The Henson Journals

[194]

Wednesday, March 2nd, 1921.

It is odd to read in a letter addressed by Andrew Marvell to the Mayor & Burgesses of Hull, (May 16th 1661) that "one Mr Liddall" had petitioned the House of Commons for leave "to prosecute at law Sir John Morly, a member of the House for Newcastle, upon a charge of high treason, for some correspondence he had held with Oliver Cromwell, and mony which he had in earnest thereof received of Sir George Downing, when resident in Holland". The John Morley yet lives who sate for Newcastle, & wrote a life of Oliver Cromwell. Thus History repeats itself.

I wrote letters (α) to an aggrieved captain of the Boys Brigade, who was deeply hurt at my making no mention of that organization when I recommended the Church Lads Brigade to the Diocese last Saturday, (β) to Philip le Mesurier, who cherishes what I adjudge to be the hopeless ambition of being appointed to the vacant minor canonry at Durham, (γ) to Ella, reporting progress.

Mr Squance, the curate–in–charge of the Durham School Mission, came to see me in order to press on me the importance of his being given greater security of tenure by his district being elevated into a "conventional parish".

Miss Liddell, a Mission–Sister, and a benevolent layman named, I think, Reade, came to lunch. We all (except Clayton) attended a meeting of the "Preventive and Rescue Work", and I made a speech. Afterwards I visited the Home, where "Rescue cases" are admitted from the streets.

[195]

The confirmation at Holy Trinity was an impressive function. There was a crowded congregation, and the church was hardly large enough to contain the people. The candidates numbered 143, not badly divided between the sexes. I was annoyed by coughing during the address, which, however, was listened to, especially by the male candidates, very attentively. There were a number of boys who attracted attention by their neat appearance, and bare knees. These came from an Industrial School, to which they had been committed by magistrates' order. Yet they carried themselves very devoutly, and, indeed, were a singularly attractive set of boys to look at. A generation ago they would have been sent to gaol to be utterly corrupted by the habitual gaol–birds. Surely, in this respect, we do not deceive ourselves when we speak of some progress having been made. Holy Trinity Church is partly medieval. Some beautiful lancets in the southern aisle represent what was once a fine Gothic church. Among the candidates whom I confirmed was a returned soldier, who had fought during the war on four fronts. I had him fetched into the Vestry, and exchanged speech with him. The two curates of the parish church came to the Rectory, but I was too fatigued to find much pleasure or advantage in their company.

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