The Henson Journals

[12]

20th Sunday after Trinity, October 21st, 1917.

1175th day

I am occupying the very room in which I slept in 1888, when for the first time I came to preach in Westminster Abbey. Old Canon Prothero was living in this house then. He was succeeded by Gore, Welldon, Beeching, Barnett, and Charles – all men of note in their several modes and measures. Farrar was then at S. Margaret's. He was succeeded by Eyton, Robinson, Henson, and Carnegie – a less satisfactory succession. Of the whole number, Prothero, Farrar, Barnett, & Eyton are dead. Gore is Bishop of Oxford: the others hold the four Deaneries of Manchester, Wells, Norwich, & Durham. It is significant that the only "Catholic" of the number is the Bishop! I did not get up for the early service, as I wanted to conserve energy for the preaching at Mattins. There was a very large congregation at the latter service. I delivered my "Trafalgar" sermon as carefully as possible, &, though my cold made my voice more harsh and unpleasing than usual, I think everybody heard. I assisted in the administration of the Sacrament: there were many communicants. The Dean, who walked with a stick, seemed rather feeble. Beyond pronouncing the Absolution & the Benediction at the Communion, he took no part in the service. Outside the church after service there was a little company of loyal women waiting to shake one's hand! I lunched with the Craiks. Judge Sankey & a Canadian officer were there. The latter (Col. Ray(?) [sic]) told me that the Roman Catholic clergy were actively opposing enlistment in French Canada. He said that when, on the evening before their public entry into Montreal, it became known that Viviani was an atheist & Joffre a Protestant, [13] the Roman Catholic authorities cancelled their service in the Cathedral, & caused the people to give a chilly reception to the French envoys. From the Craiks' house I went to Buckingham Street, & fetched Linetta for a walk. We returned to her lodgings in time for tea, where we were joined by a most interesting Italian – Dr Filippo di Filippi, the explorer who was with the Duke of Abruzzi in his Himalayan expedition, & has since conducted an expedition of his own in Alaska & Turkestan. He said that the effect of the Russian Revolution in Central Asia must be considerable, and might be politically very grave. The Amir of Afghanistan holds himself to be one of the possible successors to the Caliphate; &, now that the strong power of the Tsardom has been removed, he may seize his opportunity to extend dominion over the adjacent lands, & erect a great dominion. With success he will probably be carried into a Holy War against India! I asked him about the attitude of the Russian Church towards the Revolution. He said the Russians, though a very religious people, separate so sharply between the function & the person of the priest, that their use of the first was consistent with their contempt of the last. He had himself seen the popes drunken openly with their parishioners, & he did not think they wd feel any moral repugnance to the violences which are accompanying the Revolution. They wd probably go with the peasantry. He gave a very interesting account of the fighting on the Izonzo [sic] & in the Dolomites. In the former, no less than 900,000 men are engaged on the Italian side alone, & the losses have been very great: but in the latter the numbers actually in action are quite petty. The Austrians have been greatly reinforced from the Russian frontier.

[14]

Lady Scarborough sent a taxi to fetch me to dine in Park Lane. She with her daughter had been in the Abbey this morning, & were embarrassingly enthusiastic over my sermon. Lord Edmund Talbot, Lady Sykes, & Fisher were the other guests. Sir Mark Sykes came in later to fetch his wife. All these except Fisher are Papists. We had much intensely political conversation. No taxis were procurable to take us home, so we made shift to walk.

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