Abstract
No one, perhaps, found John Henry Newman's life as fascinating as he himself did. Witness this curious “Autobiography in Minature“: | "John Newman wrote this just before he was going up to Greek on Tuesday, June 10, 1812, when it only wanted 3 days to his going home, thinking of the time (at home) when looking at this he shall recollect when he did it. | At school now back again. | And now at Alton where he never expected to be, being lately cone for the Vacation"from Oxford where he dared not hope to be - how quick time passes and how ignorant are we of futurity, April 8th 1819 Thursday. | And at Oxford, but with far different feelings - let the date speak — Friday February 16th 1821 - 1 | And now in my rooms at Oriel College, a Tutor, a Parish Priest and Fellow, having"suffered much, slowly advancing to what is good and holy, and led on by God's hand blindly, not knowing whither He is taking me. Even so, O Lord. September 7, 1829. Monday morning. 1/4 past 10. | And now a Catholic at Maryvale and expecting soon to set out for Rome. May 29, 1846. | And now a Priest and Father of the Oratory, having just received the degree of Doctor from the Holy Father. September 23, 1850." | And now a Cardinal. March 2 1884.2 Material on such a man is hardly meager. There are a score of biographies of Newman and many other books and articles on particular aspects of his life and thought. To all of them are added Newman's own papers and autobiographical works. How then is still another study to be justified?