The Henson Journals

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Tuesday, November 27th, 1928.

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Bunyan Commemoration in Westminster Abbey:

A brilliant day, and distinctly colder. I motored to Darlington, and took the 11.21 a.m. train to King's Cross, deceiving the road by reading Lapsley's book on "The County Palatine of Durham", [[struck through] and by talking with the Hon: – Churton, a tall man fresh–coloured & with flaxen hair, whom I judged to be about 30–40 years old. He was intelligent, vivacious, & well–informed. He got in at York and got out at Peterboro.[end]] I drove to the Deanery at Westminster. Archbishop Lang came to tea. He is putting together his speech to be delivered at the Enthronement, an important deliverance. I told him that he had the chance of his life, & ought to make a great pronouncement. Old Cantuar, his predecessor, had had his chance, & failed to take it. I cannot feel very hopeful about it.

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The service in the Abbey was of a "popular" character, that is to say, there was no choir, & nothing sung save well–known hymns. There was but a small congregation, perhaps as many as 500 people. Of these, however, an unusually large proportion was men. Still it was undeniably disappointing, & I was disappointed. A reporter from the Times carried off the MS. of my sermon, but I doubt if he will make much use of it. [I had a good deal of talk with the Dean before going to bed. It is clear enough that the Bishop of London is becoming a great embarrassment to his friends, & indeed lives so completely in a "fools paradise" as to me be almost impossible.]

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