The Henson Journals

[5]

Saturday, March 5th, 1927.

I walked to the Athenaeum, and breakfasted there. Graves came and talked to me about the Prayer–book, expressing himself more sensibly than I could reasonably have expected from a professed 'literary man'! I gather that my support of the Revised Book has had a restraining effect in some quarters, which would like to have proclaimed hostility. I left the Bishops still sitting, when I left the Palace at 3.30 p.m. after witnessing the rejection of both the proposed drafts for the Preface, Jenkins's and mine. I think their Lordships could not bring themselves to endure the thought that one of themselves should have the distinction of standing with Cranmer & Sanderson!

I returned to the North by the 5.30 p.m. express, and was met by Lionel and the car at Darlington. The Bishop of Ripon was on the train, travelling 3rd Class. However we lunched together. He is a curious amalgam of intelligence, prejudice, naiveté, and pedantry.

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