The Henson Journals

[213]

Low Sunday, April 7th, 1929.

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Avignon

[I wrote to Lionel, and the Bishop of Jarrow].

I read the Collect, Epistle & Gospel for this Sunday to Ella, noting the omission of the Three Witnesses Text from the Epistle as it stands in the Revised Prayer Book. It is changes of this kind that have in my judgment the greatest significance and religious value. None but a Reformed Church could have made them: & the making of them makes clear our distinctiveness from the Roman Church as no rubricks in restraint of ceremonial or reservation could possibly have done. For to correct the sacred text vouched for by the authority of the undivided Church for centuries implies a theory of the Church which is not technically "Catholick", i.e. it means that the Church of England holds truth ascertained by critical science to be superior to truth as certified by the Catholick Church. In a word, the vital but difficult principle of private judgment is implicitly accepted by a Church which corrects the Canon of Scripture.

[214]

Avignon

Having heard that there was no English service in Avignon, we attended Mass in the Cathedral, at 11.30 a.m. It was very brief service, about 20 minutes, during which we were subjected to no fewer than 3 collections! I was, however, impressed by the fact that everybody, even children, contributed to them all. The service was quite inaudible, but the congregation evidently understood it well, and followed it devoutly. The aspect of the Altar, the action of the priest, & the general "feeling" of the service were extraordinarily like what would be found in Anglo–Catholic churches in England. There is this apparent difference however – while the Catholick service has the ease & unconsciousness of the professional, the Anglo–Catholick presents the nervous emphasis & self–conscious pride of the aspiring amateur. That is a difference which is better felt than described. Its explanation must be found in the history of two churches, and the anarchy of one.

[215]

Avignon

After luncheon we walked to the Palace of the Popes, and went through it with a numerous party. It being a "free day", many of the poorer people and many poilus came, & they interested me more than the explanations of the guide which I heard intermittently and understood inadequately. It was sufficiently apparent that a pretty clean sweep of medieval features has been made during the long period in which the Palace has been put to secular, mainly to military uses. Much modern restoration has been carried out, & such medieval fragments as survived have been carefully preserved. It is, however, impossible to miss the impression of pomp & pride which exhales from this immense pile. We have travelled far from "the whole armoury of God", when we have come to living in a vast fortress with walls 13 feet thick, and every provision for security, & self–indulgence. I was particularly interested in the poilus, sturdy peasants with rather heavy features, but on the whole good–looking and good–tempered.

[216]

Avignon

Then we walked to the old bridge, and went on to it. The double chapel is extremely and curiously interesting. But every available inch of space on walls, columns, and even altars, is covered with tourists' names, cut and drawn by visitors. Is it the inevitable expression of the megalomania of vulgar minds? Or, ought we to find in it also an evidence of secularisation of spirit which has befallen modern Europe, & plucked up the last vestige of devotion & discipline? After this we had tea in a sweet–meat shop, and then went back to the Hotel to write letters.

The "mistral" continues to blow with vigour, and it carries the razorlike chills of the fresh fallen snow which we see on the Alps. Certainly this visitation wind – which justifies the description of Avignon as Ventosa – is a considerable drawback to this unusually beautiful & historically interesting city.

[217]

Avignon

I wrote to Lionel and to old Dr McCullagh. The penury of books casts one into a necessity of writing. Really, one ought to be better provided with readable books than at other times when one goes on holiday: but the difficulty of finding room for them generally compels a state of almost complete lack of literature. I have but two tolerable books in my bag – "Vanity Fair" and "The Antiquary", and neither of these is wholly unfamiliar.

The papers report the return of winter – heavy snow falls, temperatures below zero, and enormous injury to early crops. Certainly, the prospect for holiday–makers is not hopeful.

Cardinal Gasquet's death is reported at the great age of 82. According to Coulton he was very untrustworthy writer, whose handling of documents was actually dishonest. But he was Coulton's bugbear, & we must make a discount from his censure. He set himself against the recognition of Anglican Orders, on which our Anglo–Catholicks have set their hearts; & this explains his extreme unpopularity with them. He was a typical Roman ecclesiastick who passed for a historian.

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