avour to
give.

"I believe you will find that it has been merely a delicacy on your
son's part, which has delayed his speaking to you about me for two
months past; a delicacy, lest he should say either too much or too
little about me. I have urged him several times to speak to you.

"Nothing can be done after your letter, but to recommend him to go to
A. B. (his home) at once. I am very sorry to part with him."

4. The following letter is addressed to a Catholic prelate, who
accused me of coldness in my conduct towards him:--

"April 16, 1845. I was at that time in charge of a ministerial office
in the English Church, with persons entrusted to me, and a Bishop to
obey; how could I possibly write otherwise than I did without
violating sacred obligations and betraying momentous interests which
were upon me? I felt that my immediate, undeniable duty, clear if
anything was clear, was to fulfil that trust. It might be right
indeed to give it up, that was another thing; but it never could be
right to hold it, and to act as if I did not hold it.... If you knew
me, you would acquit me, I think, of having ever felt towards your
Lordship an unfriendly spirit, or ever having had a shadow on my mind
(as far as I dare witness about myself) of what might be called
controversial rivalry or desire of getting the better, or fear lest
the world should think I had got the worst, or irritation of any
kind. You are too kind indeed to imply this, and yet your words lead
me to say it. And now in like manner, pray believe, though I cannot
explain it to you, that I am encompassed with responsibilities, so
great and so various, as utterly to overcome me, unless I have mercy
from Him, who all through my life has sustained and guided me, and to
whom I can now submit myself, though men of all parties are thinking
evil of me."

5. "August 30, 1843. A. B. has suddenly conformed to the Church of
Rome. He was away for three weeks. I suppose I must say in my
defence, that he promised me distinctly to remain in our Church three
years, before I received him here."

Such fidelity, however, was taken _in malam partem_ by the high
Anglican authorities; they thought it insidious. I happen still to
have a correspondence, in which the chief place is filled by one of
the most eminent bishops of the day, a theologian and reader of the
Fathers, a moderate man, who at one time was talked of as likely to
have the reversion of the Primacy. A young clergyman i