The Henson Journals

[196]

Friday, May 16th, 1919.

Lord Haldane writes to ask my opinion of the following "reasoned amendment" to the 2nd Reading motion on June 3rd.

"To leave out all words after "that" in order to insert the words This House is unwilling to assent, without full preliminary & independent inquiry, to legislation which will exclude from participation in the affairs of an Established Church a large portion of the nation, & which will enable that Church without adequate control by Parliament, to make laws that may completely alter its constitution".

I wrote to express my approval of this amendment, and added some observations on the personnel & method of the Archbishops' Committee in order to show that it did not provide anything which could fairly be called "full preliminary and independent inquiry".

Mr A. Boyd Carpenter M.P. wrote to say that he was opposed to the Bill as it stands, and asking for advice as to the best course of action, when it reaches the H. of Commons. "Other parties are fairly well organised in support of the Bill, and unless we can do something, no concerted action against the Bill will be possible!"

[197]

I read through "Measure for Measure". It contains some very noble passages. The interview between Angels and Isabella is full of good things.

Ang.

Your brother is a forfeit of the law,

And you but waste your words.

Isab.

Alas, Alas!

Why, all the souls that were, were forfeit once:

And He that might the vantage best have took.

Found out the remedy. How would you be,

If He, which is the top of judgment, should

But judge you as you are? O! Think on that:

And mercy then will breathe within your lips,

Like man new made.

Again, Isabella uses the well–known lines:

O! it is excellent

To have a giant's strength: but it is tyrannous

To use it like a giant.

Again, in the same dialogue:

but man, proud man!

Drest in a little brief authority, –

Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd,

His glassy essence, – like an angry ape,

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven,

As make the angels weep.

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