the life of john bunyan-第17部分

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been　immortalized；　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　…　which　has　been

erroneously　ascribed　to　Bunyan's　twelve　years'　imprisonment　…　and

its　sequel；　〃The　Holy　War；〃　and　the　〃Life　and　Death　of　Mr。　Badman；〃

and　a　host　of　more　strictly　theological　works；　followed　one　another

in　rapid　succession。



Bunyan's　second　term　of　imprisonment　was　certainly　less　severe　than

that　which　preceded　it。　　At　its　commencement　we　learn　that；　like

Joseph　in　Egypt；　he　found　favour　in　his　jailer's　eyes；　who　〃took

such　pity　of　his　rigorous　suffering；　that　he　put　all　care　and　trust

into　his　hands。〃　　Towards　the　close　of　his　imprisonment　its　rigour

was　still　further　relaxed。　　The　Bedford　church　book　begins　its

record　again　in　1688；　after　an　interval　of　ominous　silence　of　five

years；　when　the　persecution　was　at　the　hottest。　　In　its　earliest

entries　we　find　Bunyan's　name；　which　occurs　repeatedly　up　to　the

date　of　his　final　release　in　1672。　　Not　one　of　these　notices　gives

the　slightest　allusion　of　his　being　a　prisoner。　　He　is　deputed　with

others　to　visit　and　remonstrate　with　backsliding　brethren；　and

fulfil　other　commissions　on　behalf　of　the　congregation；　as　if　he

were　in　the　full　enjoyment　of　his　liberty。　　This　was　in　the　two

years'　interval　between　the　expiration　of　the　Conventicle　Act；

March　2；　1667…8；　and　the　passing　of　the　new　Act；　styled　by　Marvell；

〃the　quintessence　of　arbitrary　malice；〃　April　11；　1670。　　After　a

few　months　of　hot　persecution；　when　a　disgraceful　system　of

espionage　was　set　on　foot　and　the　vilest　wretches　drove　a　lucrative

trade　as　spies　on　〃meetingers；〃　the　severity　greatly　lessened。

Charles　II。　was　already　meditating　the　issuing　of　a　Declaration　of

Indulgence；　and　signified　his　disapprobation　of　the　〃forceable

courses〃　in　which；　〃the　sad　experience　of　twelve　years〃　showed；

there　was　〃very　little　fruit。〃　　One　of　the　first　and　most　notable

consequences　of　this　change　of　policy　was　Bunyan's　release。



Mr。　Offor's　patient　researches　in　the　State　Paper　Office　have

proved　that　the　Quakers；　than　whom　no　class　of　sectaries　had

suffered　more　severely　from　the　persecuting　edicts　of　the　Crown；

were　mainly　instrumental　in　throwing　open　the　prison　doors　to　those

who；　like　Bunyan；　were　in　bonds　for　the　sake　of　their　religion。

Gratitude　to　John　Groves；　the　Quaker　mate　of　Tattersall's　fishing

boat；　in　which　Charles　had　escaped　to　France　after　the　battle　of

Worcester；　had　something；　and　the　untiring　advocacy　of　George

Whitehead；　the　Quaker；　had　still　more；　to　do　with　this　act　of　royal

clemency。　　We　can　readily　believe　that　the　good…natured　Charles　was

not　sorry　to　have　an　opportunity　of　evidencing　his　sense　of　former

services　rendered　at　a　time　of　his　greatest　extremity。　　But　the

main　cause　lay　much　deeper；　and　is　connected　with　what　Lord

Macaulay　justly　styles　〃one　of　the　worst　acts　of　one　of　the　worst

governments　that　England　has　ever　seen〃　…　that　of　the　Cabal。　　Our

national　honour　was　at　its　lowest　ebb。　　Charles　had　just　concluded

the　profligate　Treaty　of　Dover；　by　which；　in　return　for　the

〃protection〃　he　sought　from　the　French　king；　he　declared　himself　a

Roman　Catholic　at　heart；　and　bound　himself　to　take　the　first

opportunity　of　〃changing　the　present　state　of　religion　in　England

for　a　better；〃　and　restoring　the　authority　of　the　Pope。　　The

announcement　of　his　conversion　Charles　found　it　convenient　to

postpone。　　Nor　could　the　other　part　of　his　engagement　be　safely

carried　into　effect　at　once。　　It　called　for　secret　and　cautious

preparation。　　But　to　pave　the　way　for　it；　by　an　unconstitutional

exercise　of　his　prerogative　he　issued　a　Declaration　of　Indulgence

which　suspended　all　penal　laws　against　〃whatever　sort　of

Nonconformists　or　Recusants。〃　　The　latter　were　evidently　the　real

object　of　the　indulgence；　the　former　class　were　only　introduced　the

better　to　cloke　his　infamous　design。　　Toleration；　however；　was　thus

at　last　secured；　and　the　long…oppressed　Nonconformists　hastened　to

profit　by　it。　　〃Ministers　returned；〃　writes　Mr。　J。　R。　Green；　〃after

years　of　banishment；　to　their　homes　and　their　flocks。　　Chapels　were

re…opened。　　The　gaols　were　emptied。　　Men　were　set　free　to　worship

God　after　their　own　fashion。　　John　Bunyan　left　the　prison　which　had

for　twelve　years　been　his　home。〃　　More　than　three　thousand　licenses

to　preach　were　at　once　issued。　　One　of　the　earliest　of　these；　dated

May　9；　1672；　four　months　before　his　formal　pardon　under　the　Great

Seal；　was　granted　to　Bunyan；　who　in　the　preceding　January　had　been

chosen　their　minister　by　the　little　congregation　at　Bedford；　and

〃giving　himself　up　to　serve　Christ　and　His　Church　in　that　charge；

had　received　of　the　elders　the　right　hand　of　fellowship。〃　　The

place　licensed　for　the　exercise　of　Bunyan's　ministry　was　a　barn

standing　in　an　orchard；　once　forming　part　of　the　Castle　Moat；　which

one　of　the　congregation；　Josias　Roughead；　acting　for　the　members　of

his　church；　had　purchased。　　The　license　bears　date　May　9；　1672。

This　primitive　place　of　worship；　in　which　Bunyan　preached　regularly

till　his　death；　was　pulled　down　in　1707；　when　a　〃three…ridged

meeting…house〃　was　erected　in　its　place。　　This　in　its　turn　gave

way；　in　1849；　to　the　existing　more　seemly　chapel；　to　which　the

present　Duke　of　Bedford；　in　1876；　presented　a　pair　of　noble　bronze

doors　bearing　scenes；　in　high　relief；　from　〃The　Pilgrim's

Progress；〃　the　work　of　Mr。　Frederick　Thrupp。　　In　the　vestry　are

preserved　Bunyan's　chair；　and　other　relics　of　the　man　who　has　made

the　name　of　Bedford　famous　to　the　whole　civilized　world。







CHAPTER　VII。







Mr。　Green　has　observed　that　Bunyan　〃found　compensation　for　the

narrow　bounds　of　his　prison　in　the　wonderful　activity　of　his　pen。

Tracts；　controversial　treatises；　poems；　meditations；　his　'Grace

Abounding；'　and　his　'Holy　War；'　followed　each　other　in　quick

succession。〃　　Bunyan's　literary　fertility　in　the　earlier　half　of

his　imprisonment　was　indeed　amazing。　　Even　if；　as　seems　almost

certain；　we　have　been　hitherto　in　error　in　assigning　the　First　Part

of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　to　this　period；　while　the　〃Holy　War〃

certainly　belongs　to　a　later；　the　works　which　had　their　birth　in

Bedford　Gaol　during　the　first　six　years　of　his　confinement；　are　of

themselves　sufficient　to　make　the　reputation　of　any　ordinary

writer。　　As　has　been　already　remarked；　for　some　unexplained　cause；

Bunyan's　gifts　as　an　author　were　much　more　sparingly　called　into

exercise　during　the　second　half　of　his　captivity。　　Only　two　works

appear　to　have　been　written　between　1666　and　his　release　in　1672。



Mr。　Green　has　spoken　of　〃poems〃　as　among　the　products　of　Bunyan's

pen　during　this　period。　　The　compositions　in　verse　belonging　to

this　epoch；　of　which　there　are　several；　hardly　deserve　to　be

dignified　with　so　high　a　title。　　At　no　part　of　his　life　had　Bunyan

much　title　to　be　called　a　poet。　　He　did　not　aspire　beyond　the　rank

of　a　versifier；　who　clothed　his　thoughts　in　rhyme　or　metre　instead

of　the　more　congenial　prose；　partly　for　the　pleasure　of　the

exercise；　partly　because　he　knew　by　experience　that　the　lessons　he

wished　to　inculcate　were　more　likely　to　be　remembered　in　that　form。

Mr。　Froude；　who　takes　a　higher　estimate　of　Bunyan's　verse　than　is

commonly　held；　remarks　that　though　it　is　the　fashion　to　apply　the

epithet　of　〃doggerel〃　to　it；　the　〃sincere　and　rational　meaning〃

which　pervades　his　compositions　renders　such　an　epithet　improper。

〃His　ear　for　rhythm；〃　he　continues；　〃though　less　true　than　in　his

prose；　is　seldom　wholly　at　fault；　and　whether　in　prose　or　verse；　he

had　the　superlative　merit　that　he　could　never　write　nonsense。〃

Bunyan's　earliest　prison　work；　entitled　〃Profitable　Meditations；〃

was　in　verse；　and　neither　this　nor　his　later　metrical　ventures

before　his　release　…　his　〃Four　Last　Things；〃　his　〃Ebal　and

Gerizim；〃　and　his　〃Prison　Meditations〃　…　can　be　said　to　show　much

poetical　power。　　At　best　he　is　a　mere　rhymester；　to　whom　rhyme　and

metre；　even　when　self…chosen；　were　as　uncongenial　accoutrements　〃as

Saul's　armour　was　to　David。〃　　The　first…named　book；　which　is

entitled　a　〃Conference　between　Christ　and　a　Sinner；〃　in　the　form　of

a　poetical　dialogue；　according　to　Dr。　Brown　has　〃small　literary

merit　of　any　sort。〃　　The　others　do　not　deserve　much　higher

commendation。　　There　is　an　individuality　about　the　〃Prison

Meditations〃　which　imparts　to　it　a　personal　interest；　which　is

entirely　wanting　in　the　other　two　works；　which　may　be　characterized

as　metrical　sermons；　couched　in　verse　of　the　Sternhold　and　Hopkins

type。　　A　specimen　or　two　will　suffice。　　The　〃Four　Last　Things〃　thus

opens：…





〃These　lines　I　at　this　time　present

To　all　that　will　them　heed；

Wherein　I　show　to　what　intent

God　saith；　'Convert　with　speed。'

For　these　four　things　come　on　apace；

Which　we　should　know　full　well；

Both　death　and　judgment；　and；　in　place

Next　to　them；　heaven　and　hell。〃





The　following　lines　are　from　〃Ebal　and　Gerizim〃：…





〃Thou　art　like　one　that　hangeth　by　a　thread

Over　the　mouth　of　hell；　as　one　half　dead；

And　oh；　how　soon　this　thread　may　broken　be；

Or　cut　by　death；　is　yet　unknown　to　thee。

But　sure　it　is　if　all　the　weight　of　sin；

And　all　that　Satan　too　hath　doing　been

Or　yet　can　do；　can　break　this　crazy　thread；

'Twill　not　be　long　before　among　the　dead

Thou　tumble　do；　as　linked　fast　in　chains；

With　them　to　wait　in　fear　for　future　pains。〃





The　poetical　effusion　entitled　〃Prison　Meditations〃　does　not　in　any

way　rise　above　the　prosaic　level　of　its　predecessors。　　But　it　can

be　read　with　less　weariness　from　the　picture　it　presents　of

Bunyan's　prison　life；　and　of　the　courageous　faith　which　sustained

him。　　Some　unnamed　friend；　it　would　appear；　fearing　he　might

flinch；　had　written　him　a　letter　counselling　him　to　keep　〃his　head

above　the　flood。〃　　Bunyan　replied　in　seventy　stanzas　in　ballad

measure；　thanking　his　correspondent　for　his　good　advice；　of　which

he　confesses　he　stood　in　need；　and　which　he　takes