The Henson Journals

[255]

Friday, March 20th, 1925.

The study of manuscripts indeed has revealed the permanent fact that between a purely historical document and a touched–up version, adorned with fantastic developments & interlarded with fables, a medieval public rarely hesitated. It almost always happens that it is the less simple version which is preserved in the greater number of manuscripts, while often enough the primitive composition is only to be found in a single copy.

Delehaye. The Legends of the Saints. p. 78

The extreme difficulty of writing honestly, lucidly, persuasively, and judiciously about "spiritual healing" becomes apparent as soon as I put pen to paper. To say frankly what I think would sound in pious ears like the cruel negations of the sceptic: to say clearly what I mean would certainly shock the orthodox: to speak persuasively implies that you must neither wound nor alarm those to whom you address yourself: to speak judiciously is so to speak that you conciliate the majority and finally alienate none! The one certain consequence of my pronouncements on "spiritual healing" is that I shall become more suspected, more solitary, and more disliked than I am at present. To be a martyr of faith is not without compensations: to be a martyr of love brings its own reward: but to be a martyr of scepticism is to suffer unrespected in this world, & unrewarded in the next!

[256] [symbol]

Curzon's death is announced this evening. He was born on January 11th 1859, and was therefore 66 years old. He was a man of high character, great abilities, and large ambitions. His virtues were genuine & great: his faults mostly superficial. Of an untiring industry and a dominating temperament he made enemies, but he was loyal to his friends, & a great public servant.

I spent the day in writing letters, working at the book, and walking in the Park with the dogs.

Geordie Gore and her friend the large Austrian Countess were here, but the weather was too uninviting to make expeditions attractive, & they spent the time in & about the house.

Wesley's Journal is quaint reading. Thus he writes of himself that 'his heart was so enlarged, that he knew not how to leave off'.

"Do some say, 'I preach longer than usual when I am barren?' It is quite the contrary with me. I never exceed, but when I am full of matter. And still I consider it may not be with my audience as with me: so that it is strange if I exceed my time above a quarter of an hour". July, 1770

O si sic omnes [Oh, if only everyone were like that]!

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