The Henson Journals

[332]

Wednesday, January 19th, 1927.

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We sate as the Bishops' Meeting, and were joined therefore by the Bishops from Wales. There were several subjects of importance discussed, and the discussions were never wholly without interest. The attempted revival of monasticism in the Church of England has proceeded far, and yet there has never been any deliberate or authoritative approval. Its very serious implications are disclosed in the curious story of the "enclosed" Benedictine nuns at Malling, of whom the Bishop of Rochester gave us the record. Old Archbishop Temple had approved their rule, a rather elaborate constitution which, there seems much reason for thinking, he had never read! Pearce related his dealings with the "Abbot of Pershore", a certain "Father" Denis, who parades as the Abbot of the Benedictines in England. It is all farcical enough. Then the unsavoury subject of Birth Control was introduced most pontifically by the Bishop of Lincoln, and discharged in a very futile fashion. Nickson brought forward the difficult situation created for him by the Fundamentalist Schismaticks from the Church Missionary Society. They are starting a Theological College in Bristol, and want him to be the Visitor.

I dined at the Inner Temple as the guest of Judge Atherley Jones. Among the guests were Lord Lambourne, Sir Maurice de Bunsen, General Seely, Sir Albert Spicer, Mr Ramsay Macdonald, and some others. Lord Ullswater was there. I had speech with most of them, & sate beside Lord Darling. Altogether a pleasant evening. I was back in Lambeth by 9.30 p.m.

[333]

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Mine host introduced me to Mr Ramsay Macdonald. He didn't look very agreeable when he heard my name. "I have heard of the Bishop of Durham before" he said. "Undoubtedly", I replied, "and we have corresponded." We then had an amicable talk about Lilley, until we were interrupted. Lord Ullswater was very civil. He spoke of the decline of St Margaret's, Westminster, under my successor. I asked him whether he thought the Government meant to do anything effectual about the Trade Unions. He replied that they were too deeply pledged not to do something. Lord Darling was less scintillating than usual, but friendly enough. I had some talk with the Master of the Rolls, who spoke of his brother Bertram, the Bishop of Norwich, with much affection. "He is the bravest man in the world", he said: & gave as evidence his action in reforming the relaxed morals of Wellington, when he went there as Headmaster. He spoke much of the alienation of the educated laity by the follies of the Anglo–Catholicks. These Pollocks are a slow–moving, obstinate, conscientious folk, not easily persuaded to any course of action, & impossible to move from any position which they have deliberately adopted. Atherley Jones, mine host, tends to senility: his ego–centrical talk which is filled with vainglorious reminiscence is infinitely tiresome. But, of course, as he was mine host I could not decline some attention to his discourse, which in truth bored me horribly.

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