The Henson Journals
Tue 22 February 1927
Volume 41, Page 370
[370]
Tuesday, February 22nd, 1927.
A long and affectionate letter came from George. He writes with enthusiasm of the Bishop of London's visit, and encloses cuttings from the Dutch papers. An attempt was made to broadcast the Bishop's sermon but failed because he spoke too softly.
Brooke writes to say that he likes the "Composite Book", which is so far satisfactory [in] that he is a young clergyman, & presumably to some extent representative of his coevals.
I worked at the Edinburgh Article, but badly since I am really not clear as to what I want to say! Old Canon Crudace came to lunch. He expressed his approval of the Composite Book, but he will be 80 next year! After lunch Lionel and I walked in the Park, though the rain fell all the time.
I started to read "The Century of the Renaissance by Louis Batiffol["], a volume in the series called The National History of France edited by Fr. Funck–Brentano. The Introduction by J. E. C. Bodley is interesting. He says [that] the North–eastern region which was the part of France ravaged by the War "has more historical associations on its soil than the whole of Great Britain – our comparative poverty in that respect being chiefly due to our insular immunity to invasion". This may be true, but against it may be placed the fact that our historical monuments have for the same reason been more generally & completely preserved. He mentions as an evidence of the ignorance of French History which prevails in England that Lord Morley in a debate on the Parliament Bill told the House of Lords that the "Day of Dupes" – on which Richelieu foiled an intrigue of the Queen–Mother in 1630 – was an episode of the Revolution in 1789, when "the aristocrats, as they were called, surrendered their rights", and that the Minister's mistake was not detected by the Lords.
That objectionable creature, Nelson, formerly Vicar of Leominster, whose departure from the Hereford Diocese gave me such real satisfaction, is coming into the Diocese of Durham as Vicar of Castle Eden!