The Henson Journals

[103]

Wednesday, May 25th, 1927.

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I think I am more at home at Grillions than at the Club. At firsts sight this must seem perplexing, but not on reflection. The company at Grillions is mainly political, & all are fully engaged with immediate & public concerns. In these I am interested, &, in a measure, engaged. Accordingly I find myself able to bear a part, perhaps (allowing for the disadvantage of my cloth) an adequate part, in the conversation. But at the Club we are mainly literary and academic. The conversation is largely reminiscent of public schools & Universities, of which I must needs know little. At every turn I am reminded that a man who has never been at a public school is properly alien, &, though, if he be a 'good fellow', and adequately vouched for, he is treated with forbearance and even with affection, he must needs be largely "out of it". Probably this consciousness of exile is largely self–created, reflecting less the facts than one's picture of them. Nevertheless it exists, and spoils one's enjoyment. I remember Bishop Festing telling me that Abp Magee, who was a Trinity Dublin man, always felt himself 'looked down upon' by his fellow Bishops, who were all from Oxford & Cambridge, although in reality they regarded him with admiration as their most brilliant member. Though with some trepidation, as the least conventional.

[104]

Ella came to me at 10 a.m. & we walked as far as Westminster together, & called on Charles, whom we found wonderfully cheerful, & recovering from his very severe operation. Also, we called unavailingly on Sir George Craik, & then we parted. I went to see Dashwood, & afterwards went to the House of Lords, were I wrote to Lionel and Alexander: & then went into S. Margaret's to renew memories and meditate. I went to the Athenaeum, & lunched having Baker–Wilbraham for my teacher–companion. I visited the Academy, meeting with Lord Ullswater on the way, but the crowd & heat were intolerable.

I dined at Grillions. We numbered nine:–

Archbishop of Canterbury

Lord Dawson of Penn

Geoffrey Dawson

Lord Newton.

Sir George Murray.

Lord Dunedin

General Lyttelton.

Edmund Gosse.

Bishop of Durham.

The conversation was intelligent, interesting, and well–sustained. Lord Newton had been in Russia recently, & had something to say on the subject.

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