The Henson Journals

[186]

Wednesday, September 26th, 1917.

1150th day

Having got Ker here, the question is how best to use him. At least he must make up my mind for me on these points: (1) the scale of the biography: (2) the extent of publishing the diary (3) how far the letters are worth publishing (4) the treatment of books. I attended Mattins, and then went through what I had done of the "Life" with Ker. On the whole he was encouraging. "I think it is shaping" he said: which from him is hopeful. We went for a short walk before lunch, & on our return found the Bishop of Bristol. After lunch I took the Bishop into my study. He told me that he & several other Bishops had been pressing Lloyd–George to make me Bishop of Hereford: that the P.M. was not unfriendly to the suggestion: that Lord Curzon was exerting himself in the same direction: that he himself thought it probable that I should be offered either this, or some other bishoprick. All this is rather disconcerting: & will probably lead to nothing more than flustering my mind with the possibility of fresh hustlements. The only effect it can reasonably have on me is to add another reason for getting this "Life" off my hands.

I took my guests over the Cathedral, and then, after tea, resumed discussion of the "Life" with Ker. After dinner Ker and I had much talk on the religious situation in England. I fear I was fearfully depressing.

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