The Henson Journals

[146]

Friday, February 26th, 1926.

Here (sc. on the arch set up by Agostine Chigi in honour of Leo X) in golden letters, was to be read the satire, so soon to become famous, referring to the reigns of Alexander VI and Julius II, which at the same time expressed the hopes held by the humanist as regarded Leo X:

First Venus ruled; then came the god of war:

Now, great Minerva, it is thy day that dawns.

The celebrated goldsmith, Antonio di San Marino, responded to this in a way quite in harmony with the worldliness of Rome. He placed a statue of Venus over his house with this inscription:

Mars has reigned: Pallas has followed: but the reign of Venus will never end.

v. Pastor. Popes. vii. 41

This was the welcome afforded to the Pope who would have to handle the questions raised by Luther's revolt. The moral inadequacy of the Papacy for its own theory was paralyzing. Only when the Papacy became morally respectable under the influence of the Counter Reformation did it recover strength to beat back the movement of rebellion.

[147]

I worked at the sermon for the Westminster sectaries, but "my right hand has lost its cunning", & I made but small progress. In the pinched space – say half an hour at the utmost – which is all that is at one's disposal, it is not possible to develop an argument. If one succeeds in making an impression, one must be content.

Lionel & I walked round the Park after lunch, & later we went to Willington, where I instituted the Revd T. W. C. Hudson, lately Curate of St Aidan's, West Hartlepool, to the Rectory. The Church was well–filled: there was a creditable muster of the clergy: & generally an atmosphere of devoutness & goodwill. I gave the Rural Dean a lift in the car to Bishop Auckland. He told me that he visited Escombe, &, to his amazement, found red candles on the altar, an arrangement designed, he is persuaded, to indicate the political proclivities of the Vicar. Hodgson an aggressive partisan of "Labour"! To what extravagances will party–spirit carry men! There is great offence taken in Darlington by the eager advocacy of "Labour" in the recent by–election by the Revd T. C. Gobat, Vicar of S James. He even suffered an abominable Communist hymn to be sung in his presence – "There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from the workers' veins". Well, well!

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