The Henson Journals

[131]

Tuesday, September 21st, 1920.

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The Bishop of Peterborough celebrated at 8 a.m., in the old church hard by the Cathedral. I communicated [but in an unedifyingly ruffled temper for I think the "Prince–Bishop" has been unduly subordinated to his colleague in this ecclesiastical proceedings; but, of course, I don't know what the Archbishop of Canterbury has written to his brother–primate.] After breakfast, we were motored to Gamla Upsala, where we visited the ancient and interesting church, and the Kungshögar or Tumuli of the Kings. After drinking meed from silver–mounted horns in an adjacent farm, we went on to the church of Lena where we admired the realistic and beautiful frescoes. We climbed up to see the elaborate wooden roof above the vaulting. Then we lunched at a training farm where young women are trained in dairying, cookery etc. One of the teachers, a pretty girl, donned for our benefit her bright becoming costume. After seeing yet another church, we returned to Upsala.

The Bishop of Peterborough went back to England in the afternoon. A voluble Belgian professor was at dinner prior to lecturing on Egyptian Art. Archbishop Germanos, retiring to bed, fell down stairs, breaking the heavy hand–rail as he fell. I had some talk with mine host after dinner. He says that there is anxiety in Sweden as to the wisdom of making alliance with so obscurantist a church as the English: that there has been some controversy recently on the Virgin Birth: & that he himself in some quarters is suspected of "modernism". [He definitely disbelieves the "Virgin Birth", but holds to the Incarnation.]

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