The Henson Journals

[60]

Whit Tuesday, May 29th, 1917.

1030th day

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The glorious weather continues. We spent the whole morning from breakfast to lunch loafing about the gardens, talking incessantly, & visiting the castle. I had not supposed that the buildings were so extensive, so varied, so stately, & so interesting. To keep them up in fitting state, to use them as they ought to be used, and to maintain the dignity of the Palatine See, which they embody so impressively, wd require revenues more considerable even than the relatively considerable income of the Bishoprick provides. But the heavy taxation compelled by the War has reduced the official income by one third, & the difficulty of obtaining servants has made house–keeping on so great a scale almost impossible. Yet, if the Bishop of Durham ceased to reside at Auckland Castle, to what fitting uses cd the famous building be devoted? If it were offered for sale it wd be bought either by the Papists, or by some millionaire – an intolerable indignity in either case. How melancholy is the spectacle of a great and ancient Institution visibly falling out of accord with its environment so flagrantly as to appear almost preposterous! After luncheon we motored back to Durham in the Bishop's car, arriving just in time for me to robe, & go into Evensong. After service I led the choir to the top of the great tower for the anthem singing. We sang a verse of the National Anthem after the Anthems. I gave Dennett 24/– for the boys, and announced that, if the War should have ended before May 29th 1918, I would substitute the "Te Deum" for the accustomed anthems. The "Yorkshire Post" prints on its front page two–thirds of a column of a report of my Whitsunday Sermon, being, I think, the whole of the summary I sent them beforehand.

Kirschbaum [sic], or rather since the War has compelled him to change his name to, Knight writes to ask me to preach for him at St Andrew's, Wells Street; next Sunday: & I think that it might be well for me to do so – just to show that I am not wholly excluded from Anglican pulpits!!

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