The Henson Journals

[6]

Tuesday, October 16th, 1917.

1170th day

I wrote a number of letters; attended Mattins & Evensong; finished the Trafalgar Day Sermon: & walked reflecting on the fate of my quondam companion, "Logic". Fawkes's pamphlet, "The Things that are Caesar's", arrived. I read it twice, once to myself, & next aloud to Ella. It is full of caustic humour, & happy phrases: full also of wisdom & thought. In the "Times" the Bishop of Carlisle writes a long, verbose letter on the subject of the Franchise for the proposed Church Council. He speaks of the laity in terms of such gross adulation that one perforce wonders why he ever ceased to be a layman. I must needs think that the effect of this kind of writing on the public mind is not likely to be wholesome. It gives the impression that the Bishop is "fouling his own nest", and that is a very unfortunate impression to give. The Bishop of Manchester is a far abler controversialist, &, if he were not so generally disliked & distrusted, he would be a formidable force on the right side of the controversy. But as it is, he counts for too little.

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