The Henson Journals

[90]

3rd Sunday in Advent, December 16th, 1923.

I say that Walter Scott is as nearly a thorough good man as man can be, because I know it by experience to be the case.

Byron to Henry Beyle 1823 (vi, 221)

Byron's earnest and emphatic remonstrance against the statements that Scott's character was "little worthy of enthusiasm" has the ring of sincerity. It is, indeed, evident enough that Byron made regard & admiration for himself the very criterion of greatness & goodness in others. Nevertheless, his references to Scott are invariably more respectful than those he makes to other contemporaries whom he favoured, & this is the more noteworthy since he abhorred Scott's politics. The enthusiasm for the Waverley novels finds frequent expression and the charm of Scott's personality – which exhales from the romances – held him.

I left the Castle at 9.15 a.m., & motored to South Shields, picking up Wilson in Durham on the way. I instituted Lane–Davies to the Vicarage of St Michael's, South Westoe, & celebrated the Holy Communion. The congregation may have numbered nearly 500 persons, & the population of the parish is stated to be 23,000! There were many communicants, & the service was interrupted by an awkward interval during which the Curate fetched more bread from the vestry for a second consecration! Leaving Clayton in South Shields, [91] Wilson and I motored over an execrable road to Gateshead, where we lunched at the Rectory. After lunch I went to S. Columba's and preached to a congregation of men. While this service was proceeding William carried Wilson back to Durham, & returned for me. Suthrien asked me whether my "charges" to Ordinandi had been published, & said that the men whom I had ordained greatly desired to have them. This request pleased me. On the way back to Auckland I turned aside to call on Lord Durham, whom the papers reported to be on the sick list. I found him in the company of his relations – the Lambtons are a numerous race. One of the ladies had just returned from Newcastle, where she had had a broken collar bone set. There had been a motor car accident in which the damage had been done. Everybody was, of course, full of the General Election. The older members of the family are Freetraders: the younger Protectionists. I threw my weight into the scale of the seniors! Everybody expressed horror at the prospect of a Labour government, &, indeed, it is difficult to avoid anxiety as to the behaviour of such ignorant amateurs as the Labour men certainly are. Before leaving Lambton I had another look at the fascinating "Master Lambton" by Lawrence. It is certainly a delightful picture. I got back to Auckland at 6.30 p.m.

The weather became curiously warm as the day advanced and it blew a hurricane, so strong that the car staggered with the violence of the wind.

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