The Henson Journals

[43]

Wednesday, December 23rd, 1925.

But really in the seventeenth century it was time to have a serious policy about the Devil. The witch trials of the seventeenth century, raging over the whole of the Protestant North, make up a record of cruelty unequalled in the history of the world – at any rate down to the last year or so – not perhaps for mere human suffering, but for the hideous combination of religion & complacent insensibility. It was time to relieve the Prince of Darkness from the loathsome calumnies of the witch–finders.

v. W. R. Ker "Collected Essays" i. 76.

I wrote an article on "Hideous Graveyards", and sent it to the "Evening Standard". In this I "gave tongue" on my "pet aversions", glass–globes & earthenware monuments. After lunch I walked round the Park with Ernest. The snow was frozen hard, & the aspect of everything wintrily beautiful. I send off the remaining copies of "Durham Castle" to the following:–

Jack Boden.	Mervyn Haigh	Kitty
Charles	Foxly Norris	John Radford
Sir H. Craik	Ruth.	Storr
Bell	Colin	Mrs Barnes.

[44] [symbol]

Since April, I have written 13 articles for the Evening Standard, of which 12 have already appeared. They were the following:–

1. The Church Assembly.

2. The Parson in Parliament.

3. Disestablishment.

4. The Coal Industry.

5. Tennessee.

6. The 39 Articles.

7. "Spiritual" Courts.

8. The Lure of Moscow.

9. Conferences.

10. The Decay of Preaching.

11. Religion & Science.

12. Religion in the Schools.

13. Hideous Grave–Yards.

Mrs Dillon sent me the new volume of Page's Letters, which I was very glad to get: and started to read forthwith. The figure of Sir Edward Grey stands out in great and honourable prominence.

It is odd as one reads to contrast the ethical fervours of the early War–years with the self–depreciating suspicion which now shadows our minds.

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