The Henson Journals
Sun 22 May 1910 to Thu 2 June 1910
Volume 17, Pages 77 to 79
[77]
Trinity Sunday, May 22nd, 1910.
A brilliant morning, & not too hot. I celebrated at 8 a.m. in St. Margts, bethinking me of the service in Cuddesdon 23 years ago when I read the Gospel at my Ordination. There were 18 cts.
There was a very large congregation at Mattins. This was the second time of reading that service, for we read it immediately after the early celebration of Holy Comn in order to dispense ourselves legally from using the Athanasian Creed. I did not preach again about the late King, thinking it well to keep to the subject of the Festival. My text was S. Matt. XI.25–30. The Offertory exceeded £21. Dr Ross from Glasgow, & his wife were in Church.
In the afternoon I went with Gilbert & Reggie to the Leysian Mission, and there addressed a body of about 500 men on "Christian Citizenship".
At Evensong I preached again in S. Margaret's. The Church was crowded: the atmosphere stifling: the preacher weary. In effect the sermon was a melancholy failure.
Dr Ross, Raleigh, Sir H. Craik, Miss Markham, Linetta, Albert, & Reggie came to supper. I sustained the meal with difficulty, & retired to bed immediately the guests had gone.
[78] [symbol]
On Friday, May 27th 1910, my wife & I travelled to Winchester, & stayed at the Deanery. After dinner there was a meeting of the Sub. Ctee for shortening the Litany &c.
On Saturday we spent the morning in calling on Mrs Fearon, & Burge. With the last we found Wickham, the Dean of Lincoln. Then we walked about the city.
After lunch we moved on to Oxford, where we stayed with the Master of Balliol. The Bp. of Southwark & Mrs Talbot were also there. On Sunday (May 29th) we attended the Celebration at 8 a.m. in the College Chapel, & received the Sacrament. Then we went to S. Mary's & heard the Dean of Salisbury ( Page–Roberts). He delivered a highly rhetorical sermon of a now obsolete type. I was shocked to see ladies in the undergraduates' gallery. Watson was in church, & took us to see his house in Christ Church.
We were entertained at lunch by Davis in the Balliol Common Room: Oman & his wife, Firth & his wife, Robertson & Miss Davis were the other guests. Afterwards we called on Dicey with whom we found Mary Scott radiant at having passed her final doctor's examn; Oman, where I was pleased to see my godson, Charlie; & Miss Anson, where we found Sir Fredk Pollock. By this time it was nearly time for service in chapel. Here I preached to a pleasantly attentive company of young men. The Bp. & his wife & daughter were also there: & heard [79] a sermon, which must have been extremely distasteful. For I thought well to make the associations of May 29th the theme of my discourse, taking occasion to lament the Restoration settlement, & call for another Oxford Movement to remedy the mischiefs of the last. A. L. Smith expressed his warm approval, & so did Davis: but the Talbots maintained an eloquent silence. I dined in Hall, and afterwards attended the concert there. In common room I had much conversation with Lindsay, the lecturer in philosophy, who is a son of Principal Lindsay. Urquhart came in, & was very friendly.
On Monday, the 30th May, we returned to Westminster before lunch.
On Thursday, June 2nd 1910, I sent in a 'Memorandum' to the Divorce Commission, as the basis of examination on June 27th.
On Friday Mr Zabriski lunched here.
Issues and controversies: Athanasian Creed; divorce