The Henson Journals

[190]

Monday, March 10th, 1924.

Lord Byron accomplished nothing at Missolonghi except his own suicide: but by that single act of heroism he secured the liberation of Greece. Had Byron, as he was urged, deserted the Hellenic cause in February 1824, there would I feel convinced, have been no Navarino; the whole history of South eastern Europe would have developed differently.

Harold Nicholson. Preface to "Byron, the last Journey"

Harold Cox wants his editorial "pound of flesh": so, somehow or other, I must manage to write the article for the "Edinburgh" this week!

Watson, the secretary of the N.E. Counties School Governors, came to lunch, and afterwards went through the 97 applications for the headmastership. We marked more than 50 as infirm or disqualified.

Clayton and I motored to Hebburn, where first I had an interview with Smith, the Vicar of St John's, to whom I offered the living of Witton Park. The unhappy business of his youngest son seems to make it advisable that there should be a change. Then we went on to S. Cuthbert's where I confirmed 108 persons. The parson, Mare, has been in that uninviting parish for no less that 23 years. He is a High Churchman of the older type, which has several representatives in the diocese, and all good. But the type is quite plainly doomed to extinction. We returned to Auckland immediately after the service, and reached the Castle about 9. 30 p.m.

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