The Henson Journals

[122]

4th Sunday after Trinity, July 5th, 1925.

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After breakfast I made my way to the Palace, stopping at the Athenaeum on the way. There I found a note from Lord Stamfordham asking me to lunch. After the service in the private chapel, at which I preached a sermonette, I had ten minutes talk with their Majesties, mostly about the situation in the mining industry. The King expressed his regret at Lord Oxford's defeat over the Oxford Chancellorship, adding hastily "not that I ought to say so, for I have nothing to do with politics". "Of course, Sir," I replied, "& in that respect I think the Universities should resemble your Majesty".

Then I walked to the Chapel Royal, & preached to a congregation which filled, but did not crowd, the little building. Marriott & Rawlinson were there, & had speech with me afterwards. After washing hands etc. at the Club I walked to S. James's Palace, & lunched with Lord Stamfordham & his daughters. We had some talk de rebus ecclesiasticis. He told me that the King had signed Strong's appointment to Oxford. I spoke very decisively against Carnegie's going to Westminster Deanery, & suggested that Streeter would be a creditable appointment. He said that Lord Balfour had recently visited Gloucester, and been greatly impressed by the universal praise bestowed on the late Bishop, & on the significant silence about his successor!

[123]

After lunch I returned to the Athenaeum, & wrote my fortnightly letter to William. Then I walked back to the Deanery.

Athelstan Riley was in the Club, &, of course, full of these blessed Orientals. They are to be entertained at dinner this week. I inquired whether they were men of good character, & he replied with confidence as to the Russians, but as to the Greeks with misgiving. "We were not particularly anxious to have the Patriarchs of Jerusalem & Alexandria: for Greeks do very shady things to gain office, & Greeks are an irreligious people!". He spoke exultantly about scoring off the Papists by this display of Oriental friendship. But I told him that the polemical motive did not seem to me morally adequate, & that the Romans seemed to me to have substantial justice in their argument. The Tablet for this week actually suggests that the impressive Commemoration Service in the Abbey was no more than a "hoax".

I attended the evening service in S. Paul's. The dome is separated from the nave by a wooden partition. The preacher was Mr Costley–White, the Headmaster of Westminster. He preached "ex tempore", & with fluency. He has a good voice & manner. He gives an impression of sincerity, & this is an indispensable constituent of oratory. The substance of his discourse was good. Altogether he impressed me well. The assistant–organist, Mr Marchant, came in to supper – a mild agreeable man. He is now entrusted with the training of the choir–boys.

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