The Henson Journals

[177]

May 11th, 1920.

My dear Mr Clark,

I have read your letter with much interest and sympathy. The present position is moving quickly (if I may use that phrase) to a complete break–down. The reason is sufficiently apparent. Our whole ecclesiastical system assumes a situation, social, economic, political, religious, which is vanishing, & has largely vanished. What the way of escape will be is not yet apparent: but passi graviora. There will be a way out, probably in the unlikeliest direction. Meanwhile there is nothing for us but to be sternly loyal to personal duty, &, for the rest, to "live from hand to mouth".

The spiritual condition of Church Stretton has caused, & does cause, me much anxiety. But at present I can do nothing.

Yours sincerely,

H. H. Hereford

M. B. Clark Esq.

[178]

May 11th, 1920.

Dear M. Sandars,

I am greatly obliged to you for your letter, & for the observations which you are good enough to make on the "memoir" which I edited.

If an opportunity should come to me of correcting one or two matters, which are either obscure or misleading or both, I shall certainly introduce something to mitigate the error which you have pointed out.

Sir Robert Morant, for whom, though I had but a slight acquaintance with him, I had a very warm regard, sent me a memorandum on Anson's career as Parliamentary Secretary. It gave me the impression – perhaps a mistaken one – that there had been some lack of cordiality, & I got the same impression from Anson's Journal, though the references to Morant were uniformly honourable. Accordingly, I said as little as I could, & have perhaps given the impression that I did not realise the great work which Morant was doing.

I was much handicapped by lack of material, for Anson was not a sufficiently considerable figure to merit a large biography, & he left little behind him. The Journal was private, & it was hard to determine how much one could properly publish. You will understand my difficulty. Again thanking you.

I am, v. faithfully yours.

H. H. Hereford

The R. Hon: J. S. Sandars C.V.O.

[Pp. 179 and 180 missing]

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