Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Second volume)

360
BURNET-LEIGHTON PAPERS
see yor hand, but when I had read a litle of it, I was greatly
ashamed of yor overvaluing so very a nothing, yea of one so
much lesse and worse then nothing, I say it not affectedly, but
as it is y® truth in itself, it is ye reall sense of my mind, but
what yow say of my converse I can return yow with much better
reason, of yours with mee since our first acquaintance, when
I remember (as often I doe) how great a releif it was to mee
all along of y® pain and vnpleasantnesse of that station wherein
I was engag’d. I am glad that those noble persons yow write
of are come safe through so long a iourney in such a season of
y® year though I am become crazy and sickly I would not
delay to waite vpon them, if I could doe them any reall ser¬
vice, but being sure I cannot, I hope they will pardon mee,
and accept of my intention of paying that duety (God willing)
before their return homewards, wch I suppose will not be
sudden, but of that I will intreat y® favour of notice from
yow. I am glad of y® Bp of D’s restitution, and desire yow
when yow write to him to remember my service and kindnest
good wishes to him, for y® condition of y‘ church, I can not
bee insensible of it, and being never to doe any other service
in it nor to it I desire after my poor fashion to pray so much
y® more for it. For my self and this retreat I neither can nor
will say much, but as I desire to embrace it with humble
thankfulnes from y® hand of y® father of mercies, as a favour¬
able answer to y® dayly petitions of many years, so I intirely
depend vpon y® same hand for y® happy improovement and
advantages of it. And though I attain litle or nothing of
them, I would willingly say as some body once did who being
ask’d what hee was doing in a solitude hee had chosen, gave no
other account of it but this propter Christu cellulae huius
parietes custodio. I desire to keep y® rooms quiet and vacant
not onely that without mee but cheifly y® cell within, for him
who is y® alone rest of souls and makes them dwell alone in
safety, for our thoughts of y® world about vs I need not tell
yow y* know it so much better then I, yl there is one great
thought yt drownes them all, y4 this all is nothing, and hee
alone is all y4 form'd it, o ovtcos wv, and that governs it and
all things in it and does whatsoever hee will in heaven and
earth, and cannot will but what is best. The Lord shall