The Henson Journals

[104]

Saturday, July 14th, 1917.

1076th day

I walked to the Athenaeum, & spent the morning there until nearly 1 p.m., when I walked to Westminster, and lunched with Ernest. He affects to deprecate making much of Willie Temple's effort, but herein I think him probably mistaken. He holds that nothing effectual can now be done in the Church of England except by bishops: that the materials for a strong resistance to the prevailing sacerdotalism do now exist on the Bench, & that a strongman could write & direct them. Ella joined me, & we went to Eton to spend the week–end with the Alingtons. As we got out of the train at Windsor, we were hailed by Eddie Hamilton, who had come down to see the Eton & Harrow match. We saw the end of the Harrow innings, & then had tea. After this we walked by the river, & saw some racing. Ker & Fletcher were on the bank. We had a pleasant dinner party. Bailey & his wife, & Robinson are staying here. A pretty American, Mrs Whitbread, pleased me. After dinner we all sate in the garden & talked. The warmth & stillness of the atmosphere made this very agreeable. Robinson, Bailey & I had much talk on politics. Also I had some more private conversation with Robinson on church matters. I took the opportunity of telling him that the general tone & character of the articles on Church Reform which had recently appeared in the "Times" did not in my opinion assist those who desire to preserve the Establishment as the guarantee of liberal Christianity. He expressed surprise, & said that they were written by Clutton Brock. He seemed a little disconcerted when I observed that that gentleman had recently been staying at Mirfield. The circumstance, when I heard of it, struck me as not insignificant, for I know but too well what is the settled policy of that set of people, whose citadel is Mirfield. They (following the Jesuit model) lay themselves out to "win over" anybody who has the ear of the public, or commands any streak of social or political influence. Thus they can always count on a sympathetic hearing, & command the services of amici curiae [friends of the hierarchy]; at all crises.

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