The Henson Journals

[159]

Wednesday, February 6th, 1918.

1283rd day

I read the Latin Litany in a thinly–attended House, and then sate all day at the debates, lunching with Pearce. I spoke several times, and, on the question of restoring All Souls Day to the calendar, was in a narrow majority which rejected the proposal. Also, I assisted to reject the proposal to re–insert King Charles the Martyr. I was interviewed by an American journalist named Griggs, who came to me in the Athenaeum. Then I read through the six sermons on Christian Liberty, & sent them to Macmillans as a first instalment of the volume. Archbishop Bernard arrived at Lambeth. He is not confident of success in the matter of the Irish Convention, but he refuses to despair. He says that Bishop D'Arcy ordains men who are educationally inadequate, & thus defeats his attempts to keep up the standard of education in the Irish clergy.

Somebody sent me the letter which the Bishop of Lincoln wrote in his Diocesan Magazine about my election as Bishop of Hereford. It is generously expressed, & reflects real credit on the Bishop. He told me that he had made up his mind to take part in my Consecration before the Archbishop had issued his reply to Gore's protest. If the Bishop of Lincoln were not so deeply bitten by all the Radical absurdities, he would be a creditable type of prelate. But one cannot go far with even the best of men who is a feminist, and a total abstainer, and three parts a pacifist!

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