The Henson Journals

[338]

Wednesday, November 25th, 1925.

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The country was white with snow when the day began, and snow–showers were intermittent during the fore–noon.

I began the day with writing a short letter to the Editor of the 'Guardian' correcting a very unfair and unwarrantable statement which appeared in a leading article of that journal to the effect that I had attributed the cures at Lourdes to the agency of the devil. The article was very discourteous to me, in this matter being markedly different from the review in the Church Times.

It is clear to me from such notices of my book as have appeared, from the still more significant absence of notices where they might reasonably have been expected, and from the failure to acknowledge copies sent through the publishers to the bishops, that the general sympathy is with, not against, "spiritual healing". The religious world has lapsed into a childish credulity, & the mixed multitude of the general public lust after anything that is novel and exciting.

I spent another day indoors, mostly reading More's black–letter. I came across a vivid description of the sack of Rome by Bourbon's Lutheran troops. More writes of the German Reformers with the horrified amazement with which we speak of the Bolshevists!

[339] [symbol]

The Bishop of Durham, with his humble duty to Your Majesty, desires to express his sincere condolence in the heavy loss which has befallen Your Majesty & the Nation by the death of Her Majesty, the Queen Mother. The affection with which all descriptions of Your Majesty's subjects have always regarded Queen Alexandra throughout her long life, & which was never more widely felt or more frankly expressed than at its close, cannot fail to give full assurance that the whole nation shares your Majesty's Sorrow.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, having replied to my inquiry as to the fitness of my expressing condolence to the King, & the manner of doing so, I wrote the above, and sent it to Lord Stamfordham, with a covering letter. If it does no good, it can hardly do any harm.

I filled in the chinks of the day with reading Fuller's Church History. Its pages coruscate with obiter dicta.

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