectory . On approaching this mysterious personage he discovered him to be a Catholic priest , named Gjugixi . to whom ho had been introduced , at Brighton , " How do you do , my dear young friend ? " snicl the crouching personage ; " I hope you will notdesertour faith ;"— - but here the clerical gentleman checked himself , and proceeded to make the boy take an oath upon ' a hdlv relic that he would never
melvHo 7 rniavmg ~~ sl ^^ pious father gave this curb and comprehensive , if Hot , V •] t . ' < r : lntly expres ! 5 ed . piece " of advice : — " Cut and run to the Jesuit chapel , Willow Lune , Norwich , and remember , that ' whatever yon arc doing is for the glory of Gop . Addio caris ' sjino , ' . ' said tho priest , kissing the boy on the cheek ; " we shuU meet again , " Master Vansittakt is now fairly launched on his advent ures , . He cuts and runs , according to the priestly advice , aiid arrives in JCurwich ; and as he is wandering about , sctircely knowing * what business ho has there at all , Canon Dalton spies him from a window , and beckons him in . The boy tells his story . His father is n . Protest ant , but he himself' wishes to be a Catholic , and he has run away from
school to embrace the faith ; . . at which recital the etmon v . as so delighted that ho went off in a fit of chuckling , and , rubbing Ins hands , said it was " a capital joke . " As a reward lor this meritorious act , Canon Dalto > " treated Master Vanstttakt to a glass of wine—after which tho lad felt rather stupefied—and then pressed him to take another . And now , us ho wished to become a good Cutliolic , as it wns desirable that his Protestant father should not bq ablo to find him , Canon Dalton decided tlnif ho should bo sent to " Father Titomas , " a close and discreet acquaintance of his in London . But here it little difficulty siro > o nhoutfunds . Tho canon was very zealous in tho cau « o of the tnu ; faith , but not to tho extent of being willing to pay eighteen ^ hillings , the amount of tho boy ' s faro to London . Ah * ! he hud ; i watcli , si very nice silver watch , worth two pound's . It was not his own .
Well , thiitcud not matter ; and Canon Dalton knuw a Mr . Mkiia , a good Catholic watehniaker , who would buy it of him . S . i Canon Dalton and his young friend are ofl' to the watchnmker ' s , ( ho vuuno , ' ^ friend walking in tjia . cimon's shadow ., for fenx . .. o . l "_ _ cl . v . tv * : t . i « > n . Mr . Bkha was a very good Catholic , nnd , ? ikc tlip onumi , xory zculous in the cnuso of Mother Clum-h ; hut he declined to t : ivo fiftoen shillings for Master Vansittaijt ' h ¦ " booulilul wlwr wntch . " Thoro was quite a touch of the Ltvito about Mr .. Bkiia's jirwceding . Ho was awaro that the wutch did not belong , to the hoy , and ho could not yivo Hftoen shillings ., Hut he know u frit .-iul , an niiotionccr— " a friend in tho city "—and porhapa he would buy it . Mr . Bfita went 1 o poo his friend tho auctioneer , and t'juno ' hack in an uncommonly short tinio with tho required amount , whereupon tho canon chuckled , again , and said , " Capital , capital I " The ennon ' s generosity and self-sacrifice in tho etui" ? of truo
11 HE caso of the Roman Jew boy , Mortaua , is totally eclipsod . by that of tho English Protestant boy , Vanshtaut . We have congratulated ourselves that so grons an interference- with personal liberty ¦ mid paternal rights ? could never tnko place under
Faith And Filthy Lucre.
FAITH A " NP FILTHY LUCRE .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 30, 1860, page 608, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2354/page/8/
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