Functions of style iii: the cultivation of unity

Hunting and divinity, how well

they sort together in my mind!

I must own to a weakness for

sporting parsons, for those un-

apostolic characters I read of

in Nimrod and elsewhere; for

parson Jack Russell.. for the

clergyman who [advertised] -

"Wanted, a curacy in a good

sporting country, where the

duties are light and the com-

pany convivial" ..

There can be no doubt, that

a journal affords the vital-

ity of the personality a can-

vas on which to conduct its

pursuit of form. It has some-

thing in common with the in-

tegrity of dreams, yet it is

a field for expository, ex-
ploratory energy we admire.

And of course it is not un-
delightful to observe the
familiar, emerging brighter.
Like our modern-day artisans

of the selfie, perhaps, the

journal-keeping seeker of u-

nity will be reminded of the

divine, ere long, and ponder

his rapport with it. They say

one can never be too ready.

 As to that, Biffy Holland-

 Hibbert told me that he once

 got into trouble for jumping

 into a churchyard, when the

 Bicester were in full cry;

 they said it was outrageous

 to the dead; which I thought

 inconceivable until I was my-

 self shoo'd out of the Oxford

 crematorium by a scandalised

 custodian in course of a gay

 hunt from Woodeaton Spinney

 with the South Oxon. Fantastic

 indignation! I thought to my-

 self as his cri de coeur died

 away behind me; and as I rode

 home from the Wick I tried to

 rationalise his extraordinary

 conduct. 

Why, when I am dead, the very 

thought of a fox-chase in full 

cry streaming over my maggotry 

remainder will be as refreshing

dew to my poor wilting spirit,

as it fiddles away in some in-

conspicuous corner of the celes-

tial orchestra. But it was no

good; the mind of that odd jan-

itor of the dead evidently work-

ed on different principles from

mine.

Hugh Trevor-Roper

Major, HM Secret Intelligence Service

December, 1943

The Wartime Journals

op. cit.