The Henson Journals

[92]

Friday, August 5th, 1921.

The strength of "Anglo–Catholicism" lies, less in its own merits, than in the impossible position held by the majority of Anglicans. You cannot isolate episcopacy from the rest of the "Catholic" system. Admit the Divine–right Bishop, and you are implicitly pledged to the whole system of which the Divine–right Bishop was an integral part.

I worked at the Preface, but very ineffectively. It is odd how helpless I am becoming in giving tolerable expression to my own thoughts. After lunch Arthur Rawle called in his motor, & carried us to the polo ground at Dunster, where we looked on while he played polo with an astonishing vigour considering that he is more than 60 years of age. He introduced me to Mrs Scott, a sister of Sir Arthur Pease.

Arthur Rawle came to dine. His conversation discloses a level intelligence, and a kind heart. He has the cordial comrade's manner of the sportsman, and is plainly devoted to field sports. Our talk led to the Boys' Scouts Movement, of which he spoke with something approaching enthusiasm. I observed on the importance, and the difficulty, of getting good scout–masters, and mentioned Waterfield's strongly–expressed dislike of 'camps', where moral oversight is sometimes inadequate, & very lamentable things have been known to proceed. This view of the movement seemed to startle him; &, though I heartily approved his support of it, and spoke in favour of it perhaps more strongly than I feel, he was not wholly re–assured! I regretted that inadvertently I should have injected a suspicion (however well–based) into a simple & ingenuous mind.

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