the life of john bunyan-第2部分

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

statute　hirings；　and　all　the　public　occasions　of　village　life。〃

The　whole　spot　and　its　surroundings　can　be　but　little　altered　from

the　time　when　our　hero　was　the　ringleader　of　the　youth　of　the　place

in　the　dances　on　the　greensward；　which　he　tells　us　he　found　it　so

hard　to　give　up；　and　in　〃tip…cat；〃　and　the　other　innocent　games

which　his　diseased　conscience　afterwards　regarded　as　〃ungodly

practices。〃　　One　may　almost　see　the　hole　from　which　he　was　going　to

strike　his　〃cat〃　that　memorable　Sunday　afternoon　when　he　silenced

the　inward　voice　which　rebuked　him　for　his　sins；　and　〃returned

desperately　to　his　sport　again。〃　　On　the　south　side　of　the　green；

as　we　have　said；　stands　the　church；　a　fine　though　somewhat　rude

fragment　of　the　chapel　of　the　nunnery　curtailed　at　both　ends；　of

Norman　and　Early　English　date；　which；　with　its　detached　bell　tower；

was　the　scene　of　some　of　the　fierce　spiritual　conflicts　so　vividly

depicted　by　Bunyan　in　his　〃Grace　Abounding。〃　　On　entering　every

object　speaks　of　Bunyan。　　The　pulpit　…　if　it　has　survived　the

recent　restoration　…　is　the　same　from　which　Christopher　Hall；　the

then　〃Parson〃　of　Elstow；　preached　the　sermon　which　first　awoke　his

sleeping　conscience。　　The　font　is　that　in　which　he　was　baptized；　as

were　also　his　father　and　mother　and　remoter　progenitors；　as　well　as

his　children；　Mary；　his　dearly…loved　blind　child；　on　July　20；　1650；

and　her　younger　sister；　Elizabeth；　on　April　14；　1654。　　An　old　oaken

bench；　polished　by　the　hands　of　thousands　of　visitors　attracted　to

the　village　church　by　the　fame　of　the　tinker　of　Elstow；　is

traditionally　shown　as　the　seat　he　used　to　occupy　when　he　〃went　to

church　twice　a　day；　and　that；　too；　with　the　foremost　counting　all

things　holy　that　were　therein　contained。〃　　The　five　bells　which

hang　in　the　belfry　are　the　same　in　which　Bunyan　so　much　delighted；

the　fourth　bell；　tradition　says；　being　that　he　was　used　to　ring。

The　rough　flagged　floor；　〃all　worn　and　broken　with　the　hobnailed

boots　of　generations　of　ringers；〃　remains　undisturbed。　　One　cannot

see　the　door；　set　in　its　solid　masonry；　without　recalling　the

figure　of　Bunyan　standing　in　it；　after　conscience；　〃beginning　to　be

tender；〃　told　him　that　〃such　practice　was　but　vain；〃　but　yet　unable

to　deny　himself　the　pleasure　of　seeing　others　ring；　hoping　that；

〃if　a　bell　should　fall；〃　he　could　〃slip　out〃　safely　〃behind　the

thick　walls；〃　and　so　〃be　preserved　notwithstanding。〃　　Behind　the

church；　on　the　south　side；　stand　some　picturesque　ivy…clad　remains

of　the　once　stately　mansion　of　the　Hillersdons；　erected　on　the　site

of　the　nunnery　buildings　in　the　early　part　of　the　seventeenth

century；　with　a　porch　attributed　to　Inigo　Jones；　which　may　have

given　Bunyan　the　first　idea　of　〃the　very　stately　Palace；　the　name

of　which　was　Beautiful。〃



The　cottage　where　Bunyan　was　born；　between　the　two　brooks　in　the

fields　at　Harrowden；　has　been　so　long　destroyed　that　even　the

knowledge　of　its　site　has　passed　away。　　That　in　which　he　lived　for

six　years　（1649…1655）　after　his　first　marriage；　and　where　his

children　were　born；　is　still　standing　in　the　village　street；　but

modern　reparations　have　robbed　it　of　all　interest。



From　this　description　of　the　surroundings　among　which　Bunyan　passed

the　earliest　and　most　impressionable　years　of　his　life；　we　pass　to

the　subject　of　our　biography　himself。　　The　notion　that　Bunyan　was

of　gipsy　descent；　which　was　not　entirely　rejected　by　Sir　Walter

Scott；　and　which　has　more　recently　received　elaborate　support　from

writers　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic；　may　be　pronounced

absolutely　baseless。　　Even　if　Bunyan's　inquiry　of　his　father

〃whether　the　family　was　of　Israelitish　descent　or　no；〃　which　has

been　so　strangely　pressed　into　the　service　of　the　theory；　could　be

supposed　to　have　anything　to　do　with　the　matter；　the　decided

negative　with　which　his　question　was　met　…　〃he　told　me；　'No；　we

were　not'〃　…　would；　one　would　have　thought；　have　settled　the　point。

But　some　fictions　die　hard。　　However　low　the　family　had　sunk；　so

that　in　his　own　words；　〃his　father's　house　was　of　that　rank　that　is

meanest　and　most　despised　of　all　the　families　in　the　land；〃　〃of　a

low　and　inconsiderable　generation；〃　the　name；　as　we　have　seen；　was

one　of　long　standing　in　Bunyan's　native　county；　and　had　once　taken

far　higher　rank　in　it。　　And　his　parents；　though　poor；　were

evidently　worthy　people；　of　good　repute　among　their　village

neighbours。　　Bunyan　seems　to　be　describing　his　own　father　and　his

wandering　life　when　he　speaks　of　〃an　honest　poor　labouring　man；

who；　like　Adam　unparadised；　had　all　the　world　to　get　his　bread　in；

and　was　very　careful　to　maintain　his　family。〃　　He　and　his　wife　were

also　careful　with　a　higher　care　that　their　children　should　be

properly　educated。　　〃Notwithstanding　the　meanness　and

inconsiderableness　of　my　parents；〃　writes　Bunyan；　〃it　pleased　God

to　put　it　into　their　hearts　to　put　me　to　school；　to　learn　both　to

read　and　write。〃　　If　we　accept　the　evidence　of　the　〃Scriptural

Poems；〃　published　for　the　first　time　twelve　years　after　his　death；

the　genuineness　of　which；　though　questioned　by　Dr。　Brown；　there

seems　no　sufficient　reason　to　doubt；　the　little　education　he　had

was　〃gained　in　a　grammar　school。〃　　This　would　have　been　that

founded　by　Sir　William　Harpur　in　Queen　Mary's　reign　in　the

neighbouring　town　of　Bedford。　　Thither　we　may　picture　the　little

lad　trudging　day　by　day　along　the　mile　and　a　half　of　footpath　and

road　from　his　father's　cottage　by　the　brookside；　often；　no　doubt；

wet　and　miry　enough；　not；　as　he　says；　to　〃go　to　school　to　Aristotle

or　Plato；〃　but　to　be　taught　〃according　to　the　rate　of　other　poor

men's　children。〃　　The　Bedford　school…master　about　this　time；

William　Barnes　by　name；　was　a　negligent　sot；　charged　with　〃night…

walking〃　and　haunting　〃taverns　and　alehouses；〃　and　other　evil

practices；　as　well　as　with　treating　the　poor　boys　〃when　present〃

with　a　cruelty　which　must　have　made　them　wish　that　his　absences；

long　as　they　were；　had　been　more　protracted。　　Whether　this　man　was

his　master　or　no；　it　was　little　that　Bunyan　learnt　at　school；　and

that　little　he　confesses　with　shame　he　soon　lost　〃almost　utterly。〃

He　was　before　long　called　home　to　help　his　father　at　the　Harrowden

forge；　where　he　says　he　was　〃brought　up　in　a　very　mean　condition

among　a　company　of　poor　countrymen。〃　　Here；　with　but　little　to

elevate　or　refine　his　character；　the　boy　contracted　many　bad

habits；　and　grew　up　what　Coleridge　somewhat　too　strongly　calls　〃a

bitter　blackguard。〃　　According　to　his　own　remorseful　confession；　he

was　〃filled　with　all　unrighteousness；〃　having　〃from　a　child〃　in　his

〃tender　years；〃　〃but　few　equals　both　for　cursing；　swearing；　lying

and　blaspheming　the　holy　name　of　God。〃　　Sins　of　this　kind　he

declares　became　〃a　second　nature　to　him；〃　he　〃delighted　in　all

transgression　against　the　law　of　God；〃　and　as　he　advanced　in　his

teens　he　became　a　〃notorious　sinbreeder；〃　the　〃very　ringleader；〃　he

says；　of　the　village　lads　〃in　all　manner　of　vice　and　ungodliness。〃

But　the　unsparing　condemnation　passed　by　Bunyan；　after　his

conversion；　on　his　former　self；　must　not　mislead　us　into　supposing

him　ever；　either　as　boy　or　man；　to　have　lived　a　vicious　life。　　〃The

wickedness　of　the　tinker；〃　writes　Southey；　〃has　been　greatly

overrated；　and　it　is　taking　the　language　of　self…accusation　too

literally　to　pronounce　of　John　Bunyan　that　he　was　at　any　time

depraved。〃　　The　justice　of　this　verdict　of　acquittal　is　fully

accepted　by　Coleridge。　　〃Bunyan；〃　he　says；　〃was　never　in　our

received　sense　of　the　word　'wicked。'　　He　was　chaste；　sober；　and

honest。〃　　He　hints　at　youthful　escapades；　such；　perhaps；　as

orchard…robbing；　or　when　a　little　older；　poaching；　and　the　like；

which　might　have　brought　him　under　〃the　stroke　of　the　laws；〃　and

put　him　to　〃open　shame　before　the　face　of　the　world。〃　　But　he

confesses　to　no　crime　or　profligate　habit。　　We　have　no　reason　to

suppose　that　he　was　ever　drunk；　and　we　have　his　own　most　solemn

declaration　that　he　was　never　guilty　of　an　act　of　unchastity。　　〃In

our　days；〃　to　quote　Mr。　Froude；　〃a　rough　tinker　who　could　say　as

much　for　himself　after　he　had　grown　to　manhood；　would　be　regarded

as　a　model　of　self…restraint。　　If　in　Bedford　and　the　neighbourhood

there　was　no　young　man　more　vicious　than　Bunyan；　the　moral　standard

of　an　English　town　in　the　seventeenth　century　must　have　been　higher

than　believers　in　progress　will　be　pleased　to　allow。〃　　How　then；　it

may　be　asked；　are　we　to　explain　the　passionate　language　in　which　he

expresses　his　self…abhorrence；　which　would　hardly　seem　exaggerated

in　the　mouth　of　the　most　profligate　and　licentious？　　We　are

confident　that　Bunyan　meant　what　he　said。　　So　intensely　honest　a

nature　could　not　allow　his　words　to　go　beyond　his　convictions。

When　he　speaks　of　〃letting　loose　the　reins　to　his　lusts；〃　and

sinning　〃with　the　greatest　delight　and　ease；〃　we　know　that　however

exaggerated　they　may　appear　to　us；　his　expressions　did　not　seem　to

him　overstrained。　　Dr。　Johnson　marvelled　that　St。　Paul　could　call

himself　〃the　chief　of　sinners；〃　and　expressed　a　doubt　whether　he

did　so　honestly。　　But　a　highly…strung　spiritual　nature　like　that　of

the　apostle；　when　suddenly　called　into　exercise　after　a　period　of

carelessness；　takes　a　very　different　estimate　of　sin　from　that　of

the　world；　even　the　decent　moral　world；　in　general。　　It　realizes

its　own　offences；　venial　as　they　appear　to　others；　as　sins　against

infinite　love　…　a　love　unto　death　…　and　in　the　light　of　the

sacrifice　on　Calvary；　recognizes　the　heinousness　of　its　guilt；　and

while　it　doubts　not；　marvels　that　it　can　be　pardoned。　　The

sinfulness　of　sin　…　more　especially　their　own　sin　…　is　the

intensest　of　all　possible　realities　to　them。　　No　language　is　too

strong　to　describe　it。　　We　may　not　unreasonably　ask　whether　this

estimate；　however　exaggerated　it　may　appear　to　those　who　are