Ernestbeingabouttwoandthirtyyearsoldandhavinghadhisflingforthelastthreeorfouryears，nowsettleddowninLondon，andbegantowritesteadily。Uptothistimehehadgivenabundantpromise，buthadproducednothing，norindeeddidhecomebeforethepublicforanotherthreeorfouryearsyet。
HelivedasIhavesaidveryquietly，seeinghardlyanyonebutmyself，andthethreeorfouroldfriendswithwhomIhadbeenintimateforyears。Ernestandweformedourlittleset，andoutsideofthismygodsonwashardlyknownatall。
Hismainexpensewastravelling，whichheindulgedinatfrequentintervals，butforshorttimesonly。Dowhathewouldhecouldnotgetthroughmorethanaboutfifteenhundredayear；therestofhisincomehegaveawayifhehappenedtofindacasewherehethoughtmoneywouldbewellbestowed，orputbyuntilsomeopportunityaroseofgettingridofitwithadvantage。
Iknewhewaswriting，butwehadhadsomanylittledifferencesofopinionuponthisheadthatbyatacitunderstandingthesubjectwasseldomreferredtobetweenus，andIdidnotknowthathewasactuallypublishingtillonedayhebroughtmeabookandtoldmeflatitwashisown。Iopeneditandfoundittoheaseriesofsemi-theological，semi-socialessays，purportingtohavebeenwrittenbysixorsevendifferentpeople，andviewingthesameclassofsubjectsfromdifferentstandpoints。
Peoplehadnotyetforgottenthefamous“EssaysandReviews。”andErnesthadwickedlygivenafewtouchestoatleasttwooftheessayswhichsuggestedvaguelythattheyhadbeenwrittenbyabishop。TheessayswerealloftheminsupportoftheChurchofEngland，andappearedbothbyinternalsuggestion，andtheirprimafaciepurporttobetheworkofsomehalf-dozenmenofexperienceandhighpositionwhohaddeterminedtofacethedifficultquestionsofthedaynolessboldlyfromwithinthebosomoftheChurchthantheChurch’senemieshadfacedthemfromwithoutherpale。
TherewasanessayontheexternalevidencesoftheResurrection；
anotheronthemarriagelawsofthemosteminentnationsoftheworldintimespastandpresent；anotherwasdevotedtoaconsiderationofthemanyquestionswhichmustbereopenedandreconsideredontheirmeritsiftheteachingoftheChurchofEnglandweretoceasetocarrymoralauthoritywithit；anotherdealtwiththemorepurelysocialsubjectofmiddleclassdestitution；anotherwiththeauthenticityorrathertheunauthenticityofthefourthgospel——anotherwasheaded“IrrationalRationalism。”andthereweretwoorthreemore。
Theywereallwrittenvigorouslyandfearlesslyasthoughbypeopleusedtoauthority；allgrantedthattheChurchprofessedtoenjoinbeliefinmuchwhichnoonecouldacceptwhohadbeenaccustomedtoweighevidence；butitwascontendedthatsomuchvaluabletruthhadgotsocloselymixedupwiththesemistakes，thatthemistakeshadbetternotbemeddledwith。TolaygreatstressonthesewaslikecavillingattheQueen’srighttoreign，onthegroundthatWilliamtheConquerorwasillegitimate。
Onearticlemaintainedthatthoughitwouldbeinconvenienttochangethewordsofourprayerbookandarticles，itwouldnotbeinconvenienttochangeinaquietwaythemeaningswhichweputuponthosewords。This，itwasargued，waswhatwasactuallydoneinthecaseoflaw；thishadbeenthelaw’smodeofgrowthandadaptation，andhadinallagesbeenfoundarighteousandconvenientmethodofeffectingchange。ItwassuggestedthattheChurchshouldadoptit。
InanotheressayitwasboldlydeniedthattheChurchresteduponreason。Itwasprovedincontestablythatitsultimatefoundationwasandoughttobefaith，therebeingindeednootherultimatefoundationthanthisforanyofman’sbeliefs。Ifso，thewriterclaimedthattheChurchcouldnotbeupsetbyreason。Itwasfounded，likeeverythingelse，oninitialassumptions，thatistosayonfaith，andifitwastobeupsetitwastobeupsetbyfaith，bythefaithofthosewhointheirlivesappearedmoregraceful，morelovable，betterbred，infact，andbetterabletoovercomedifficulties。Anysectwhichshoweditssuperiorityintheserespectsmightcarryallbeforeit，butnoneotherwouldmakemuchheadwayforlongtogether。Christianitywastrueinsofarasithadfosteredbeauty，andithadfosteredmuchbeauty。Itwasfalseinsofarasitfosteredugliness，andithadfosteredmuchugliness。Itwasthereforenotalittletrueandnotalittlefalse；onthewholeonemightgofartherandfareworse；thewisestcoursewouldbetolivewithit，andmakethebestandnottheworstofit。Thewriterurgedthatwebecomepersecutorsasamatterofcourseassoonaswebegintofeelverystronglyuponanysubject；
weoughtnotthereforetodothis；weoughtnottofeelverystrongly——evenuponthatinstitutionwhichwasdearertothewriterthananyother——theChurchofEngland。Weshouldbechurchmen，butsomewhatlukewarmchurchmen，inasmuchasthosewhocareverymuchabouteitherreligionorirreligionareseldomobservedtobeverywellbredoragreeablepeople。TheChurchherselfshouldapproachasnearlytothatofLaodiceaaswascompatiblewithhercontinuingtobeaChurchatall，andeachindividualmembershouldonlybehotinstrivingtobeaslukewarmaspossible。
Thebookrangwiththecouragealikeofconvictionandofanentireabsenceofconviction；itappearedtobetheworkofmenwhohadarule-of-thumbwayofsteeringbetweeniconoclasmontheonehandandcredulityontheother；whocutGordianknotsasamatterofcoursewhenitsuitedtheirconvenience；whoshrankfromnoconclusionintheory，norfromanywantoflogicinpracticesolongastheywereillogicalofmaliceprepense，andforwhattheyheldtobesufficientreason。Theconclusionswereconservative，quietistic，comforting。Theargumentsbywhichtheywerereachedweretakenfromthemostadvancedwritersoftheday。Allthatthesepeoplecontendedforwasgrantedthem，butthefruitsofvictorywereforthemostparthandedovertothosealreadyinpossession。
Perhapsthepassagewhichattractedmostattentioninthebookwasonefromtheessayonthevariousmarriagesystemsoftheworld。Itran：-
“Ifpeoplerequireustoconstruct。”exclaimedthewriter，“wesetgoodbreedingasthecorner-stoneofouredifice。Wewouldhaveiteverpresentconsciouslyorunconsciouslyinthemindsofallasthecentralfaithinwhichtheyshouldliveandmoveandhavetheirbeing，asthetouchstoneofallthingswherebytheymaybeknownasgoodorevilaccordingastheymakeforgoodbreedingoragainstit。”
“Thatamanshouldhavebeenbredwellandbreedotherswell；thathisfigure，head，hands，feet，voice，mannerandclothesshouldcarryconvictionuponthispoint，sothatnoonecanlookathimwithoutseeingthathehascomeofgoodstockandislikelytothrowgoodstockhimself，thisisthedesiderandum。Andthesamewithawoman。Thegreatestnumberofthesewell-bredmenandwomen，andthegreatesthappinessofthesewell-bredmenandwomen，thisisthehighestgood；towardsthisallgovernment，allsocialconventions，allart，literatureandscienceshoulddirectlyorindirectlytend。
Holymenandholywomenarethosewhokeepthisunconsciouslyinviewatalltimeswhetherofworkorpastime。”
IfErnesthadpublishedthisworkinhisownnameIshouldthinkitwouldhavefallenstillbornfromthepress，buttheformhehadchosenwascalculatedatthattimetoarousecuriosity，andasI
havesaidhehadwickedlydroppedafewhintswhichthereviewersdidnotthinkanyonewouldhavebeenimpudentenoughtodoifhewerenotabishop，oratanyratesomeoneinauthority。Awell-
knownjudgewasspokenofasbeinganotherofthewriters，andtheideaspreaderelongthatsixorsevenoftheleadingbishopsandjudgeshadlaidtheirheadstogethertoproduceavolume，whichshouldatonceoutbid“EssaysandReviews“andcounteracttheinfluenceofthatthenstillfamouswork。
Reviewersaremenoflikepassionswithourselves，andwiththemaswitheveryoneelseomneignotumpromagnifico。Thebookwasreallyanableoneandaboundedwithhumour，justsatire，andgoodsense。
Itstruckanewnoteandthespeculationwhichforsometimewasrifeconcerningitsauthorshipmademanyturntoitwhowouldneverhavelookedatitotherwise。Oneofthemostgushingweeklieshadafitoverit，anddeclaredittobethefinestthingthathadbeendonesincethe“ProvincialLetters“ofPascal。Onceamonthorsothatweeklyalwaysfoundsomepicturewhichwasthefinestthathadbeendonesincetheoldmasters，orsomesatirethatwasthefinestthathadappearedsinceSwiftorsomesomethingwhichwasincomparablythefinestthathadappearedsincesomethingelse。IfErnesthadputhisnametothebook，andthewriterhadknownthatitwasbyanobody，hewoulddoubtlesshavewritteninaverydifferentstrain。ReviewersliketothinkthatforaughttheyknowtheyarepattingaDukeorevenaPrinceofthebloodupontheback，andlayitonthicktilltheyfindtheyhavebeenonlypraisingBrown，JonesorRobinson。Thentheyaredisappointed，andasageneralrulewillpayBrown，JonesorRobinsonout。
ErnestwasnotsomuchuptotheropesoftheliteraryworldasI
was，andIamafraidhisheadwasalittleturnedwhenhewokeuponemorningtofindhimselffamous。HewasChristina’sson，andperhapswouldnothavebeenabletodowhathehaddoneifhewasnotcapableofoccasionalundueelation。Erelong，however，hefoundoutallaboutit，andsettledquietlydowntowriteaseriesofbooks，inwhichheinsistedonsayingthingswhichnooneelsewouldsayeveniftheycould，orcouldeveniftheywould。
Hehasgothimselfabadliterarycharacter。Isaidtohimlaughinglyonedaythathewaslikethemaninthelastcenturyofwhomitwassaidthatnothingbutsuchacharactercouldkeepdownsuchparts。
Helaughedandsaidhewouldratherbelikethatthanlikeamodernwriterortwowhomhecouldname，whosepartsweresopoorthattheycouldbekeptupbynothingbutbysuchacharacter。
IremembersoonafteroneofthesebookswaspublishedIhappenedtomeetMrsJupptowhom，bytheway，Ernestmadeasmallweeklyallowance。ItwasatErnest’schambers，andforsomereasonwewereleftaloneforafewminutes。Isaidtoher：“MrPontifexhaswrittenanotherbook，MrsJupp。”
“Lor’now。”saidshe，“hashereally？Deargentleman！Isitaboutlove？”Andtheoldsinnerthrewupawickedsheep’seyeglanceatmefromunderheragedeyelids。Iforgetwhattherewasinmyreplywhichprovokedit——probablynothing——butshewentrattlingonatfullspeedtotheeffectthatBellhadgivenheraticketfortheopera，“So，ofcourse。”shesaid，“Iwent。Ididn’tunderstandonewordofit，foritwasallFrench，butIsawtheirlegs。Ohdear，ohdear！I’mafraidIshan’tbeheremuchlonger，andwhendearMrPontifexseesmeinmycoffinhe’llsay，’PooroldJupp，she’llnevertalkbroadanymore’；butblessyouI’mnotsooldasallthat，andI’mtakinglessonsindancing。”
AtthismomentErnestcameinandtheconversationwaschanged。MrsJuppaskedifhewasstillgoingonwritingmorebooksnowthatthisonewasdone。“OfcourseIam。”heanswered，“I’malwayswritingbooks；hereisthemanuscriptofmynext；“andheshowedheraheapofpaper。
“Wellnow。”sheexclaimed，“dear，dearme，andisthatmanuscript？
I’veoftenheardtalkaboutmanuscripts，butIneverthoughtI
shouldlivetoseesomemyself。Well！well！Sothatisreallymanuscript？”
Therewereafewgeraniumsinthewindowandtheydidnotlookwell。
ErnestaskedMrsJuppifsheunderstoodflowers。“Iunderstandthelanguageofflowers。”shesaid，withoneofhermostbewitchingleers，andonthiswesentherofftillsheshouldchoosetohonouruswithanothervisit，whichsheknowssheisprivilegedfromtimetotimetodo，forErnestlikesher。
