The Henson Journals

[181]

Saturday, July 9th, 1927.

We came away from the Deanery, and caught the 10 a.m. express to Darlington. There was a hideous crowd at King's Cross, but happily our seats had been reserved. Lionel met us at Darlington with the car. On arriving at the Castle, I fell at once to the work of clearing off the correspondence.

James is reported to have started on his first voyage: his destination being Valparaiso. His father writes to thank me for my kindness to him.

Pearce has a foolish and probably mischievous letter in the Times suggesting that, if the Ecclesiastical Committee does its duty, it may refuse to recommend the Prayer Book Revision Measure to Parliament. Why can't he leave it alone? He seems to have tied himself into the counsels of a narrow set of rather illiterate and very bigoted Evangelicals, and to be unable to get free. The vote of last Wednesday, by its decisive characters, gave him a very fair opportunity of putting himself right with the Church: but he prefers to stand well with his immediate environment. The Bishop of Exeter said that he would accept the verdict of the Church Assembly as final, and, if he is as good as his words, he will be able to escape from a false position.

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