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2 August 1905 — Harrogate | |
Wednesday. 2nd [August 1905]. Ivor & Cornelia went to London on business at 10 & Miss Anderson went for her holiday. Nela & I walked to the town & she took a bath while I sat in the gardens & waited for her. We got back to the Granby at 12 & then started off in the motor for York which is 22 miles off. It was a lovely day & we gave the driver instructions not to go too fast as I am not fond of motor driving so we did not reach York till 1.30. We stopped at the “Crown” & had a cold luncheon after which we went forth to see the Cathedral. It is a wonder of beauty & the glass windows are the finest anywhere. An intelligent verger showed us round– We walked round the outside & then returned to the town where we found the motor ready for us & we went on to Bishopthorpe, the verger having told us that the Archbishop is in residence. Mrs Maclagan was out & the Bishop said to be invisible but on sending in my card the footman returned saying His Grace would see me—which he did most cordially. He remembers also that when, in former days, he had stayed with us at Venice Nela & Ola Du Cane used to row him about in the sandolo– After a little chat he offered to show us the house– The chapel is interesting as being the original one dating back in Early English History. Portions of the house are old—updating having been made from time to time. The river runs close to the back of the house and adds to the scenery. In the Archbishop’s own study he showed us a fine crucifix carved in ivory wh he said was a present from Lady Ottoline Bentinck. Having heard him say that the only crucifix he would care to possess was one he had seen in a church at Vicenza—she went to Italy & ordered a copy of it to be made– One day as the Archbp was examining it minutely it occurred to him that it was not a new one; on further enquiry it was found that the priest of the church had preferred the copy as being whiter & cleaner than the original and had thought to cheat Lady Ottoline by sending her the original! whereby the Archbishop is greatly the gainer. His study was interesting, full of books & chairs tables & chairs covered with papers laid out in order. He told us that this house was now full of clergy up for their ordination. After we had seen the house—& looked into the big dining room where a long table was set out for a large party (probably the candidates) we went round the garden & saw many fine trees & pretty peeps down glades to the river. He took us across a road which separated the kitchen garden from the pleasure grounds & as we crossed a motor stopped & a lady got out to speak to him. When he rejoined us he told us she was a lady who had also come over from Harrogate & was a great friend of his. He said he did not know which was her greatest delight attending Church functions or hunt meets but he rather thought the latter. She was such an ardent lover of the chase that when he husband was hors de combat she took his place in the field & hunted his hounds. We soon after took our leave & left him in the garden with the new comer. On our way to the front door we passed many men whom we concluded were the candidates for the Church & we got back in about an hour to the Granby. | |
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