the life of john bunyan-第15部分

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up　to　London；　…　no　slight　venture　for　a　young　woman　not　so　long

raised　from　the　sick　bed　on　which　the　first　news　of　her　husband's

arrest　had　laid　her；　…　and　with　dauntless　courage　made　her　way　to

the　House　of　Lords；　where　she　presented　her　petition　to　one　of　the

peers；　whom　she　calls　Lord　Barkwood；　but　whom　unfortunately　we

cannot　now　identify。　　He　treated　her　kindly；　and　showed　her

petition　to　other　peers；　who　appear　to　have　been　acquainted　with

the　circumstances　of　Bunyan's　case。　　They　replied　that　the　matter

was　beyond　their　province；　and　that　the　question　of　her　husband's

release　was　committed　to　the　judges　at　the　next　assizes。　　These

assizes　were　held　at　Bedford　in　the　following　August。　　The　judges

of　the　circuit　were　Twisden　and　Sir　Matthew　Hale。　　From　the　latter

…　the　friend　of　Richard　Baxter；　who；　as　Burnet　records；　took　great

care　to　〃cover　the　Nonconformists；　whom　he　thought　too　hardly　used；

all　he　could　from　the　seventies　some　designed；　and　discouraged

those　who　were　inclined　to　stretch　the　laws　too　much　against　them〃

…　Bunyan's　case　would　be　certain　to　meet　with　sympathetic

consideration。　　But　being　set　to　administer　the　law；　not　according

to　his　private　wishes；　but　according　to　its　letter　and　its　spirit；

he　was　powerless　to　relieve　him。　　Three　several　times　did　Bunyan's

noble…hearted　wife　present　her　husband's　petition　that　he　might　be

heard；　and　his　case　taken　impartially　into　consideration。　　But　the

law　forbad　what　Burnet　calls　Sir　Matthew　Hale's　〃tender　and

compassionate　nature〃　to　have　free　exercise。　　He　〃received　the

petition　very　mildly　at　her　hand；　telling　her　that　he　would　do　her

and　her　husband　the　best　good　he　could；　but　he　feared　he　could　do

none。〃　　His　brother　judge's　reception　of　her　petition　was　very

different。　　Having　thrown　it　into　the　coach；　Twisden　〃snapt　her

up；〃　telling　her；　what　after　all　was　no　more　than　the　truth；　that

her　husband　was　a　convicted　person；　and　could　not　be　released

unless　he　would　promise　to　obey　the　law　and　abstain　from　preaching。

On　this　the　High　Sheriff；　Edmund　Wylde；　of　Houghton　Conquest；　spoke

kindly　to　the　poor　woman；　and　encouraged　her　to　make　a　fresh

application　to　the　judges　before　they　left　the　town。　　So　she　made

her　way；　〃with　abashed　face　and　trembling　heart；〃　to　the　large

chamber　at　the　Old　Swan　Inn　at　the　Bridge　Foot；　where　the　two

judges　were　receiving　a　large　number　of　the　justices　of　the　peace

and　other　gentry　of　the　county。　　Addressing　Sir　Matthew　Hale　she

said；　〃My　lord；　I　make　bold　to　come　again　to　your　lordship　to　know

what　may　be　done　with　my　husband。〃　　Hale　received　her　with　the　same

gentleness　as　before；　repeated　what　he　had　said　previously；　that　as

her　husband　had　been　legally　convicted；　and　his　conviction　was

recorded；　unless　there　was　something　to　undo　that　he　could　do　her

no　good。　　Twisden；　on　the　other　hand；　got　violently　angry；　charged

her　brutally　with　making　poverty　her　cloak；　told　her　that　her

husband　was　a　breaker　of　the　peace；　whose　doctrine　was　the　doctrine

of　the　devil；　and　that　he　ran　up　and　down　and　did　harm；　while　he

was　better　maintained　by　his　preaching　than　by　following　his

tinker's　craft。　　At　last　he　waxed　so　violent　that　〃withal　she

thought　he　would　have　struck　her。〃　　In　the　midst　of　all　his　coarse

abuse；　however；　Twisden　hit　the　mark　when　he　asked：　　〃What！　you

think　we　can　do　what　we　list？〃　　And　when　we　find　Hale；　confessedly

the　soundest　lawyer　of　the　time；　whose　sympathies　were　all　with　the

prisoner；　after　calling　for　the　Statute　Book；　thus　summing　up　the

matter：　　〃I　am　sorry；　woman；　that　I　can　do　thee　no　good。　　Thou　must

do　one　of　these　three　things；　viz。；　either　apply　thyself　to　the

king；　or　sue　out　his　pardon；　or　get　a　writ　of　error；〃　which　last；

he　told　her；　would　be　the　cheapest　course　…　we　may　feel　sure　that

Bunyan's　Petition　was　not　granted　because　it　could　not　be　granted

legally。　　The　blame　of　his　continued　imprisonment　lay；　if　anywhere；

with　the　law；　not　with　its　administrators。　　This　is　not　always

borne　in　mind　as　it　ought　to　be。　　As　Mr。　Froude　remarks；　〃Persons

often　choose　to　forget　that　judges　are　sworn　to　administer　the　law

which　they　find；　and　rail　at　them　as　if　the　sentences　which　they

are　obliged　by　their　oath　to　pass　were　their　own　personal　acts。〃

It　is　not　surprising　that　Elizabeth　Bunyan　was　unable　to　draw　this

distinction；　and　that　she　left　the　Swan　chamber　in　tears；　not；

however；　so　much　at　what　she　thought　the　judges'　〃hardheartedness

to　her　and　her　husband；〃　as　at　the　thought　of　〃the　sad　account　such

poor　creatures　would　have　to　give〃　hereafter；　for　what　she　deemed

their　〃opposition　to　Christ　and　His　gospel。〃



No　steps　seem　to　have　been　taken　by　Bunyan's　wife；　or　any　of　his

influential　friends；　to　carry　out　either　of　the　expedients　named　by

Hale。　　It　may　have　been　that　the　money　needed　was　not　forthcoming；

or；　what　Southey　remarks　is　〃quite　probable；〃　…　〃because　it　is

certain　that　Bunyan；　thinking　himself　in　conscience　bound　to　preach

in　defiance　of　the　law；　would　soon　have　made　his　case　worse　than　it

then　was。〃



At　the　next　assizes；　which　were　held　in　January；　1662；　Bunyan　again

made　strenuous　efforts　to　get　his　name　put　on　the　calendar　of

felons；　that　he　might　have　a　regular　trial　before　the　king's　judges

and　be　able　to　plead　his　cause　in　person。　　This；　however；　was

effectually　thwarted　by　the　unfriendly　influence　of　the　county

magistrates　by　whom　he　had　been　committed；　and　the　Clerk　of　the

Peace；　Mr。　Cobb；　who　having　failed　in　his　kindly　meant　attempt　to

induce　〃Neighbour　Bunyan〃　to　conform；　had　turned　bitterly　against

him　and　become　one　of　his　chief　enemies。　　〃Thus；〃　writes　Bunyan；

〃was　I　hindered　and　prevented　at　that　time　also　from　appearing

before　the　judge；　and　left　in　prison。〃　　Of　this　prison；　the　county

gaol　of　Bedford；　he　remained　an　inmate；　with　one；　short　interval　in

1666；　for　the　next　twelve　years；　till　his　release　by　order　of　the

Privy　Council；　May　17；　1672。







CHAPTER　VI。







The　exaggeration　of　the　severity　of　Bunyan's　imprisonment　long

current；　now　that　the　facts　are　better　known；　has　led；　by　a　very

intelligible　reaction；　to　an　undue　depreciation　of　it。　　Mr。　Froude

thinks　that　his　incarceration　was　〃intended　to　be　little　more　than

nominal；〃　and　was　really　meant　in　kindness　by　the　authorities　who

〃respected　his　character；〃　as　the　best　means　of　preventing　him　from

getting　himself　into　greater　trouble　by　〃repeating　an　offence　that

would　compel　them　to　adopt　harsh　measures　which　they　were　earnestly

trying　to　avoid。〃　　If　convicted　again　he　must　be　transported；　and

〃they　were　unwilling　to　drive　him　out　of　the　country。〃　　It　is；

however；　to　be　feared　that　it　was　no　such　kind　consideration　for

the　tinker…preacher　which　kept　the　prison　doors　closed　on　Bunyan。

To　the　justices　he　was　simply　an　obstinate　law…breaker；　who　must　be

kept　in　prison　as　long　as　he　refused　compliance　with　the　Act。　　If

he　rotted　in　gaol；　as　so　many　of　his　fellow　sufferers　for

conscience'　sake　did　in　those　unhappy　times；　it　was　no　concern　of

theirs。　　He　and　his　stubbornness　would　be　alone　to　blame。



It　is　certainly　true　that　during　a　portion　of　his　captivity；

Bunyan；　in　Dr。　Brown's　words；　〃had　an　amount　of　liberty　which　in

the　case　of　a　prisoner　nowadays　would　be　simply　impossible。〃　　But

the　mistake　has　been　made　of　extending　to　the　whole　period　an

indulgence　which　belonged　only　to　a　part；　and　that　a　very　limited

part　of　it。　　When　we　are　told　that　Bunyan　was　treated　as　a　prisoner

at　large；　and　like　one　〃on　parole；〃　free　to　come　and　go　as　he

pleased；　even　as　far　as　London；　we　must　remember　that　Bunyan's　own

words　expressly　restrict　this　indulgence　to　the　six　months　between

the　Autumn　Assizes　of　1661　and　the　Spring　Assizes　of　1662。

〃Between　these　two　assizes；〃　he　says；　〃I　had　by　my　jailer　some

liberty　granted　me　more　than　at　the　first。〃　　This　liberty　was

certainly　of　the　largest　kind　consistent　with　his　character　of　a

prisoner。　　The　church　books　show　that　he　was　occasionally　present

at　their　meetings；　and　was　employed　on　the　business　of　the

congregation。　　Nay；　even　his　preaching；　which　was　the　cause　of　his

imprisonment；　was　not　forbidden。　　〃I　followed；〃　he　says；　writing　of

this　period；　〃my　wonted　course　of　preaching；　taking　all　occasions

that　were　put　into　my　hand　to　visit　the　people　of　God。〃　　But　this

indulgence　was　very　brief　and　was　brought　sharply　to　an　end。　　It

was　plainly　irregular；　and　depended　on　the　connivance　of　his

jailer。　　We　cannot　be　surprised　that　when　it　came　to　the

magistrates'　ears　…　〃my　enemies；〃　Bunyan　rather　unworthily　calls

them　…　they　were　seriously　displeased。　　Confounding　Bunyan　with　the

Fifth　Monarchy　men　and　other　turbulent　sectaries；　they　imagined

that　his　visits　to　London　had　a　political　object；　〃to　plot；　and

raise　division；　and　make　insurrections；〃　which；　he　honestly　adds；

〃God　knows　was　a　slander。〃　　The　jailer　was　all　but　〃cast　out　of　his

place；〃　and　threatened　with　an　indictment　for　breach　of　trust；

while　his　own　liberty　was　so　seriously　〃straitened〃　that　he　was

prohibited　even　〃to　look　out　at　the　door。〃　　The　last　time　Bunyan's

name　appears　as　present　at　a　church　meeting　is　October　28；　1661；

nor　do　we　see　it　again　till　October　9；　1668；　only　four　years　before

his　twelve　years　term　of　imprisonment　expired。



But　though　his　imprisonment　was　not　so　severe；　nor　his　prison　quite

so　narrow　and　wretched　as　some　word…painters　have　described　them；

during　the　greater　part　of　the　time　his　condition　was　a　dreary　and

painful　one；　especially　when　spent；　as　it　sometimes　was；　〃under

cruel　and　oppressive　jailers。〃　　The　enforced　separation　from　his

wife　and　children；　especially　his　tenderly　loved　blind　daughter；

Mary；　was　a　continually　renewed　anguish　to　his　loving　heart。　　〃The

parting　with　them；〃　he　writes；　〃hath　often　been　to　me　as　pulling

the　flesh　from　the　bones；　and　that　not　only　because　I　am　somewhat

too　fond　of　these　great　mercies；　but　also　becau