The Henson Journals

[213]

Wednesday, April 11th, 1928.

'The admirable Crichton' – turning over a volume of the Dictionary of National Biography I lighted upon an account of this gentleman, who seems to have been sufficiently amazing. James Crichton (1560–1585?) was a Scot, & through his mother claimed royal descent. He was a pupil of George Buchanan. "In 1577 Crichton resolved to travel abroad. Although only seventeen, his intellect seemed fully developed. He was reputed by foreign admirers to be master of 11 languages. His memory was such that anything that he once heard or read he could repeat without any errors. Nor were his accomplishments as a fencer & as a horseman stated to be less remarkable … After 1585 Crichton disappears."

We are not yet out of the cycle of disaster! Leng reported that the car could not be patched up sufficiently for the journey to Birmingham until tomorrow. So we 'kicked our heels' for another day. It was the more regrettable since the day was mild, and (save for a brief thunder storm in the afternoon) fine, very suitable for motoring, and hopeless for work.

Lionel went off for a few days' holiday. Mr Isaac Elland wrote to accept appointment.

[214] [symbol]

I sent copies of "The Book and the Vote" to

1. President Nicholas Murray Butler.

2. Sir George Adam Smith.

3. Bishop Lawrence.

4. Bishop Cameron Mann.

5. Gilbert.

6. Harold Henson.

I wasted the whole day, maundering in the garden, dozing in my chair, reading the newspapers, and writing letters! There is a horrible inquiry into scandalous allegations against an Incumbent in the Gloucester Diocese, which is reported at great length in the newspapers, & will cause much jubilation in the camp of the ungodly. Everything seems to be going wrong with the Church of England just now.

My afternoon post brought several letters abusively expressed. A postcard ran thus:

"On Dec. 15th last the Under World prevailed against the Upper World, and D.V. will do so again. Your godly, consistent, scholarly PROTESTANT predecessor would have spurned the mongrel book you are advocating. You are helping to dig the grave of an antiquated prelacy".

[215]

Wistful, wanton, wayward, wild.

Sceptic head, yet heart of child,

God, who shaped the land and sea,

Why hast Thou so mismade me,

Tongue satiric, twinkling eye,

Haughty, seeming strangely shy?

God, who has made all things blest,

Tell me, dost Thou sometimes jest?

These lines were left by a schoolmaster aged 52 who committed suicide in South Wales a few days ago. The whole document is curiously pathetic, & sets one thinking … Here is a striking passage:

"The last Scripture I read to my boys yesterday at school prayer happened to be "And underneath are everlasting arms.' Dear boys, I hope those arms will ever sustain you. For me, alas, those arms are not outstretched, because I have rejected them. For me, I fear only Lucifer's headlong fall – down, down to the bottom of perdition."

It ends thus:

"Thank God for life. It is good to have lived: and as for death, I cannot dogmatise, but shall know in sixty seconds. Bang!!

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