the life of john bunyan-第23部分

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remember　holding　the　candle　in　Bunyan's　face　in　the　hall　of

Harlington　House　at　his　first　apprehension；　and　showing　such

feigned　affection　〃as　if　he　would　have　leaped　on　his　neck　and

kissed　him。〃　　He　had　some　time　before　this　become　Chancellor　of　the

Bishop　of　Lincoln；　and　Commissary　of　the　Court　of　the　Archdeacon　of

Bedford；　offices　which　put　in　his　hands　extensive　powers　which　he

had　used　with　the　most　relentless　severity。　　He　has　damned　himself

to　eternal　infamy　by　the　bitter　zeal　he　showed　in　hunting　down

Dissenters；　inflicting　exorbitant　fines；　and　breaking　into　their

houses　and　distraining　their　goods　for　a　full　discharge；

maltreating　their　wives　and　daughters；　and　haling　the　offenders　to

prison。　　Having　been　chiefly　instrumental　in　Bunyan's　first

committal　to　gaol；　he　doubtless　viewed　his　release　with　indignation

as　the　leader　of　the　Bedfordshire　sectaries　who　was　doing　more

mischief　to　the　cause　of　conformity；　which　it　was　his　province　at

all　hazards　to　maintain；　than　any　other　twenty　men。　　The　church

would　never　be　safe　till　he　was　clapped　in　prison　again。　　The　power

to　do　this　was　given　by　the　new　proclamation。　　By　this　act　the

licenses　to　preach　previously　granted　to　Nonconformists　were

recalled。　　Henceforward　no　conventicle　had　〃any　authority；

allowance；　or　encouragement　from　his　Majesty。〃　　We　can　easily

imagine　the　delight　with　which　Foster　would　hail　the　issue　of　this

proclamation。　　How　he　would　read　and　read　again　with　ever　fresh

satisfaction　its　stringent　clauses。　　That　pestilent　fellow；　Bunyan；

was　now　once　more　in　his　clutches。　　This　time　there　was　no　chance

of　his　escape。　　All　licences　were　recalled；　and　he　was　absolutely

defenceless。　　It　should　not　be　Foster's　fault　if　he　failed　to　end

his　days　in　the　prison　from　which　he　ought　never　to　have　been

released。　　The　proclamation　is　dated　the　4th　of　March；　1674…5；　and

was　published　in　the　GAZETTE　on　the　9th。　　It　would　reach　Bedford　on

the　11th。　　It　placed　Bunyan　at　the　mercy　of　〃his　enemies；　who

struck　at　him　forthwith。〃　　A　warrant　was　issued　for　his

apprehension；　undoubtedly　written　by　our　old　friend；　Paul　Cobb；　the

clerk　of　the　peace；　who；　it　will　be　remembered；　had　acted　in　the

same　capacity　on　Bunyan's　first　committal。　　It　is　dated　the　4th　of

March；　and　bears　the　signature　of　no　fewer　than　thirteen

magistrates；　ten　of　them　affixing　their　seals。



That　so　unusually　large　a　number　took　part　in　the　execution　of　this

warrant；　is　sufficient　indication　of　the　importance　attached　to

Bunyan's　imprisonment　by　the　gentry　of　the　county。　　The　following

is　the　document：…





〃To　the　Constables　of　Bedford　and　to　every　of　them



Whereas　information　and　complaint　is　made　unto　us　that

（notwithstanding　the　Kings　Majties　late　Act　of　most　gracious

generall　and　free　pardon　to　all　his　subjects　for　past　misdemeanours

that　by　his　said　clemencie　and　indulgent　grace　and　favor　they　might

bee　mooved　and　induced　for　the　time　to　come　more　carefully　to

observe　his　Highenes　lawes　and　Statutes　and　to　continue　in　theire

loyall　and　due　obedience　to　his　Majtie）　Yett　one　John　Bunnyon　of

youre　said　Towne　Tynker　hath　divers　times　within　one　month　last

past　in　contempt　of　his　Majtie's　good　Lawes　preached　or　teached　at

a　Conventicle　Meeting　or　Assembly　under　color　or　ptence　of　exercise

of　Religion　in　other　manner　than　according　to　the　Liturgie　or

practiss　of　the　Church　of　England　　These　are　therefore　in　his

Majties　name　to　comand　you　forthwith　to　apprehend　and　bring　the

Body　of　the　said　John　Bunnion　before　us　or　any　of　us　or　other　his

Majties　Justice　of　Peace　within　the　said　County　to　answer　the

premisses　and　further　to　doo　and　receave　as　to　Lawe　and　Justice

shall　appertaine　and　hereof　you　are　not　to　faile。　　Given　under　our

handes　and　seales　this　ffourth　day　of　March　in　the　seven　and

twentieth　yeare　of　the　Raigne　of　our　most　gracious　Soveraigne　Lord

King　Charles　the　Second　　A　que　Dni。；　juxta　&c　1674



J　Napier　　　　　W　Beecher　　　　　G　Blundell　　　　　　Hum：　　Monoux

Will　ffranklin　　　　　John　Ventris

Will　Spencer

Will　Gery　　　　　　　St　Jo　Chernocke　　　　　　　　　　Wm　Daniels

T　Browne　　　　　　　　　　W　ffoster

Gaius　Squire〃





There　would　be　little　delay　in　the　execution　of　the　warrant。



John　Bunyan　was　a　marked　man　and　an　old　offender；　who；　on　his

arrest；　would　be　immediately　committed　for　trial。　　Once　more；　then；

Bunyan　became　a　prisoner；　and　that；　there　can　be　little　doubt；　in

his　old　quarters　in　the　Bedford　gaol。　　Errors　die　hard；　and　those

by　whom　they　have　been　once　accepted　find　it　difficult　to　give　them

up。　　The　long…standing　tradition　of　Bunyan's　twelve　years'

imprisonment　in　the　little　lock…up…house　on　the　Ouse　bridge；　having

been　scattered　to　the　winds　by　the　logic　of　fact　and　common　sense；

those　to　whom　the　story　is　dear；　including　the　latest　and　ablest　of

his　biographers；　Dr。　Brown；　see　in　this　second　brief　imprisonment　a

way　to　rehabilitate　it。　　Probability　pointing　to　this　imprisonment

as　the　time　of　the　composition　of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　they

hold　that　on　this　occasion　Bunyan　was　committed　to　the　bridge…gaol；

and　that　he　there　wrote　his　immortal　work；　though　they　fail　to

bring　forward　any　satisfactory　reasons　for　the　change　of　the　place

of　his　confinement。　　The　circumstances；　however；　being　the　same；

there　can　be　no　reasonable　ground　for　questioning　that；　as　before；

Bunyan　was　imprisoned　in　the　county　gaol。



This　last　imprisonment　of　Bunyan's　lasted　only　half　as　many　months

as　his　former　imprisonment　had　lasted　years。　　At　the　end　of　six

months　he　was　again　a　free　man。　　His　release　was　due　to　the　good

officers　of　Owen；　Cromwell's　celebrated　chaplain；　with　Barlow；

Bishop　of　Lincoln。　　The　suspicion　which　hung　over　this　intervention

from　its　being　erroneously　attributed　to　his　release　in　1672；　three

years　before　Barlow　became　a　bishop；　has　been　dispelled　by　the

recently　discovered　warrant。　　The　dates　and　circumstances　are　now

found　to　tally。　　The　warrant　for　Bunyan's　apprehension　bears　date

March　4；　1675。　　On　the　14th　of　the　following　May　the　supple　and

time…serving　Barlow；　after　long　and　eager　waiting　for　a　mitre；　was

elected　to　the　see　of　Lincoln　vacated　by　the　death　of　Bishop

Fuller；　and　consecrated　on　the　27th　of　June。　　Barlow；　a　man　of　very

dubious　churchmanship；　who　had　succeeded　in　keeping　his　university

appointments　undisturbed　all　through　the　Commonwealth；　and　who　was

yet　among　the　first　with　effusive　loyalty　to　welcome　the

restoration　of　monarchy；　had　been　Owen's　tutor　at　Oxford；　and

continued　to　maintain　friendly　relations　with　him。　　As　bishop　of

the　diocese　to　which　Bedfordshire　then；　and　long　after；　belonged；

Barlow　had　the　power；　by　the　then　existing　law；　of　releasing　a

prisoner　for　nonconformity　on　a　bond　given　by　two　persons　that　he

would　conform　within　half　a　year。　　A　friend　of　Bunyan's；　probably

Ichabod　Chauncey；　obtained　a　letter　from　Owen　to　the　bishop

requesting　him　to　employ　this　prerogative　in　Bunyan's　behalf。

Barlow　with　hollow　complaisance　expressed　his　particular　kindness

for　Dr。　Owen；　and　his　desire　to　deny　him　nothing　he　could　legally

grant。　　He　would　even　strain　a　point　to　serve　him。　　But　he　had　only

just　been　made　a　bishop；　and　what　was　asked　was　a　new　thing　to　him。

He　desired　a　little　time　to　consider　of　it。　　If　he　could　do　it；

Owen　might　be　assured　of　his　readiness　to　oblige　him。　　A　second

application　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight　found　this　readiness　much

cooled。　　It　was　true　that　on　inquiry　he　found　he　might　do　it；　but

the　times　were　critical；　and　he　had　many　enemies。　　It　would　be

safer　for　him　not　to　take　the　initiative。　　Let　them　apply　to　the

Lord　Chancellor；　and　get　him　to　issue　an　order　for　him　to　release

Bunyan　on　the　customary　bond。　　Then　he　would　do　what　Owen　asked。

It　was　vain　to　tell　Barlow　that　the　way　he　suggested　was

chargeable；　and　Bunyan　poor。　　Vain　also　to　remind　him　that　there

was　no　point　to　be　strained。　　He　had　satisfied　himself　that　he

might　do　the　thing　legally。　　It　was　hoped　he　would　remember　his

promise。　　But　the　bishop　would　not　budge　from　the　position　he　had

taken　up。　　They　had　his　ultimatum；　with　that　they　must　be　content。

If　Bunyan　was　to　be　liberated；　his　friends　must　accept　Barlow's

terms。　　〃This　at　last　was　done；　and　the　poor　man　was　released。　　But

little　thanks　to　the　bishop。〃



This　short　six　months'　imprisonment　assumes　additional　importance

from　the　probability；　first　suggested　by　Dr。　Brown；　which　the

recovery　of　its　date　renders　almost　a　certainty；　that　it　was　during

this　period　that　Bunyan　began；　if　he　did　not　complete；　the　first

part　of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress。〃　　We　know　from　Bunyan's　own　words

that　the　book　was　begun　in　gaol；　and　its　composition　has　been

hitherto　unhesitatingly　assigned　to　his　twelve　years'　confinement。

Dr。　Brown　was；　we　believe；　the　first　to　call　this　in　question。

Bunyan's　imprisonment；　we　know；　ended　in　1672。　　The　first　edition

of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　did　not　appear　till　1678。　　If　written

during　his　earlier　imprisonment；　six　years　must　have　elapsed

between　its　writing　and　its　publication。　　But　it　was　not　Bunyan's

way　to　keep　his　works　in　manuscript　so　long　after　their　completion。

His　books　were　commonly　put　in　the　printers'　hands　as　soon　as　they

were　finished。　　There　are　no　sufficient　reasons　…　though　some　have

been　suggested　…　for　his　making　an　exception　to　this　general　habit

in　the　case　of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress。〃　　Besides　we　should

certainly　conclude；　from　the　poetical　introduction；　that　there　was

little　delay　between　the　finishing　of　the　book　and　its　being　given

to　the　world。　　After　having　written　the　book；　he　tells　us；　simply

to　gratify　himself；　spending　only　〃vacant　seasons〃　in　his

〃scribble；〃　to　〃divert〃　himself　〃from　worser　thoughts；〃　he　showed

it　to　his　friends　to　get　their　opinion　whether　it　should　be

published　or　not。　　But　as　they　were　not　all　of　one　mind；　but　some

counselled　one　thing　and　some　another；　after　some　perplexity；　he

took　the　matt