The Henson Journals

[10]

Friday, November 17th, 1922.

A most glamorous sunrising, all the whole heaven painted with bands of rosy pink against a wonderful transparency of light blue. What an artist God is! Who would be a Puritan under such a sky!

William motored me to Darlington, where I caught the express, & travelled easily to London. There I stopped only to have my hair trimmed, and then went on to Bischington, where I arrived soon after 5 p.m., and was met by Marion at the Station.

I wiled away the toedium of the journey by reading Cockburn's most excellent reminiscences. There is a suggestively close parallel; between the situation on the morrow of Waterloo, and that which we have to face now. Everything then was political: everything now is economical. The "Radical" has been replaced by a still more sinister figure – the Socialist.

The General Election will give the government a clear majority of about 80 in a house of 635 members. Labour is the largest section of the Opposition, counting 143 votes: the 'orthodox' Liberals come next with about 70: and Lloyd George will have a following of no more than 50. His downfall is sudden and complete. The dictator of yesterday has dwindled for the present to a quantité négligeable. There is a confessed 'Communist' among the Labour men.

[11] [symbol]

Intigante diabolo. I wrote a letter to the 'Times' on the subject, now being discussed in its columns, of "Divorce". This inflaming but insistent matter can hardly be much longer avoided. Two ex–Lord Chancellors – Lords Buckmaster & Birkenhead – have identified themselves conspicuously with the movement for legalising Divorce for other causes than Adultery plus cruelty, which the Law at present allows. Both men are remarkably able, energetic, eloquent, and ambitious: & neither is likely to resign to the other the handling of the matter. On the other hand there is unquestionably a powerful 'scare' in the religious world, caused by the nauseous & numerous disclosures of shameless depravity which have been made in the Divorce Court during the last few years. Thus a state of feeling has been created very favourable to the campaign for tying the Church of England to the Roman doctrine of the absolute indissolubility of marriage. The majority of the Bishops will certainly oppose any increase in the legal causes for Divorce: and many of them are prepared to accept the Roman position as binding on Churchman. I doubt whether there is a single Bishop who would have the courage to join me in the Lobby when the question is again brought before the House of Lords. The prospect before me is gloomy enough. I shall become more than ever odious to the clergy & 'orthodox' laity.

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