The Henson Journals

[179]

2nd Sunday after Trinity, June 25th, 1922.

The weather had improved, and the day, which began doubtfully, turned out brilliantly. There was considerable but not a crowded congregation at S. Mary's. In view of the fact that "two thirds of the University had gone down", as the Vice–Chancellor assured me, I could not reasonably be discontented. I had a very close attention, and there were sufficient undergraduates in the gallery to make my closing appeal reasonable. After service the Vice–Chancellor showed me, & the Pember ladies, two wonderful missals in the college library. One of these contained the signatures of Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Arragon, to whom it had belonged. The other was enriched by a list of kings from Alfred to Richard II, with the places of their burial. The list included Harold, whom it called "dux calidissimus" and made a eulogistic comment on Alfred. It may be inferred that he had some anti–Norman feeling. After walking in Wadham Garden with the ladies, the Vice–Chancellor took me off to Merton and Magdalen to see the War–memorials. The latter is admirably conceived. We returned to college by way of S. Peter in the East, which is a far more interesting church than I had supposed. The luncheon party included a sister of Ld Stamfordham, Blackett of Trinity, the junior procter & his fiancée, Miss Spooner, Williams the Chaplain, & two others. In the drawing–room afterwards we were shown the golden cup presented to the College by Geo: Hall, Bishop of Chester, in 1629.

[180]

Major and Emmett came to tea, & I had much talk with them. They don't altogether satisfy me. Their willingness to play into the hands of the Anglo–Catholicks is not creditable to their intelligence. Heresy eked out by Socialism is not really an adequate equipment for a parish priest! I called on the Warden of New College, and went to chapel with him. The singing was excellent. Ruth Spooner was there, and accompanied me back to Exeter. I dined in college very pleasantly. All the dons were strangers to me. Time was when I knew all the Senior Common rooms well enough: but 35 years clear the board pretty completely. After dinner in the "Common Room", or rather in a room, new to me, which is used as such, two of the said dons started to speak of the "Stubbs Society" which I myself founded in 1882, and which yet survives. Forty years is a considerable antiquity for an undergraduates' society. They told me that the "Literae Humaniores" men were capturing it, an interesting fact, which presumably means that the men who are taking 'Modern History' as a second Final School are becoming members. If the Society could be used by members of both schools – Classical and Historical – it might be greatly more serviceable. The arbitrary limitations of "Schools" is an unavoidable, but none the less unfortunate, condition of academic study. Anything that lifted students out of their several "schools", and made them join at the frontiers of their respective studies would be altogether serviceable.

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