The Henson Journals

[32]

Tuesday, January 27th, 1931.

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Another beautiful and brilliant day. Macdonald gave me some chapters of the projected volume on Bishop Lightfoot to read, inviting my criticisms. I told him that there did not appear to be a sufficiently clear understanding in the writers' minds as to the plan and purpose of the volume which had been projected. Did they contemplate a volume of personal reminiscences & appreciations such as might be very welcome to the quickly diminishing number of his disciples & admirers? This had, perhaps, best be printed 'for private circulation', & might fitly include the trivialities which find their natural place in such compositions. Or, was it rather intended that a book should be produced which would place Lightfoot in his right perspective, & form an important contribution to the Anglican history of the XIXth century? Then it must be far otherwise written: & must include a careful and informed description of the actual situation, political, academic, ecclesiastical, & local, in which Lightfoot played his part. How far has his work stood the test of time? How far was its immediate success determined by circumstances, which were temporary or abnormal?

When the nimbus of disciples' homage is removed, what [33] [symbol] must be the verdict on the man, the scholar, and the bishop? He transferred from Cambridge to Auckland the habits, and so far as he could create them it, the atmosphere of academic life. Thus he surrounded himself with young men, whose vivacity & variety relieved, amused & delighted him. He enjoyed their frank admiration, & was carried along by their adolescent fervours. They gained much from him: they gave much to him: & but how far the Diocese gained permanently by the inter–change of benefits is, perhaps, not wholly apparent. The motive which led these youths to come to Durham was no special desire or intention to work as clergymen therein, but the wish to be ordained by Lightfoot. Accordingly, their concern with the diocese was in most cases as brief as possible. They went away, after their indispensable two years were ended, leaving behind, rather the memory of cheerful & confident beginnings than anything strong and lasting. A few survived, & did good work, but very few. Watkins, "he that leadeth Joseph like a sheep", was blowing his own trumpet when he exalted the diocesan achievements of Lightfoot, &, through the mist of his idealizing mendacities, it is not easy to get at the Truth. In a word, both Lightfoot & Westcott carried to the credit of their diocesan administration the immense reputation which they had earned in other spheres of activity.

[34]

We all went to Durham for the Commemoration of Founders & Benefactors. After lunching at the Deanery where the Dean entertained the honorary canons & their wives, we went to church. The service was well attended, &, save for the sitting of the congregation during the reading of the Form of Commemoration well–rendered. I told the Dean he ought to read the Form from the pulpit and make everybody stand. We returned to Auckland for tea.

Macdonald went with me to the Town Hall, where I presided over a meeting of the League of Nations Union. There was but a poor attendance, about 150, of whom 50 were men. The speaker, who, at the eleventh hour, had been sent from London to take the place of Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck, was an Irishman named Claxton Turner. He was voluble, discursive, funny, & rather vulgar. He certainly secured the attention of the audience & held it. Hodgson of Escomb was there, & tried to make a speech. He made a bad impression on Macdonald, whom he affected to know. Mr Claxton Turner put up at the Castle. He is a garrulous & under–bred journalist, but probably no more unscrupulous than most of his profession, & no more mendacious than most of his countrymen.

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