The Henson Journals

[178]

Friday, August 24th, 1923.

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S. Bartholomew's Day – an ill–omened festival. I went to the parish church of Cuddesdon, and there received the Holy Communion. The service was choral, and the students from the Theological College formed a considerable choir. I was pleased with the simplicity & reverence of the service; and (save for the substitution of the 'Evangelical Summary' for the Ten Commandments) there were no breaches of the law. Before pronouncing the Benediction the Bishop blessed and solemnly dismissed one of the students who was going out to South Africa. After breakfast I called on the Principal (Seaton), and had some talk with him. I pressed him on the need of the Durham diocese for good men, and he promised to do what he could. He expressed himself in hopeful terms as to the supply of Ordination candidates, but he did not indicate any convincing reasons for optimism. He reminded me that the last time that he had me was when, as Vicar of Barking, I visited the Leeds Clergy School, and conducted a short retreat. That cannot be less than 30 years ago.

Ella and Allen went with me into Oxford. While I got a checashed at the Bank, and had my hair trimmed. Ella called on Mrs Percival. I went into the All Souls Quad and fell in with Arthur Johnson, who, though about 80 years old, is still alert & vigorous.

[179]

We returned to Cuddesdon for lunch, and then M r Godfrey Phillimore came to see me. When he had taken his departure, Burge and I ste out on a country walk, and enjoyed much pleasant & intimate conversation. Meanwhile Ella and Mrs Burge motored to Fritwell Manor where Sir John & Lady Simon are now living.

I received from Harold a letter which was by no means reassuring. It is sufficiently evident that there is something badly wrong in that quarter.

Burge told me that the Archbishop of Canterbury had offered to him the set of rooms in the "Lollards' Tower at Lambeth, which had been vacated by the resignation of the late Bishop of Gloucester, but his Grace's offer had been declinedbecause not only would its acceptance have involved a considerable annual expenditure but also it would have placed Burge in a false position, as bringing him within the inner circle of eccelesiastical policies, with which he was not in agreement. I understand that when the Bishop of Oxford had declined the rooms, they were offered to the Bishop of Peterborough, who accepted them with alacrity. On the whole I regret Burge's action for, though he is certainly not a strong man, and has yielded himself the pressure of the Anglo–Catholicks with puzzling facility, yet he s both honest and intelligent. The bishop of Peterborough can hardly be said to be either the one or the other.

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