The Henson Journals
Mon 23 January 1922
Volume 31, Page 126
[126]
Monday, January 23rd, 1922.
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The papers announce the death of Lord Bryce in his 84th year. It is but a few weeks since I had speech with him in the House of Lords, & then he promised to visit us here. I first made his acquaintance after my election to All Souls, when he asked me to lunch at Oriel, & intermittently we renewed touch afterwards. He entertained Ella and me in Washington in 1909 and in 1912: he stayed some days with us in the Deanery at Durham: he presided at the lecture on "Anglican Christianity" which I gave at King's College in 1919: and occasionally we exchanged letters. I wrote to Lady Bryce.
I dictated to Fearne the address for the Middlesbrough Historical Association. It will be rare rubbish!
A letter from George seems to indicate that he is coming within the range of religious perplexity. His landlady appears to be smitten with the fashionable madness of spiritualism, & as always is very eager to proselytize:
"Nearly every evening when the others have gone to bed, she and I will have talks about Religion. At times she really makes me wonder lots of things! The After Life is a great topic of hers. There is a part of the Creed which she doesn't believe, 'The Resurrection of the Body'. How can bodies rise again? she says. If you will give me the right meaning of it, my Lord, I should feel very grateful. In a way I think she is rather inclined to believe in Spiritualism – for she is continually telling me of people who have seen certain visions. The subject has often puzzled me, for when such people as Conan Doyle &c are so great on it – it makes one wonder how much Truth there is in the matter."
George would be a tempting object to a fanatical spiritualist, for his courtesy would lead him to listen with polite attention, & his genuine piety would incline him to treat every religious opinion with respect. It would distress me not a little if his simple faith were really troubled, and his honest conscience sophisticated by the morally disintegrating sophistues of spiritualism.