The Henson Journals

[74]

Tuesday, August 3rd, 1926.

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Twelve weeks ago I was operated upon, and my life was in jeopardy. Today, I move about with much of my normal freedom, and look forward to being able to resume the activities of my normal life. How strangely little change in me has been wrought! I am just as cynical, restless, idle, and self–indulgent as before! Yet, if there be a personal Providence which orders the life of the individual Christian – and nothing less than this is quite clearly taught in the Gospel – then my recent experience cannot have been undesigned, and, if designed, can only have been so as discipline. I am being urged by the salutory pressure of illness, & by the stern warning of a sudden arrest, to consider my ways, to revise my conduct, and to acknowledge my duty. And yet I find myself after 12 weeks as reckless, selfish and secular as before! What can be done with so irresponsive and intractable a spirit?

The Times reports no improvement in the mining crisis. I cannot doubt that the interference of the Bishops has been only effective in prolonging the conflict, for it has rescued Cook & his friends from a hopeless impasse, provided them with a new plea, and placed the Government in a very difficult situation. The extreme desire of the general public to escape from this threatening state of affairs predisposes it to demand that the Government shall not refuse terms which "the Churches" are proposing, and it is quite possible, even probable, that a surrender to the Forces of Anarchy may be the consequence of action by what professes to be the Voice of Moral Law!

[75]

The Charity Organization Society's Secretary writes to ask for the title of my "Lock Memorial Lecture" which I am due to deliver on the 27th October!! The choice of a subject must presumably have some connexion with the work and ideals of C.O.S., and be not wholly alien from the mind of C. S. Lock: & I know so little of these that my choice must be precarious and may be grotesque!

"Individuality and Democracy" – "Almsgiving in the Modern State" – "The Problem of Mendicancy": – Finally I wrote to the Secretary as follows: –

August 3rd, 1926

Dear Mr Pringle,

Your letter of the 28th July has been sent on to me. I find it by no means easy to hit on a subject which wd be adequate and congruous. Perhaps something quite general would be best viz. "The problem of benevolence in the modern State". This would give me the largest liberty, while sufficiently indicating what is the gist of what I want to discuss viz. the difficulty of vindicating the rights of individual character, & tracing the lines of individual obligation in the circumstances which now obtain & form the milieu in which the benevolent citizen has to do out his duty.

If you think this will serve, I will adopt it. If not, tell me, & I will endeavour to find another. I shall be the more bound to you if you will add some words of guidance wh. may assist me.

Believe me, Yours sincerely,

Herbert Dunelm:

I wrote letters to the following: – 1. The Dean of Ripon condoling with him on his wife's death. 2. J. C. Pringle, sending the subject for the Lock Lecture. 3. Rev. S. Kearney, offering Aug. 31st as the date for dedicating the Meml Organ. 4. R. H. Thorburn Esq. 5. Revd E. B. Adamson. 6. J. S. Wilson. 7. Geoffrey Dawson.

The heaviness in the air induces in me such a measure of stupidity that even the petty effort of composing a letter over–taxes my wits! The sky is over–spread with clouds: there is in the air a dead stillness: & I think that a Thunderstorm is gathering.

[76]

The 18th century was, if judged by the standard of the 20th, certainly a slack age. Bishop Lloyd of Worcester "was spoken of by his contemporaries as a model bishop", yet his record of official work hardly strikes a modern reader as adequate: "To reside in his Diocese for four months only in the year, to hold about 15 confirmations, to treat the clergy of one or two deaneries to a dinner at an inn, was not a great tax either on his time or his purse". His income for these labours "must have been equal to about £7500 a year". He seems to have been careful about his Ordinations. "On the other hand, a man was sometimes ordained deacon one Sunday, Priest the next Sunday, & instituted to a Living before the week was out." In ordinary years the Bishop held Confirmations in the chief market towns. The numbers confirmed were enormous. The Secretary says "My Ld had lists of ye names of such as came to be confirmed from every Parish, but many more came than were named in the lists, & the Confirmations were very great everywhere. In some places 7 or 800, & at Bromsgrove, where there were fewest, the number was guessed to be about 400." By the Bishop's rule children might be confirmed at 10 years of age. The Bishop on one occasion preached for 2 hours in Hartlebury Church, & afterwards ordained 6 deacons & 3 priests.

(v. Diary of Francis Evans, Secretary to Bishop Lloyd 1699–1706, edited for the Worcestershire Historical Society by the Revd David Robertson, M. A., Rector of Hartlebury. Printed for the Worcestershire Historical Society by James Parker & Co, Oxford. 1903.)

"The duty of my place obliges me once in three years to visit my Diocese, & I have appointed it to begin next month. It is not unlike the circuit of a judge: for I go to my remotest bounds, inquiring into the present state of our affairs, &, if occasion require, exerting the discipline of the Church. Whenever I come my brethren meet me, & I am to say something to them which is called a charge, & being heedfully attended to by them & by many others, it becomes me to consider well of it. I do not much apprehend the fatigue of travelling: but the numerous Confirmations are really laborious, & I have many a time been tired in that service, when I was many years younger.

(John Hough, Bishop of Worcester to Lady Kaye, April 10th 1728. v. Life by John Wilmot. p. 187. London. 1812)

[77]

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'A young clergyman, curate of a neighbouring parish, taking his leave of him one day, and making many awkward bows, ran against, and threw down on the floor, a favourite barometer of the Bishop's: the young man was frightened and extremely concerned: but the good old prelate, with all the complacency possible, said to him, "Don't be uneasy Sir, I have observed this Glass almost daily for upwards of seventy years, but I never saw it so low before".'

(v. Wilmot's Life of Bishop Hough. p. 67.)

I spent the day in writing letters, reading promiscuously or "browzing" in the Library, and loafing about the Castle grounds with mine host and hostess. The weather was somewhat sultry, and the sky clouded, but no rain.

The Library is a notable feature of this house, Hartlebury Castle. It occupies a fascinating gallery, commodious and well–lighted, and is well furnished with books. Besides an ample supply of the classics and theology, there is much law, and a large number of histories, works of travel, biography, and antiquarianism. It is, I should think, an excellent specimen of an 18th century bishop's library, and indicates considerable learning and a wide range of interest. The books ranged on elegant shelves the whole length of the fair gallery indicate large leisure, ample means, and refined tastes.

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