The Henson Journals

[32]

Tuesday, August 23rd, 1927. Lytchett Heath, Poole.

In the course of the night, when sleep failed me, I read a brilliant little brochure – A Modern Symposium by G. Lowes Dickinson (London. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.) 1923. It is full of true things admirably expressed.

After breakfast I had some talk with Egyptian Carter. I asked him whether the Egyptians themselves were interested in their antiquities, and whether any legends & folklore had gathered about them: and he replied in the negative. They only regarded them as means of making money. He himself had been asked repeatedly whether their sale would pay the national debt. I inquired about his methods of exploration etc. He said that the atmosphere was hot & stale but not unwholesome, that the objects discovered were generally sound enough, but the glue which held together the furniture had disintegrated, so that the utmost care was needed in handling them. Petrol grease was invaluable. Necklaces of many beads wd. be found in order, but without any connecting string. The whole was covered in grease, & so removed as a cake, to be carefully handled later. He observed on the immense wealth of the Royal Tombs. He had removed from Tutankhamen's tomb in gold, silver, & copper, about £100,000, yet he reckoned that no more than two–fifths of the original deposit had been found in the tomb.

[33]

We went to Wimborne Minster, & inspected that very interesting church. The handsel–cloth and the chained library are two distinguishing possessions of Wimborne. Sir Maurice de Bunsen talked to me about the Lausanne Conference, of which he had no very exalted opinion.

The Speaker with his son and daughter came to lunch, and remained until about 5.30 p.m. I had much conversation with him. He expressed his regret at Runciman's retirement from the Ecclesiastical Committee on the ground that he was a Nonconformist, and, therefore, properly disqualified for interference in the domestic concerns of the Church of England. He held that the function of the said Committee was strictly limited to determining the single point, whether the Church Assembly had, or had not, exceeded its powers. We spoke of Canon Wilson, his old headmaster, now over 90 years old, and he told me that C.B. had twice offered him a bishoprick and been refused. He related the whole story of the controversy about the Crypt Chapel in the Palace of Westminster. I gathered [34] [symbol] that Carnegie behaved with much folly, giving the impression of bigotry, and causing the exclusion of the Rector from all control over the use of the Chapel. When he became Speaker he informed the Churchwarden of St Margaret's of his intention to attend that Church in spite of his Nonconformity: and inquired of Carnegie whether he might receive the Holy Communion. Carnegie returned the strange answer that he might do so "as Speaker" but in no other capacity. On this he decided not to present himself for Holy Communion at all, telling Carnegie that he was the most thorough–going Erastian he (the Speaker) had ever met.

After lunch, as we walked in the garden, Howard Carter killed a viper which was sunning itself in a state of repletion under a tree. He seemed more indifferent to the venomous reptile than I expected, but no doubt his experiences in Egypt had familiarized him with snakes. He is a man of considerable ability outside his particular interest. His grandfather was a gamekeeper's son who became a noted animal painter.

[35] [symbol]

I cross–examined mine hostess on the subject of Australia, which she visited in company with her husband. She confessed frankly that the Australians did not please her. Domestic servants, provided they were willing to work hard, had a career there: and educated women were beginning to be wanted. They were certainly much needed. I observed that the colonists appeared to require precisely the two classes of workers, whom we could least spare, viz. agricultural labourers and domestic servants.

Sir Maurice de Bunsen spoke of Emil Ludwig, the author of the book on the Kaiser, which has made so great an impression. He said that Ludwig's book on Napoleon was wonderful: that a book on Bismarck wd. shortly appear: & that a book on Lenin was in making.

Howard Carter told me that his expenditure on Telegrams in one year amounted to £3000. His tour in America had been financially most successful. It worked out at £7 a minute! He had an interview with Coolidge, who gave him the sage advice when he was perplexed by the action of the Egyptian Government – "Give it a rest cure." His impressions of America were, however, mainly unfavourable.