the life of john bunyan-第19部分

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years　after　Bunyan's　death；　and　that　by　a　publisher　who　was　〃a

repeated　offender　against　the　laws　of　honest　dealing；〃　the　more　we

are　inclined　to　agree　with　Dr。　Brown；　that　the　internal　evidence　of

their　style　renders　their　genuineness　at　the　least　questionable。

In　the　dull　prosaic　level　of　these　compositions　there　is　certainly

no　trace　of　the　〃force　and　power〃　always　present　in　Bunyan's　rudest

rhymes；　still　less　of　the　〃dash　of　genius〃　and　the　〃sparkle　of

soul〃　which　occasionally　discover　the　hand　of　a　master。



Of　the　authenticity　of　Bunyan's　〃Divine　Emblems；〃　originally

published　three　years　after　his　death　under　the　title　of　〃Country

Rhymes　for　Children；〃　there　is　no　question。　　The　internal　evidence

confirms　the　external。　　The　book　is　thoroughly　in　Bunyan's　vein；

and　in　its　homely　naturalness　of　imagery　recalls　the　similitudes　of

the　〃Interpreter's　House；〃　especially　those　expounded　to　Christiana

and　her　boys。　　As　in　that　〃house　of　imagery〃　things　of　the　most

common　sort；　the　sweeping　of　a　room；　the　burning　of　a　fire；　the

drinking　of　a　chicken；　a　robin　with　a　spider　in　his　mouth；　are　made

the　vehicle　of　religious　teaching；　so　in　this　〃Book　for　Boys　and

Girls；〃　a　mole　burrowing　in　the　ground；　a　swallow　soaring　in　the

air；　the　cuckoo　which　can　do　nothing　but　utter　two　notes；　a　flaming

and　a　blinking　candle；　or　a　pound　of　candles　falling　to　the　ground；

a　boy　chasing　a　butterfly；　the　cackling　of　a　hen　when　she　has　laid

her　egg；　all；　to　his　imaginative　mind；　set　forth　some　spiritual

truth　or　enforce　some　wholesome　moral　lesson。　　How　racy；　though

homely；　are　these　lines　on　a　Frog！　…





〃The　Frog　by　nature　is　but　damp　and　cold；

Her　mouth　is　large；　her　belly　much　will　hold；

She　sits　somewhat　ascending；　loves　to　be

Croaking　in　gardens；　though　unpleasantly。



The　hypocrite　is　like　unto　this　Frog；

As　like　as　is　the　puppy　to　the　dog。

He　is　of　nature　cold；　his　mouth　is　wide

To　prate；　and　at　true　goodness　to　deride。

And　though　this　world　is　that　which　he　doth　love；

He　mounts　his　head　as　if　he　lived　above。

And　though　he　seeks　in　churches　for　to　croak；

He　neither　seeketh　Jesus　nor　His　yoke。〃





There　is　some　real　poetry　in　those　on　the　Cuckoo；　though　we　may　be

inclined　to　resent　his　harsh　treatment　of　our　universal　favourite：…





〃Thou　booby　says't　thou　nothing　but　Cuckoo？

The　robin　and　the　wren　can　that　outdo。

They　to　us　play　thorough　their　little　throats

Not　one；　but　sundry　pretty　tuneful　notes。

But　thou　hast　fellows；　some　like　thee　can　do

Little　but　suck　our　eggs；　and　sing　Cuckoo。



Thy　notes　do　not　first　welcome　in　our　spring；

Nor　dost　thou　its　first　tokens　to　us　bring。

Birds　less　than　thee　by　far　like　prophets　do

Tell　us　'tis　coming；　though　not　by　Cuckoo；

Nor　dost　thou　summer　bear　away　with　thee

Though　thou　a　yawling　bawling　Cuckoo　be。

When　thou　dost　cease　among　us　to　appear；

Then　doth　our　harvest　bravely　crown　our　year。

But　thou　hast　fellows；　some　like　thee　can　do

Little　but　suck　our　eggs；　and　sing　Cuckoo。



Since　Cuckoos　forward　not　our　early　spring

Nor　help　with　notes　to　bring　our　harvest　in；

And　since　while　here；　she　only　makes　a　noise

So　pleasing　unto　none　as　girls　and　boys；

The　Formalist　we　may　compare　her　to；

For　he　doth　suck　our　eggs　and　sing　Cuckoo。〃





A　perusal　of　this　little　volume　with　its　roughness　and　quaintness；

sometimes　grating　on　the　ear　but　full　of　strong　thought　and

picturesque　images；　cannot　fail　to　raise　Bunyan's　pretensions　as　a

poet。　　His　muse；　it　is　true；　as　Alexander　Smith　has　said；　is　a

homely　one。　　She　is　〃clad　in　russet；　wears　shoes　and　stockings；　has

a　country　accent；　and　walks　along　the　level　Bedfordshire　roads。〃

But　if　the　lines　are　unpolished；　〃they　have　pith　and　sinew；　like

the　talk　of　a　shrewd　peasant；〃　with　the　〃strong　thought　and　the

knack　of　the　skilled　workman　who　can　drive　by　a　single　blow　the

nail　home　to　the　head。〃



During　his　imprisonment　Bunyan's　pen　was　much　more　fertile　in　prose

than　in　poetry。　　Besides　his　world…famous　〃Grace　Abounding；〃　he

produced　during　the　first　six　years　of　his　gaol　life　a　treatise　on

prayer；　entitled　〃Praying　in　the　Spirit；〃　a　book　on　〃Christian

Behaviour；〃　setting　forth　with　uncompromising　plainness　the

relative　duties　of　husbands　and　wives；　parents　and　children；

masters　and　servants；　by　which　those　who　profess　a　true　faith　are

bound　to　show　forth　its　reality　and　power；　the　〃Holy　City；〃　an

exposition　of　the　vision　in　the　closing　chapters　of　the　Book　of

Revelation；　brilliant　with　picturesque　description　and　rich　in

suggestive　thought；　which；　he　tells　us；　had　its　origin　in　a　sermon

preached　by　him　to　his　brethren　in　bonds　in　their　prison　chamber；

and　a　work　on　the　〃Resurrection　of　the　Dead　and　Eternal　Judgment。〃

On　these　works　we　may　not　linger。　　There　is　not　one　of　them　which

is　not　marked　by　vigour　of　thought；　clearness　of　language；　accuracy

of　arrangement；　and　deep　spiritual　experience。　　Nor　is　there　one

which　does　not　here　and　there　exhibit　specimens　of　Bunyan's

picturesque　imaginative　power；　and　his　command　of　forcible　and　racy

language。　　Each　will　reward　perusal。　　His　work　on　〃Prayer〃　is

couched　in　the　most　exalted　strain；　and　is　evidently　the　production

of　one　who　by　long　and　agonizing　experience　had　learnt　the　true

nature　of　prayer；　as　a　pouring　out　of　the　soul　to　God；　and　a

wrestling　with　Him　until　the　blessing；　delayed　not　denied；　is

granted。　　It　is；　however；　unhappily　deformed　by　much　ignorant

reviling　of　the　Book　of　Common　Prayer。　　He　denounces　it　as　〃taken

out　of　the　papistical　mass…book；　the　scraps　and　fragments　of　some

popes；　some　friars；　and　I　know　not　what；〃　and　ridicules　the　order

of　service　it　propounds　to　the　worshippers。　　〃They　have　the　matter

and　the　manner　of　their　prayer　at　their　fingers'　ends；　they　set

such　a　prayer　for　such　a　day；　and　that　twenty　years　before　it

comes：　　one　for　Christmas；　another　for　Easter；　and　six　days　after

that。　　They　have　also　bounded　how　many　syllables　must　be　said　in

every　one　of　them　at　their　public　exercises。　　For　each　saint's　day

also　they　have　them　ready　for　the　generations　yet　unborn　to　say。

They　can　tell　you　also　when　you　shall　kneel；　when　you　shall　stand；

when　you　should　abide　in　your　seats；　when　you　should　go　up　into　the

chancel；　and　what　you　should　do　when　you　come　there。　　All　which　the

apostles　came　short　of；　as　not　being　able　to　compose　so　profound　a

manner。〃　　This　bitter　satirical　vein　in　treating　of　sacred　things

is　unworthy　of　its　author；　and　degrading　to　his　sense　of　reverence。

It　has　its　excuse　in　the　hard　measure　he　had　received　from　those

who　were　so　unwisely　endeavouring　to　force　the　Prayer　Book　on　a

generation　which　had　largely　forgotten　it。　　In　his　mind；　the　men

and　the　book　were　identified；　and　the　unchristian　behaviour　of　its

advocates　blinded　his　eyes　to　its　merits　as　a　guide　to　devotion。

Bunyan；　when　denouncing　forms　in　worship；　forgot　that　the　same

apostle　who　directs　that　in　our　public　assemblies　everything　should

be　done　〃to　edification；〃　directs　also　that　everything　should　be

done　〃decently　and　in　order。〃



By　far　the　most　important　of　these　prison　works　…　〃The　Pilgrim's

Progress；〃　belonging；　as　will　be　seen；　to　a　later　period　…　is　the

〃Grace　Abounding；〃　in　which　with　inimitable　earnestness　and

simplicity　Bunyan　gives　the　story　of　his　early　life　and　his

religious　history。　　This　book；　if　he　had　written　no　other；　would

stamp　Bunyan　as　one　of　the　greatest　masters　of　the　English　language

of　his　own　or　any　other　age。　　In　graphic　delineation　of　the

struggles　of　a　conscience　convicted　of　sin　towards　a　hardly　won

freedom　and　peace；　the　alternations　of　light　and　darkness；　of　hope

and　despair；　which　chequered　its　course；　its　morbid　self…torturing

questionings　of　motive　and　action；　this　work　of　the　travelling

tinker；　as　a　spiritual　history；　has　never　been　surpassed。　　Its

equal　can　hardly　be　found；　save　perhaps　in　the　〃Confessions　of　St。

Augustine。〃　　These；　however；　though　describing　a　like　spiritual

conflict；　are　couched　in　a　more　cultured　style；　and　rise　to　a

higher　metaphysical　region　than　Bunyan　was　capable　of　attaining　to。

His　level　is　a　lower　one；　but　on　that　level　Bunyan　is　without　a

rival。　　Never　has　the　history　of　a　soul　convinced　of　the　reality　of

eternal　perdition　in　its　most　terrible　form　as　the　most　certain　of

all　possible　facts；　and　of　its　own　imminent　danger　of　hopeless；

irreversible　doom　…　seeing　itself；　to　employ　his　own　image；

hanging；　as　it　were；　over　the　pit　of　hell　by　a　thin　line；　which

might　snap　any　moment　…　been　portrayed　in　more　nervous　and　awe…

inspiring　language。　　And　its　awfulness　is　enhanced　by　its　self…

evident　truth。　　Bunyan　was　drawing　no　imaginary　picture　of　what

others　might　feel；　but　simply　telling　in　plain　unadorned　language

what　he　had　felt。　　The　experience　was　a　very　tremendous　reality　to

him。　　Like　Dante；　if　he　had　not　actually　been　in　hell；　he　had　been

on　the　very　threshold　of　it；　he　had　in　very　deed　traversed　〃the

Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　Death；〃　had　heard　its　〃hideous　noises；〃　and

seen　〃the　Hobgoblins　of　the　Pit。〃　　He　〃spake　what　he　knew　and

testified　what　he　had　seen。〃　　Every　sentence　breathes　the　most

tremendous　earnestness。　　His　words　are　the　plainest；　drawn　from　his

own　homely　vernacular。　　He　says　in　his　preface；　which　will　amply

repay　reading；　as　one　of　the　most　characteristic　specimens　of　his

style；　that　he　could　have　stepped　into　a　higher　style；　and　adorned

his　narrative　more　plentifully。　　But　he　dared　not。　　〃God　did　not

play　in　convincing　him。　　The　devil　did　not　play　in　tempting　him。

He　himself　did　not　play　when　he　sunk　as　into　a　bottomless　pit；　and

the　pangs　of　hell　caught　hold　on　him。　　Nor　could　he　play　in

relating　them。　　He　must　be　plain　and　simple　and　lay　down　the　thing

as　it　was。　　He　that　liked　it　might　receive　it。　　He　that　did　not

might　produce　a　better。〃　　The　remembrance　of　〃his　great　sins；　his

great　temptations；　his　great　fears　of　perishing　for