The Henson Journals

[183]

Easter Day, April 4th, 1915.

244th day

A most glorious morning fulfilling the promise of a glowing sunset with which Hugh & I were entranced last night. The Holy Communion was preceded by Mattins & Litany at 7.45 a.m. I celebrated as the Statutes direct, & of my brethren Quirk & Knowling only were present. There were about 60 commts which is unusually few. At breakfast Dicey's loquacity threatened his total starvation! He told us one curious fact viz: that Lord Palmerston was a convinced Baconian, & was only held back by Lord Shaftesbury from publishing the fact. If he had done so, his political career might have been rightly terminated.

Knowling addressed the troops at 10 a.m. while I read over & gave final revision to my sermon. Hugh Lyon sought to take photographs with his pocket camera. There was a fair congregation in the Cathedral at the Choral Eucharist, when I preached from S. Paul's words "Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory thro' our Lord Jesus Christ". I limited myself severely to the subject of the Festival, & would not stray even for a sentence into the polemics suggested by the Tee–total faction. Col. Grimshaw & his wife came to lunch. At Evensong the singing was, I thought, unusually good. The service was preceded by a procession all round the cathedral. The acoustics of the Nine Altars are for this purpose admirable. Mead–Falkner & his wife came to tea. He is very depressed about the situation; says that ammunition & guns are pouring into Constantinople: that the Turks are fighting with extraordinary efficiency: that no one really knows how great an accumulation of War material the Germans possess. He speaks strongly about drink, & inclines to prohibition of the sale of spirits. Total prohibition of all alcoholic drinks he deprecates as imprudent, & not unlikely to provoke men to reprisals. Hugh & I walked up the hill to get a final view of the Cathedral, & then we all abandoned ourselves to the delights of Dicey's conversation until bed–time!

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