The Henson Journals

[145]

Tuesday, August 14th, 1917.

1107th day

In the 8th bk of the Prelude there is a fine description of the impression made on him by London, as one of the great scenes of history. He owns himself little affected by history, especially by English history, but unable to withstand its appeal in London:

And less

Than other intellects had mine been used

To lean upon extrinsic circumstance

Of record or tradition; but a sense

Of what in the Great City had been done

And suffered, and was doing, suffering, still,

Weighed with me, could support the test of thought;

And, in despite of all that had gone by,

Or was departing never to return,

There I conversed with majesty and power

Like independent natures.

…………………………………………….

The effect was, still more elevated views

Of human nature. Neither vice nor guilt,

Debasement undergone by body or mind,

Nor all the misery forced upon my sight,

Misery no lightly passed, but sometimes scanned

Most feelingly, could overthrow my trust

In what we may become;

Thus the exalted view of Man to which he had been led by Nature, as he had held constant communion with her in his native mountains, was confirmed in his mind by his contact with the mingled and multitudinous life of a great city.

[146]

I finished reading the Prelude, in which my interest had been rekindled by the use of it which Pringle–Pattison has made in his admirable Gifford Lectures.

Rain fell heavily last night. The sky wears a threatening countenance still. On the whole we have not been favoured in the article of weather. Nevertheless, Blanchland has pleased us, and we have found the "Lord Crewe Arms" a pleasant enough hotel.

In Shotley Church the following inscription over one John Hunter is found:

My anvil and hammer lies declined

My bellows have quite lost their wind

My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd

My vice is in the dust all laid

My coals is spent, my iron gone

My nails are drove, my work is done

My mortal's part rests nigh this stone

My soul to heaven I hope is gone.

On Oct 2nd 1828 Archdeacon Singleton's Minute contains an interesting account of Blanchland which it calls "the very gem & emerald of the mining district".

"The general character of the population is good, they are moral and sober, & neither the registers nor public fame give any credit to the idea that the average of human life is shortened in mining societies. In spite of all that is done for them in the way of church & schools, there are some ranters & more Methodists. The inn is large & good, & there is a good picture of Lord Crewe."

Mr Forster's car arrived about 3 p.m., and carried us back to Durham in about 1½ hours. Rain fell heavily most of the way, but could not wholly obliterate the landscape, which, in brighter weather would have been ravishingly beautiful. The heather was in full bloom, and the sight of it brought back to memory that wonderful motor drive we had with Bishop Mann & his wife in the far–distant days before the "great tribulation" had fallen on us.

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