n his diocese
became a Catholic; the papers at once reported on authority from "a
very high quarter," that, after his reception, "the Oxford men had
been recommending him to retain his living." I had reasons for
thinking that the allusion was to me, and I authorised the editor of
a paper, who had inquired of me on the point, to "give it, as far as
I was concerned, an unqualified contradiction;"--when from a motive
of delicacy he hesitated, I added "my direct and indignant
contradiction." "Whoever is the author of it, no correspondence or
intercourse of any kind, direct or indirect, has passed," I continued
to the Editor, "between Mr. S. and myself, since his conforming to
the Church of Rome, except my formally and merely acknowledging the
receipt of his letter, in which he informed me of the fact, without,
as far as I recollect, my expressing any opinion upon it. You may
state this as broadly as I have set it down." My denial was told to
the Bishop; what took place upon it is given in a letter from which I
copy. "My father showed the letter to the Bishop, who, as he laid it
down, said, 'Ah, those Oxford men are not ingenuous.' 'How do you
mean?' I asked my father. 'Why,' said the Bishop, 'they advised Mr.
B. S. to retain his living after he turned Catholic. I know that to
be a fact, because A. B. told me so.'" "The Bishop," continues the
letter, "who is perhaps the most influential man in reality on the
bench, evidently believes it to be the truth." Dr. Pusey too wrote
for me to the Bishop; and the Bishop instantly beat a retreat. "I
have the honour," he says in the autograph which I transcribe, "to
acknowledge the receipt of your note, and to say in reply that it has
not been stated by me (though such a statement has, I believe,
appeared in some of the Public Prints), that Mr. Newman had advised
Mr. B. S. to retain his living, after he had forsaken our Church. But
it has been stated to me, that Mr. Newman was in close correspondence
with Mr. B. S., and, being fully aware of his state of opinions and
feelings, yet advised him to continue in our communion. Allow me to
add," he says to Dr. Pusey, "that neither your name, nor that of Mr.
Keble, was mentioned to me in connection with that of Mr. B. S."

I was not going to let the Bishop off on this evasion, so I wrote to
him myself. After quoting his letter to Dr. Pusey, I continued,
"I beg to trouble your Lordship with my own account of the two
allegations" [_close corres