The Henson Journals

[179]

Saturday, November 17th, 1928.

"Burnet never saw his (Leighton's) temper ruffled but once during 22 years of close intimacy, and could not recollect having ever heard him say an idle word. When reminded of his former zeal for the national covenant, he replied, 'When I was a child I spoke as a child', and when charged with apostasing from his father's principles, he meekly answered that a man was habitually abstemious, kept frequent fasts, & often shut himself up in his room for prolonged periods of private devotion."

v. D.N.B. 'Leighton'

Leighton stands with Falkland as among the few really likeable saints of the xviith century. His whimsical humour, genuine catholicity of temper, & exquisite literary taste stand out alluringly against the background of Puritan moroseness & Presbyterian bigotry. Burnet gained much from his association with Leighton – a real respect for goodness, a certain shame at his own incorrigible worldliness, and a liberal mindedness which was equally tactless, indiscriminating, and (against all provocations) persistent.

[180]

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I worked at the Bunyan Sermon. After lunch Lionel drove me to Lumley where I consecrated an addition to the churchyard in a piercing wind. Such functions ought to be confined to the summer! On my return I had an interview with Kenneth's mother, who is evidently very anxious about him. She showed me a letter which she had received from him this morning, & was written in a confident tone, not, perhaps, very congruous with his circumstances.

I read through again, & more carefully the article 'Bunyan – a Revaluation' by Alfred Moyes which appeared in 'The Bookman' (October 1923). It is virulent & fatuous caricature of a hostile criticism. The writer does not understand what he vilifies, & plainly knows nothing of the xviith century. His description of Bunyan's appearance sufficiently indicates his ability and temper:–

"He stares at us with those pitiful insane eyes, burning with little hatreds, & as we look at them, under that stunted & narrow brow, the water may well stand in our own eyes."

For contemporary descriptions of Bunyan see the Article in the Dictionary of National Biography.

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