THE LATE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Whilst the memory of our late venerable Archbishop is still fresh in men's minds, it might interest your readers if you could kindly find space to publish a few striking words of his delivered in the early days of his career at Rugby, which are probably little known. They were addressed to the Sixth Form one morning before first lesson, I think it was in 1860 or 1861, at the crisis when the excitement over the publication of "Essays and Reviews" was raging very fiercely. I had left school at the time, but the words as spoken were written down by a member of the Sixth Form who was present, and passed from him to me. I imagine there are very few copies, if any, of this little speech still extant, but it appears to me of singular interest at the present moment, and in happy har- mony with the big majestic life over which so many are mournfully lingering.—I am, Sir, &c., " Before I came to Rugby, before I thought of coming to Rugby, I was asked to write in that book. To have written in that book as Head-Master of Rugby would have been a blunder. It was perhaps a blunder in me not to reconsider my decision of letting the essay be published, when I came to Rugby; but inasmuch as it was a past act, it never occurred to me to reconsider it. I thought, and I still think even after what has happened, that that book ought to have been published. The book contains opinions which had long been lurking in corners ; it was time they were dragged to light and faced. We, the essayists, knew who were going to write, but we did not know what each was going to write about. We agreed each to write what he thought, and we were only responsible for our own essays. This was clear to us all, because we knew before writing that we differed widely. In con- clusion, I would warn you against two things, against entering on the speculations contained in that book in a light or cursory way, and against supposing that I agree with all that is said in that book. I am sure you know me too well to suppose that for an instant."
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