The Henson Journals

[94]

Wednesday, September 26th, 1928.

I had rather a comfortless night, being largely sleepless, & having neither books nor light beside me. After breakfasting at the Club, I walked to Lambeth, and spent the day in the Bishops' meeting. We began [diseussing] and rejecting my proposal for our Address to the Nation. I noted that the Abps. designate were hot against it. The Abps of Canterbury passed me a note saying that something was needed, & that the notion had occurred to him that, perhaps, he might himself address a farewell letter to the Church, asking what I thought of this. I sent back a note to the effect that I was well impressed by the idea; that he should write ''on his own'': & that his letter should be such that the Bishops could order it to be read in the Churches. My first motion having been thus ignominiously dismissed, the Bishops proceeded to discuss the second. This had better fortune, & was substantially adopted, in conjunction with the Bishop of Southwark's proposals. Manchester, Southwark, Ripon & I acted as a drafting Committee. Lang became magniloquent and even long–winded as he (and we) grew fatigued.

[95]

I was much impressed by Truro's casuistry. Frere is an attractive & versatile person, but has a power of hair–splitting exegesis which would be notable even in a society of Rabbis! I sit next the Bishop of Carlisle (Williams), and he seems to agree with me, but when it comes to a vote, he almost always votes against me! I walked from Lambeth to Westminster with Strong, who seems to me disappointed at being passed over for Canterbury. He dilated on the ill consequences of longevity in the Church and in the Universities: & here I agree with him. I went on to the Athenaeum, where I wrote to old Mr Kirk of Norton, congratulating him on his 80th Birthday: & to Di Darling, inquiring whether she had been injured in the motor smash reported in the newspapers. I dined with 'the Twin Brothers' of the Episcopal Bench, Ernest of Worcester and Edmund of Derby. They are good fellows enough, & very acute, but curiously common–place and 'unepiscopal'. It is a side–light on the present situation in the Church of England, that they should both be Bishops, for though both able men, yet neither has distinguished himself in ecclesiastical matters. Ernest is an antiquary & a journalist: Edmund was a creditable Head of a House & Mayor of Cambridge.

[96]

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Geoffrey Dawson was dining in the Club, & came to the reading room to talk with me. "I had expected to see you Archbishop of York," he said, & went on to say that he had heard from Dean Inge that I probably didn't care for the appointment. I inquired who was the author of the 3 excellent articles on Durham: & he told me that they were written by a young Balliol man, named Brooke. I said that I should like to make his acquaintance: & he promised to arrange a meeting.

I wrote to Father Bull of Cowley, and to Athelstan Riley answering their letters.

The papers have photographs of Dr Spooner, who recently retired from the Wardenship of New College, & now celebrates his golden wedding. Many "Spoonerisms", genuine or fictitious, are recalled. The longevity which multiplies these celebrations is a serious problem both in Church and State. Spooner was too old when he became Warden, and his own Wardenship has been so protracted that Matheson, who ought to have succeeded him, has to be set aside for a younger man.

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