ue--that neither faith alone nor reason alone is a sufficient guide: a
man's safety lies neither in faith nor reason, but in temper--in the
power of fusing faith and reason, even when they appear most mutually
destructive.

That we all feel temper to be the first thing is plain from the fact that
when we see two men quarrelling we seldom even try to weigh their
arguments--we look instinctively at the tone or spirit or temper which
the two display and give our verdict accordingly.

A man of temper will be certain in spite of uncertainty, and at the same
time uncertain in spite of certainty; reasonable in spite of his resting
mainly upon faith rather than reason, and full of faith even when
appealing most strongly to reason. If it is asked, In what should a man
have faith? To what faith should he turn when reason has led him to a
conclusion which he distrusts? the answer is, To the current feeling
among those whom he most looks up to--looking upon himself with suspicion
if he is either among the foremost or the laggers. In the rough, homely
common sense of the community to which we belong we have as firm ground
as can be got. This, though not absolutely infallible, is secure enough
for practical purposes.

As I have said, Catholic priests have rather a fascination for me--when
they are not Englishmen. I should say that the best North Italian
priests are more openly tolerant than our English clergy generally are. I
remember picking up one who was walking along a road, and giving him a
lift in my trap. Of course we fell to talking, and it came out that I
was a member of the Church of England. "Ebbene, Caro Signore," said he
when we shook hands at parting; "mi rincresce che lei non crede come io,
ma in questi tempi non possiamo avere tutti i medesimi principii." {287}

* * * * *

The one thing, he said, which shocked him with the English, was the
manner in which they went about distributing tracts upon the Continent. I
said no one could deplore the practice more profoundly than myself, but
that there were stupid and conceited people in every country, who would
insist upon thrusting their opinions upon people who did not want them.
He replied that the Italians travelled not a little in England, but that
he was sure not one of them would dream of offering Catholic tracts to
people, for example, in the streets of London. Certainly I have never
seen an Italian to be guilty of such rudeness. It seems to me that it