The Henson Journals

[101]

Tuesday, May 24th, 1927.

Both Newbolt and Graves said that they had acquaintance with Nairne, & both, while admitting the competence of his scholarship, were doubtful about his "clubbableness": and yet the last is a very important matter when a man has to live with colleagues in College. Yet, I hesitate to pass over an admittedly superior scholar on that ground.

I breakfasted with Lord S., and then walked to Adenay & left the coat to be altered. Then I went to Hugh Rees, and ordered some books. From thence I went to the club and prepared notes for a speech on the Liquor Bill, which, however, I did not deliver. I walked to Westminster, and called on Storr, with whom I talked for some while. I lunched at the H. of L: and attended the debate on the Liquor Bill, which was introduced by the Bishop of Liverpool. Lord Banbury moved its rejection, & was followed by Lord Astor in rather a fanatical speech. The Duke of Montrose spoke for the Bill in a voice of thunder, which was, perhaps, connected with his deafness. Lord Sumner made an admirable speech on the other side. There was not much left of the Bill by the time he had finished. The Bishop of Bradford was speaking when I came away at 7.15 p.m.

[102]

I dined with 'The Club'. There was rather a large muster viz:–

Sir Frederick Kenyon

George Murray

John Buchan

Frank Pember

George Trevelyan

John Bailey

Lord Sumner

" Crawford & Balcarras

" Dunedin

Macmillan

Herbert Fisher

There was much conversation, & much of it brilliant, but I grow old, and am too little in the current of society to be altogether comfortable. A sense of exile comes over me increasingly, and is the premonitory shadow of that complete solitude which invests old age for those who have neither children nor friends.

I promised to send Lord Gage a copy of the Bishoprick: Lord Middleton told me that he had read the copy which Lord Selborne had sent him, and that it had persuaded him to accept the Revised Book.

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