election to an unimportant bishopric—such as Northampton or Shrewsbury. In fact, a private income is as effectual a qualification as could be desired where the diocese is poor and small, and needs no special energy to administrate it. When the bishopric of Clifton was vacant a few years ago, it was laughingly whispered in clerical circles that the first condition of the candidate must be the possession of the modest private income of 250l. per annum. When an important see falls vacant there is naturally much wire-pulling, both in England and at Rome; for the diocese has not a decisive vote in the election of its bishop. The canons meet and decide upon three names to send to Rome, as dignissimus, dignior, and dignus; however, the Pope frequently reverses the order of the names, and sometimes (as in Manning’s election) entirely disregards their ternum.
Thus it is that every conspicuous ecclesiastic, whether he be bishop, priest, or monk (for a monk may be raised to the episcopate without intermediary stages), is a continuous object of jealous observation and intrigue, in view of possible cardinal’s hats or bishoprics. The state of things which has excited so much interest in Purcell’s ‘Life of Manning’ is only exceptional in that the Church in England is not likely to have such a number of able men simultaneously again for some time; the jealousy, hostility, meanness, and persecution therein described are familiar to every ‘great ecclesiastical statesman,’ as
