The Henson Journals

[114]

Wednesday, March 26th, 1919.

I wrote to Oman congratulating him on his election to succeed Prothero in the representation of the University. I offered St Devereux–with–Wormbridge to the Revd R. Pelly. Then I spent the whole morning in writing to the Archbishop of Upsala, and drafting a scheme of the Olaus Petri lectures. Compston came to lunch, and, when the meal was ended, poured out his tale of woe from Bredwardine. The most serious factor is the power these petty factions & frictions have on his rather sensitive temperament. Then Lilley walked with me for two hours: the bright sun and absence of wind made walking delightful. The Dean came to see me about various matters including the proposal made by some bereaved mother to set up a memorial crucifix to her son's memory. I dissuaded him from accepting the gift on grounds of expediency. Then I did the letters, & cleared up my table which had become an Augean litter of letters, papers, & books. After dinner I read the Swedish History from the "Cambridge Modern History" aloud to my wife. The easy transition of the Danish and Swedish monarchies from the constitutional or limited to the absolute or autocratic character is very remarkable. In both cases it was effected by the combination of King and People against the nobility. If James ii [sic] had not been a Papist and a fool, it wd have happened also in England.

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