The Henson Journals

[169]

Thursday, September 4th, 1924.

The post brought me a striking paper on "Law and Lawlessness" by Nicholas Murray Butler. His remarks on the working of the Prohibition Law are particularly illuminating: the more so since he has ever been a strong enemy of "the saloon".

I worked at the "Charge" which crawls towards its completion. After lunch I played bowls with Ernest, and then Bishop Knight arrived to talk over some diocesan matters. He is receiving many requests to preach and lecture in the diocese. Also, he was asked to become Vice–chairman of an Anglo–Catholick Congress, and declined. He arrived in a car driven by a very young–looking female chauffer. I should hardly care to trust myself to her.

Turning over a volume of Wordsworth's poems I came across a letter from Bonamy Price, written in 1881, and narrating an explanation which he extracted from the poet whom he questioned as to the meaning of some lines in the Ode 'Intimations of Immortality'. What were those 'fallings from us, vanishings' for which he gave God thanks? Wordsworth's reply was sufficiently remarkable. Pushing strongly against a gate he said, "There was a time in my life when I had to push against something that resisted to be sure that there was anything outside of me. I was sure of my own mind: everything else fell away, and vanished into thought". (v. Works, vol. viii. p.201)

The weather continued fine all day.

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