The force of simplicity finds here its most complete expression; the story wells from the man’s heart, whence come all great things:—­

    “Then said the Interpreter to Christian, ’Hast thou considered
    all these things?’

    “Christian. ‘Yes, and they put me in hope and fear.’

    “Interpreter. ’Well, keep all things so in thy mind that they
    may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way
    thou must go.’

    “Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to address himself
    to his journey.

    “Then said the Interpreter, ’The Comforter be always with thee,
    good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the city.’

    “So Christian went on his way.

“Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian had to go was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation.  Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.  He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below in the bottom a sepulchre.

“So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

    “Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry
    heart, ’He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His
    death.’

    “Then he stood awhile to look and wonder, for it was very
    surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him
    of his burden.

    “He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs
    that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks.”

Bunyan died in 1688, and Dr. Johnson was born in 1709.  Many years, therefore, elapsed between the time when they each displayed their greatest powers.

The interval was occupied by many reputable worldly-wise writers, but I do not myself find, between these two masters of English prose, anyone who wrote passages of such great lustre that I can quote them for your admiration.

You will have noticed, Antony, that all the writers whom I have quoted, and who reached the true nobility of speech necessary to command our tribute of unstinted praise, have been men of manifest piety and reverence.

And you will find it difficult to discover really great and eloquent prose from the pen of any man whose heart is not filled with a simple faith in the goodness of God.

Your loving old
G.P.

11

MY DEAR ANTONY,

I have come now to Dr. Johnson, and it is almost a test of a true man of letters that he should love him.