The Henson Journals

[292]

Wednesday, October 18th, 1916.

807th day

[symbol]

It being S. Luke's day, I went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m., and received the Holy Sacrament. Watkins celebrated, 4 canons & 2 minor canons attended. I received from George Macmillan the draft of a petition to the Prime Minister asking him to grant a Civil List pension to Addis, the out–going Vicar of All Saints, Ennismore Gardens, and I signed & returned it. I revised the Sermon for next Sunday: and attended Evensong. Before the service I invested Edgar Dobbie with the S. Cuthbert's Cross, as a badge for good conduct. This is a device by which we seek to enlist vanity in the service of discipline! After service I walked with Gee. He told me privately that Lord Wolmer, who is evidently the aggressive agent in this "autonomy" agitation, has written to him suggesting that a meeting should be convened for considering the Report of the Archbishops' Committee, & offering to provide a speaker. [symbol] Gee is one of the "Archbishops' Messengers", and has received a printed commission from their Graces. This is another appeal to vanity, this time in the interest of a project, which has been launched with precipitation, conducted with vast parade of advertisement, & now is on the look–out for a justifying raison d'être. Stock [Stocks], the University Librarian, came to see me with respect to the Cock Library at S. Oswald's Vicarage. It appears that Cock was a learned non–juror, who died in 1702, and bequeathed about 1500 volumes, mainly controversial, to the Vicars of St. Oswald's together with £20 to provide for their suitable accommodation in the Vicarage of that parish: that Mr Loxley the present Vicar would like to transfer them to the Chapter Library: that there was some question as to his legal competence to do this. I promised to bring the matter before the Chapter.

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