The Henson Journals

[124]

Wednesday, August 24th, 1921.

S. Bartholomew's Day – what memories of evil gather about the name! The psalms for the day have a sombre congruity with the situation in England on August 24th 1662. "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in princes"– the evicted Puritans, recalling the Declaration from Breda might naturally refer the words to Charles II. How differently might the course of European history have run if there had been no massacre of Huguenots in France in 1572, and no ejection of Puritans in England in 1662!

The census figures for Great Britain appear today in the newspapers. The population approaches 43,000,000: & there is an excess of about 2,000,000 females. In the county of Durham, however, males predominate. Ireland, thanks to the insensate opposition of the rebels, is not included.

I started reading a book by G.D.H. Cole, "Social Theory". It is stilted and slapdash; the first in style, the last in argument.

After lunch we motored to Salisbury, where we left Mrs Chichester at the station: then we went to Andover, were we called on Mr Smith, the Vicar: then we continued our journey to Ramsbury, by way of Marlborough, and Savernake Forest. The latter is magnificent. At Ramsbury we had tea with the Alingtons in their house, oddly named "Parliament Piece". We returned through Marlborough were we admired the unusually broad main street. We reached home about 7.30 p.m. There was some trouble with the steering machinery towards the end of the journey. The weather was fine throughout.

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