The Henson Journals

[127]

Friday, January 21st, 1921.

[Pliny in Letter XII laments the suicide of his friend Corellius Rufus at the age of sixty–seven, after being a martyr to gout for 34 years. He had borne up under his sufferings in order to outlive Domitian, and die a free man. "Do you know", says he, "why I endure life under these cruel agonies? It is with the hope that I may outlive, at least for one day, that brigand." Pliny discusses the suicide without the faintest suggestion that it was morally wrong. Nay, he indicates an admiration for the act.]

I left 21 Park Lane after breakfast, and caught the 10 a.m. express at King's Cross. As far as York, Mrs Salvin was my companion. At York I had nearly an hour to wait, & utilized the time by lunching. At Darlington the Bishop of Richmond & his family joined me on the platform, & gave me tea in the Hotel. I arrived at Bishop Auckland about 5.40 p.m., and was met by William. A large pile of letters awaited me, including a sheaf of bills, which waked again the old doubt as to the wisdom of our adventuring into this great house. Certainly the expenditure on tradesmen here, preparing the house, and arranging the furniture, has been much in excess of what I had anticipated. Nor can I suppose that I have yet learned the full extent of my liabilities under this head: and I have not yet faced the difficult matter of my diocesan contributions.

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