The Henson Journals

[328]

Wednesday, November 18th, 1925.

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A territorial Colonel came to breakfast. I walked across the Park to the Athenaeum, and read the papers. Then I went to the Church House, and spent the day in the Assembly, where the discussion of the Clergy Pensions Measure was proceeding under the pilotage of that astonishing octogenarian, Lord Phillimore. I dined at Grillions. The following members were there:–

Lord Balfour

" Fitz Alan

" Crawford

" Selbourne

" Darling

" Sumner

" Donoughmore

Sir Owen Seaman

Sir Ernest Pollock

Sir Gilbert Murray

Lord Hugh Cecil

The Bishop of Durham.

The conversation was animated, and ranged over a wide area. I sate between Lords Fitz Alan and Sumner – a Papist and an Erastian.

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Reference being made to Sir Almeric Fitzroy's recently published 'Memoirs', I raised the question how far it was morally legitimate to record in a private diary the conversations in which one took part. Lord Crawford spoke strongly of the arrogance of Fitzroy's conduct. He said that Queen Victoria had exacted a promise that he would keep no private diary, when she appointed him (Fitzroy) to his office as Secretary to the Privy Council: and that when he sent a presentation copy of his book to her present Majesty, it was returned uncut! It is difficult to imagine a more severe snubbing. Lord Hugh Cecil thought it was fair enough to keep a private journal so long as you did not publish it during the life–time of anybody whose reputation could be affected, or whose feelings might be wounded. Balfour was in great form, amusing, witty, and amazingly vivacious. As we were putting on hats and coats, he took occasion to thank me for my letter about the attitude of the Reformers towards Copernicus and Galileo. Darling and I shared a cab as far as Park Lane. It was quite a pleasant evening.

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