The Henson Journals

[480]

Saturday, July 15th, 1916.

712th day

I presided at a meeting of Chapter. There was but little real business, but the Archdeacon none the less managed to make himself very exasperating. We settled not to meet again until October 14th. Nominations for the living of Norham are to be sent in by Sept 30th. Then I discussed the arrangements for August 6th with the Precentor. I attended Evensong, and afterwards wrote a sheaf of letters. I wrote to the Durham Incumbents inviting them to the service on August 6th, and asking that their choirmen should assist the Choir of the Cathedral. Caröe & I dined with the Quirks, & met one of the Bishop's friends from Sheffield who had been active in promoting the Bishoprick scheme. He seemed to think that a mistake had been made in fixing the limit of the episcopal income at so low an amount as £2500: & gave an instance in which for so petty a sum as £15 for the legal expenses incurred in a necessary & successful prosecution an appeal for subscriptions had been issued! Parker Smith writes to me about an offer which Lord Selborne has made to set up a crucifix and stone altar in the school chapel at Winchester as a memorial to his son who died in Mesopotamia. His Lordship insists on these 'as being what W. of Wykeham wd have done'. This reason would justify some drastic alterations of the system & tradition of a modern English public school. Why does not Selborne acknowledge that he is really influenced by the stream of medievalising fashion which carries all before it in the Anglican Party to which he belongs, and which has received immense impetus from many circumstances of the War. The wayside crucifixes of 'atheistic' France are likely to give the coup–de–grace to the simplicity of 'protestant' England! Sentiment prevails over reason & much besides!

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