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。