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The　Life　of　John　Bunyan



by　Edmund　Venables；　M。A。






CHAPTER　I。







John　Bunyan；　the　author　of　the　book　which　has　probably　passed

through　more　editions；　had　a　greater　number　of　readers；　and　been

translated　into　more　languages　than　any　other　book　in　the　English

tongue；　was　born　in　the　parish　of　Elstow；　in　Bedfordshire；　in　the

latter　part　of　the　year　1628；　and　was　baptized　in　the　parish　church

of　the　village　on　the　last　day　of　November　of　that　year。



The　year　of　John　Bunyan's　birth　was　a　momentous　one　both　for　the

nation　and　for　the　Church　of　England。　　Charles　I。；　by　the　extorted

assent　to　the　Petition　of　Right；　had　begun　reluctantly　to　strip

himself　of　the　irresponsible　authority　he　had　claimed；　and　had

taken　the　first　step　in　the　struggle　between　King　and　Parliament

which　ended　in　the　House　of　Commons　seating　itself　in　the　place　of

the　Sovereign。　　Wentworth　（better　known　as　Lord　Strafford）　had

finally　left　the　Commons；　baffled　in　his　nobly…conceived　but　vain

hope　of　reconciling　the　monarch　and　his　people；　and　having　accepted

a　peerage　and　the　promise　of　the　Presidency　of　the　Council　of　the

North；　was　foreshadowing　his　policy　of　〃Thorough；〃　which　was

destined　to　bring　both　his　own　head　and　that　of　his　weak　master　to

the　block。　　The　Remonstrance　of　Parliament　against　the　toleration

of　Roman　Catholics　and　the　growth　of　Arminianism；　had　been

presented　to　the　indignant　king；　who；　wilfully　blinded；　had　replied

to　it　by　the　promotion　to　high　and　lucrative　posts　in　the　Church　of

the　very　men　against　whom　it　was　chiefly　directed。　　The　most

outrageous　upholders　of　the　royal　prerogative　and　the　irresponsible

power　of　the　sovereign；　Montagu　and　Mainwaring；　had　been　presented；

the　one　to　the　see　of　Chichester；　the　other　…　the　impeached　and

condemned　of　the　Commons　…　to　the　rich　living　Montagu's

consecration　had　vacated。　　Montaigne；　the　licenser　of　Mainwaring's

incriminated　sermon；　was　raised　to　the　Archbishopric　of　York；　while

Neile　and　Laud；　who　were　openly　named　in　the　Remonstrance　as　the

〃troublers　of　the　English　Israel；〃　were　rewarded　respectively　with

the　rich　see　of　Durham　and　the　important　and　deeply…dyed　Puritan

diocese　of　London。　　Charles　was　steadily　sowing　the　wind；　and

destined　to　reap　the　whirlwind　which　was　to　sweep　him　from　his

throne；　and　involve　the　monarchy　and　the　Church　in　the　same

overthrow。　　Three　months　before　Bunyan's　birth　Buckingham；　on　the

eve　of　his　departure　for　the　beleaguered　and　famine…stricken　city

of　Rochelle；　sanguinely　hoping　to　conclude　a　peace　with　the　French

king　beneath　its　walls；　had　been　struck　down　by　the　knife　of　a

fanatic；　to　the　undisguised　joy　of　the　majority　of　the　nation；

bequeathing　a　legacy　of　failure　and　disgrace　in　the　fall　of　the

Protestant　stronghold　on　which　the　eyes　of　Europe　had　been　so　long

anxiously　fixed。



The　year　was　closing　gloomily；　with　ominous　forecasts　of　the　coming

hurricane；　when　the　babe　who　was　destined　to　leave　so　imperishable

a　name　in　English　literature；　first　saw　the　light　in　an　humble

cottage　in　an　obscure　Bedfordshire　village。　　His　father；　Thomas

Bunyan；　though　styling　himself　in　his　will　by　the　more　dignified

title　of　〃brazier；〃　was　more　properly　what　is　known　as　a　〃tinker〃；

〃a　mender　of　pots　and　kettles；〃　according　to　Bunyan's　contemporary

biographer；　Charles　Doe。　　He　was　not；　however；　a　mere　tramp　or

vagrant；　as　travelling　tinkers　were　and　usually　are　still；　much

less　a　disreputable　sot；　a　counterpart　of　Shakespeare's　Christopher

Sly；　but　a　man　with　a　recognized　calling；　having　a　settled　home　and

an　acknowledged　position　in　the　village　community　of　Elstow。　　The

family　was　of　long　standing　there；　but　had　for　some　generations

been　going　down　in　the　world。　　Bunyan's　grandfather；　Thomas　Bunyan；

as　we　learn　from　his　still　extant　will；　carried　on　the　occupation

of　a　〃petty　chapman；〃　or　small　retail　dealer；　in　his　own　freehold

cottage；　which　he　bequeathed；　〃with　its　appurtenances；〃　to　his

second　wife；　Ann；　to　descend；　after　her　death；　to　her　stepson；　his

namesake；　Thomas；　and　her　own　son　Edward；　in　equal　shares。　　This

cottage；　which　was　probably　John　Bunyan's　birthplace；　persistent

tradition；　confirmed　by　the　testimony　of　local　names；　warrants　us

in　placing　near　the　hamlet　of　Harrowden；　a　mile　to　the　east　of　the

village　of　Elstow；　at　a　place　long　called　〃Bunyan's　End；〃　where　two

fields　are　still　called　by　the　name　of　〃Bunyans〃　and　〃Further

Bunyans。〃　　This　small　freehold　appears　to　have　been　all　that

remained；　at　the　death　of　John　Bunyan's　grandfather；　of　a　property

once　considerable　enough　to　have　given　the　name　of　its　possessor　to

the　whole　locality。



The　family　of　Buingnon；　Bunyun；　Buniun；　Boynon；　Bonyon；　or　Binyan

（the　name　is　found　spelt　in　no　fewer　than　thirty…four　different

ways；　of　which　the　now…established　form；　Bunyan；　is　almost　the

least　frequent）　is　one　that　had　established　itself　in　Bedfordshire

from　very　early　times。　　The　first　place　in　connection　with　which

the　name　appears　is　Pulloxhill；　about　nine　miles　from　Elstow。　　In

1199；　the　year　of　King　John's　accession；　the　Bunyans　had　approached

still　nearer　to　that　parish。　　One　William　Bunion　held　land　at

Wilstead；　not　more　than　a　mile　off。　　In　1327；　the　first　year　of

Edward　III。；　one　of　the　same　name；　probably　his　descendant；　William

Boynon；　is　found　actually　living　at　Harrowden；　close　to　the　spot

which　popular　tradition　names　as　John　Bunyan's　birthplace；　and　was

the　owner　of　property　there。　　We　have　no　further　notices　of　the

Bunyans　of　Elstow　till　the　sixteenth　century。　　We　then　find　them

greatly　fallen。　　Their　ancestral　property　seems　little　by　little　to

have　passed　into　other　hands；　until　in　1542　nothing　was　left　but　〃a

messuage　and　pightell　（1）　with　the　appurtenances；　and　nine　acres　of

land。〃　　This　small　residue　other　entries　on　the　Court　Rolls　show　to

have　been　still　further　diminished　by　sale。　　The　field　already

referred　to；　known　as　〃Bonyon's　End；〃　was　sold　by　〃Thomas　Bonyon；

of　Elstow；　labourer；〃　son　of　William　Bonyon；　the　said　Thomas　and

his　wife　being　the　keepers　of　a　small　road…side　inn；　at　which　their

overcharges　for　their　home…baked　bread　and　home…brewed　beer　were

continually　bringing　them　into　trouble　with　the　petty　local　courts

of　the　day。　　Thomas　Bunyan；　John　Bunyan's　father；　was　born　in　the

last　days　of　Elizabeth；　and　was　baptized　February　24；　1603；　exactly

a　month　before　the　great　queen　passed　away。　　The　mother　of　the

immortal　Dreamer　was　one　Margaret　Bentley；　who；　like　her　husband；

was　a　native　of　Elstow　and　only　a　few　months　his　junior。　　The

details　of　her　mother's　will；　which　is　still　extant；　drawn　up　by

the　vicar　of　Elstow；　prove　that；　like　her　husband；　she　did　not；　in

the　words　of　Bunyan's　latest　and　most　complete　biographer；　the　Rev。

Dr。　Brown；　〃come　of　the　very　squalid　poor；　but　of　people　who；

though　humble　in　station；　were　yet　decent　and　worthy　in　their

ways。〃　　John　Bunyan's　mother　was　his　father's　second　wife。　　The

Bunyans　were　given　to　marrying　early；　and　speedily　consoled

themselves　on　the　loss　of　one　wife　with　the　companionship　of　a

successor。　　Bunyan's　grandmother　cannot　have　died　before　February

24；　1603；　the　date　of　his　father's　baptism。　　But　before　the　year

was　out　his　grandfather　had　married　again。　　His　father；　too；　had

not　completed　his　twentieth　year　when　he　married　his　first　wife；

Anne　Pinney；　January　10；　1623。　　She　died　in　1627；　apparently

without　any　surviving　children；　and　before　the　year　was　half…way

through；　on　the　23rd　of　the　following　May；　he　was　married　a　second

time　to　Margaret　Bentley。　　At　the　end　of　seventeen　years　Thomas

Bunyan　was　again　left　a　widower；　and　within　two　months；　with

grossly　indecent　haste；　he　filled　the　vacant　place　with　a　third

wife。　　Bunyan　himself　cannot　have　been　much　more　than　twenty　when

he　married。　　We　have　no　particulars　of　the　death　of　his　first　wife。

But　he　had　been　married　two　years　to　his　noble…minded　second　wife

at　the　time　of　the　assizes　in　1661；　and　the　ages　of　his　children　by

his　first　wife　would　indicate　that　no　long　interval　elapsed　between

his　being　left　a　widower　and　his　second　marriage。



Elstow；　which；　as　the　birthplace　of　the　author　of　〃The　Pilgrim's

Progress；〃　has　gained　a　world…wide　celebrity；　is　a　quiet　little

village；　which；　though　not　much　more　than　a　mile　from　the　populous

and　busy　town　of　Bedford；　yet；　lying　aside　from　the　main　stream　of

modern　life；　preserves　its　old…world　look　to　an　unusual　degree。

Its　name　in　its　original　form　of　〃Helen…stow；〃　or　〃Ellen…stow；〃　the

STOW　or　stockaded　place　of　St。　Helena；　is　derived　from　a

Benedictine　nunnery　founded　in　1078　by　Judith；　niece　of　William　the

Conqueror；　the　traitorous　wife　of　the　judicially　murdered　Waltheof；

Earl　of　Huntingdon；　in　honour　of　the　mother　of　the　Emperor

Constantine。　　The　parish　church；　so　intimately　connected　with

Bunyan's　personal　history；　is　a　fragment　of　the　church　of　the

nunnery；　with　a　detached　campanile；　or　〃steeple…house；〃　built　to

contain　the　bells　after　the　destruction　of　the　central　tower　and

choir　of　the　conventual　church。　　Few　villages　are　so　little

modernized　as　Elstow。　　The　old　half…timbered　cottages　with

overhanging　storeys；　peaked　dormers；　and　gabled　porches；　tapestried

with　roses　and　honeysuckles；　must　be　much　what　they　were　in

Bunyan's　days。　　A　village　street；　with　detached　cottages　standing

in　gardens　gay　with　the　homely　flowers　John　Bunyan　knew　and　loved；

leads　to　the　village　green；　fringed　with　churchyard　elms；　in　the

middle　of　which　is　the　pedestal　or　stump　of　the　market…cross；　and

at　the　upper　end　of　the　old　〃Moot　Hall；〃　a　quaint　brick　and　timber

building；　with　a　projecting　upper　storey；　a　good　example　of　the

domestic　architecture　of　the　fifteenth　century；　originally；

perhaps；　the　Guesten…Hall　of　the　adjacent　nunnery；　and　afterwards

the　Court　House　of　the　manor　when　lay…lords　had　succeeded　the

abbesses　…　〃the　scene；〃　writes　Dr。　Brown　〃of　village　festivities；