The Henson Journals

[125]

Thursday, August 25th, 1921.

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There were staying with the Alingtons diverse guests, among whom were a clergyman named Mayhew, an ardent "Life & Liberty" man dressed like a layman, and Lubbock, a nephew of Lord Avebury, whose wife ( as I understood) is a sister of that shallow pated fanatick, the Bishop of S. Albans's. Conversation turning on the question of clerical dress, I defended it as an useful reminder to the clergyman himself that he is never "off duty", even on holiday. But Mayhew affirmed the familiar opinion that it serves to alienate the layman. I said that I doubted this, & suspected that the layman who professed to be alienated by the clergyman's garb had probably other & less respectable reasons for keeping him at arm's length. Alington expressed surprise at my attitude, which he thought consorted ill with my publicly asserted dislike of clericalism. I replied that there was a reasonable, and an unreasonable course, in this, as in most matters; and adduced the case of reverent care for, and reverent behaviour in, churches as an illustration, referring to Bishop Butler's famous charge to the Durham Clergy, (which none of the company had heard of before!). The 'Liberal clergy' did not really advance their cause by the ostentatious neglect of customary reverence in their churches: & the "Anglo–Catholicks" only perplexed and offended their people by their unfamiliar & unintelligible methods of devotion. There was a middle way of natural behaviour according to wholesome conventions, in which the clergy were helped to remember their vocation, & the laity assisted to realize their duty.

[126]

William reported trouble with the car, & proceeded to pull it to pieces in order to discover what the mischief might be. The appalling spectacle of the car in dissolution cast down my spirits, & infused uncertainty into my plans. I wrote a number of letters. After lunch Ella and I went into Salisbury by means of a kind of improvised char–à–banc. It had certainly started life as an Army–waggon. The journey occupied an hour, & cost 2/– a–piece. We visited and inspected the cathedral where the verger, after he had made out my identity, was sufficiently attentive. I was able fully to appreciate the ravages of the incomparable Wyatt. Fancy the fate of a cathedral given up to Wyatt in the 18th century, & to Sir Gilbert Scott in the 19th! The exceeding beauty of Salisbury cathedral seen from the cloisters impressed me greatly. We had tea in a Hotel, and then returned to Bulford by train. William was still working on the car: he professes to be confident that he can put it together in trim for use by tomorrow night. The evening paper reports a remarkable increase of the Labour Vote in the election in Caerphilly, Glamorganshire. In spite of the fact that a Communist candidate drew away 2592 votes, the Labour candidate had a majority of no less than 4741 over the Coalition Liberal. This no doubt is due to the resentment which the miners feel against the Prime Minister on account of the Strike. The statement appears in the "Westminster Gazette" that Viscount Grey is returning to active political life. If this is the case, & if it indicates that his health is re–established, his presence at the head of the Independent Liberals might have a dramatic effect in English politics just now.

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