The Henson Journals

[621]

Tuesday, January 25th, 1916.

540th day

I brought my wretched lecture on Robertson to a conclusion: but like it less than ever. After lunch I walked round Houghall Wood with Jim. The violence of the wind made conversation almost impossible. Then I attended Evensong: & afterwards read through the draft of a memorandum respecting the Works at S. Paul's Cathedral, which Caröe had prepared. It was written with the reckless freedom of a very private conversation. He asked my opinion of it: & I told him it was libellous. I advised him to omit all personalities, & leave nothing but a prosaic record stating what had been ascertained to be the state of the cathedral, and what had actually been done to it. He professed acquiescence; but I doubt whether the ardour of his temperament will not be too much for the prudence of his understanding. There are few more difficult achievements for a man of his type (and of mine) than to destroy a document once written with a fresh afflatus of the spirit!

After dinner I read out my precious lecture to my wife and Caröe, both of whom were overpowered with slumber long before I had finished! This is, indeed, a good certificate of quality for the performance! It was pretty to see how these kind people allowed themselves in falsehood in order to conceal their weakness & conciliate my vanity! But their involuntary somnolence was a more effective criticism than any which their deliberate courtesy could coin, & I found my own misgivings weightily reinforced. The truth is that not only am I extraordinarily dull, but Robertson's Life is unusually destitute of interesting elements. There is nothing more exciting than the absurd denunciations of the 'old maids of both sexes' under whom he groaned'!

---