The Henson Journals

[167]

Septuagesima, February 12th, 1911.

A beautiful morning. I celebrated at 8 a.m. in St Margt's. There were 15 comts. Then, after breakfast, I walked along the Embankment to the Temple, enjoying the sunshine & the river & the unaccustomed beauty of everything. There was a large congregation: which listened very quietly to a sermon on the words of St Paul "They do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we are incorruptible."

After service I lunched with the Benchers of the Inner Temple: & took in a pretty young lady named Bosanquet. Birrell was there, plump & amiable.

At Evensong I preached in S. Margaret's to a large congregation. It was an old sermon which has appeared in print in the volume called 'Preaching to the Times'. Craik was evidently restive under it, and dealt with me plainly after service! He is a good fellow at bottom, & so I take no offence: but his prejudices are unmanageable.

[168] [symbol]

This week has been drearily wasted by the sessions of Convocation. My attendance was intermittent, for on Wednesday, the 15th, I went to Sutton, and performed the marriage ceremony for Cissy Rawle. Prayer–book Revision, cut short by the Dissolution, makes another feeble start. We carried a few amendments of the Rubricks of the Communion Office.

On Thursday, the 16th Feb; there was an election to the Poetry Professorship at Oxford. Warren & Beeching were candidates. The former was elected by 174 votes to 147.

The death of Eustace Balfour was announced in the 'Times' on Wednesday: & by an unfortunate mischance, 'Punch' appeared with a cartoon representing Arthur as principal mourner beside the gravestone of Tariff Reform. The Editor of Punch sent a letter of explanation & regret to the Times.

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Issues and controversies: prayer book revision