The Henson Journals

[78]

Tuesday, June 9th, 1925.

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We (i.e. Donaldson, Shaddick, and I) left the Castle at 11 a.m., and motored by way of Lanchester, Shotley Bridge, and Hexham to Borcovicus, where we lunched inside the Roman camp very pleasantly. Then we went to Chesters, and inspected the Roman remains, & the Museum there. After this we went to Hexham, & had tea. We visited the noble church, & were shown its wonders by the rather dogmatic & consequential but very efficient verger. We had a magnificent drive over the hills to Blanchland, and down the formidable hill into Stanhope, arriving at Auckland a few minutes after 7 p.m. We had a dinner party, consisting of Budworth, Archdeacon Derry, Brooke Westcott & Fosca, Mrs Parry Evans, the Bishop of Salisbury, Clayton, Fearne, Ella & myself. After everybody had gone to bed, Donaldson and I talked for an hour before ourselves turning in. I spoke freely, perhaps too freely, of the circumstances in which I came to the episcopate, dwelling especially on the behaviour of the bishops, whose conduct had made an indelible impression on my mind. He said that the impression made in Australia was that the Archbishop of Canterbury had supported me throughout the whole agitation. But that was not really the case. I have no doubt that his Grace wd have rejoiced if I had bent to the storm, & withdrawn my acceptance. It was only in view of my threatened resignation of office that he went forward.

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