The Henson Journals

[172]

Friday, March 3rd, 1922.

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Four years ago today I took my first Confirmation at the small village of Puddleston near Leominster, and William, a lad of 17, drove the hired car. It was the first occasion of our meeting. As well to mark the event, as to enforce a necessary lesson, I gave him a money–box in which to keep his certificates of money saved.

The publishers send me the review in the "Times Supplement" of my book. It is hostile, but not in expression brutal. I was prepared for the hostility, and relieved at the absence of the brutality, for I knew that Headlam was the reviewer! But mainly he misses my point, which is that modern conditions do not admit of the older form of "Anglo–Catholicism", and that no choice any longer remains open to the Church of England but to be loyal to its historic character as a Protestant Church, or to dissolve. He seems rather to be writing to the gallery than reviewing my book.

There is also a review, hostile and denunciating of course, in this week's issue of the "Church Times".

Lady Catherine Milnes Gaskell sends me a copy of the "Saturday Review" with a review of Elizabeth Asquith's book, "I have only Myself to Blame". Its character is sufficiently indicated by the reviewer's heading "Dirty Work". Lady Catherine wants me to fulminate against the book, but I tell her that the only result of doing so would be to advertize the poisonous rubbish. Yet it is difficult to leave such outrages on decency unrebuked.

Certainly the variety of denunciation evoked by "Anglicanism" might suffice to demonstrate its freedom from partisanship. The book literally pleases nobody, and vehemently offends many. It is probable that it will be read by very few, though talked about widely enough. I doubt if reviews have much, if any, effect on the sale of books, but I think they have considerable influence on the reputation of authors. And this is not an unimportant matter in the case of a Bishop, since his authority in his diocese must depend mostly on his reputation. If everybody would read the book before talking about it, I would be content: but, as it is, I fear it is inevitable that I shall be worse thought of than I deserve!

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