The Henson Journals

[521]

Thursday, December 9th, 1915.

493rd day

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I must have taken another chill, for today I am a miserable creature. However, I made some preparations for my lecture to the Grammar School boys tonight on "The Great Fire of London as seen by a Westminster Schoolboy": and I attended Evensong. Headlam & his wife called at tea–time, and left about 5.30 p.m. But within half an hour they returned, finding their way blocked by a fierce snow–storm. So they stayed here for the night. I walked through the snow to the school, & gave my lecture. I had much talk with Headlam, who expressed himself much more liberally on ecclesiastical questions than usually is the case with him. I think the prominence, into which some opinions of his on the subject of Apostolic succession have been brought by controversialists, has made him conceive of himself as the leader of "central churchmanship" against the Higher Anglicans. Anyway, the change is to the good; and should be encouraged.

I ran through Pilkington's "Commentary on the Prophets Haggai & Obadiah", published in 1560. It expresses with much vigour the mind of the Marian exile, and shows how utterly Protestant Elizabeth's new bishops were. But its main interest is in the side–lights it casts on the society of that age. He is fond of quoting popular proverbs. Two of these are notable. After telling his readers that "shooting is a special thing, not given to all men & nations, but chiefly" to Jews, Persians, & Englishmen, he says: "Look at our neighbours round about us, & coming both from one ancestor; & it will easily appear how true it is. If any shoot ill–favouredly, we say 'he shooteth like a Scot': & yet some few of them shoot well too." Again, he quotes the "common saying" – "A weapon bodes peace", when he would urge the importance of adequate military preparations.

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