The Henson Journals

[272]

Friday, October 27th, 1916.

816th day

Canon Robinson of the S.P.G wrote to ask me whether I would be willing to undertake to edit a popular edition of F. D. Maurice's Letters, and to write an Introduction. This morning I replied that I would not be unwilling, if I could find the time. After attending Mattins, I settled down to an attempt to preface a sermon for Asize Sunday. After attending Evensong I went to see Freeman, who is down with something like influenza. Philip le Mesurier came to see me. He said that his application to the army had come to nothing, apparently on account of his Jersey residence. We has some conversation together, from which I gathered that the atmosphere of S. Chad's is rather more "Catholick" than he relishes. The "Guardian" contains a very vivaciously written criticism of Gore's little book on Anglican doctrine by Ralph, who "lets himself go" with considerable effect, and perhaps with some imprudence.

The picture "A Legend of St Cuthbert" by W. Robert Spence, which he has presented to the Dean and Chapter, arrived from Newcastle, during Evensong, and was placed in the entrance to the Library. In Walter Bagehot's Essay on Lord Brougham there is a striking account of the situation in England, at the close of the Napoleonic War. It is certainly disquieting enough when considered as a probable precedent for the state of things which will follow the present war. Save for a brief unfriendly notice in the "Guardian", the church papers ignore my "Edinburgh Review" article altogether. The "Westminster Gazette" mentions that the Dean of Canterbury and I are opposed to the scheme of the Archbishops' Committee's Report, and that Lord Selborne will probably answer our objections.

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