ed from publishing any more
drawings.
Nigel Stewart's meeting of the De Rebus Ecclesiasticis together with the
visit to Spain induced Michael to turn his attention to that side of
undergraduate life interested in religion. He went to see Canon
Harrowell, and even accepted from him an invitation to a breakfast at
which he met about half a dozen Klebe men who talked about bishops.
Afterward Canon Harrowell seemed anxious to have a quiet talk with him
in the library, but Michael made an excuse, not feeling inclined for
self-revelation so quickly on top of six Klebe men and the eggs and
bacon. He went to see Father Pallant at Cowley, but Father Pallant
appeared so disappointed that he had brought him no scientific problems
to reconcile with Catholic dogma, and was moreover so contemptuous of
Dom Cuthbert Manners, O.S.B. and Clere Abbey that Michael never went to
see him again. He preferred old Sandifer, who with all the worldly
benefits of good wine, good food, and pleasant company, offered in
addition his own courtly Caroline presence that added to wit and
learning and trenchant theology made Michael regret he had not called
upon him sooner.
Nigel Stewart took Michael to a meeting of De Rebus Ecclesiasticis, at
which he met not only the six Keble men who had talked about bishops at
Canon Harrowell's breakfast, but about twenty more members of the same
college, all equally fervid and in his opinion equally objectionable.
Michael also went with Nigel Stewart to Mass at St. Barnabas', where he
saw the same Keble men all singing conspicuously and all conveying the
impression that every Sunday they occupied the same place. By the end of
the term Michael's aroused interest in religion at Oxford died out. He
disliked the sensation of belonging to a particular school of thought
within a university. The ecclesiastical people were like the ampelopsis
at Trinity: they were highly colored, but so inappropriate to Oxford,
that they seemed almost vulgar. It was ridiculous they should have to
worship in Oxford at a very ugly modern church in the middle of very
ugly modern slums, as ridiculous as it was to call in the aid of
American creepers to cover up the sins of modern architects.
Yet Michael was at a loss to explain to himself why the ecclesiastical
people were so obviously out of place in Oxford. After all, they were
the heirs of a force which had persisted there for many years almost in
its present aspect: they were the heirs
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