the life of john bunyan-第3部分

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

estimate；　however　exaggerated　it　may　appear　to　those　who　are

strangers　to　these　spiritual　experiences；　is　altogether　a　mistaken

one？



The　spiritual　instinct　was　very　early　awakened　in　Bunyan。　　While

still　a　child　〃but　nine　or　ten　years　old；〃　he　tells　us　he　was

racked　with　convictions　of　sin；　and　haunted　with　religious　fears。

He　was　scared　with　〃fearful　dreams；〃　and　〃dreadful　visions；〃　and

haunted　in　his　sleep　with　〃apprehensions　of　devils　and　wicked

spirits〃　coming　to　carry　him　away；　which　made　his　bed　a　place　of

terrors。　　The　thought　of　the　Day　of　Judgment　and　of　the　torments　of

the　lost；　often　came　as　a　dark　cloud　over　his　mind　in　the　midst　of

his　boyish　sports；　and　made　him　tremble。　　But　though　these　fevered

visions　embittered　his　enjoyment　while　they　lasted；　they　were　but

transient；　and　after　a　while　they　entirely　ceased　〃as　if　they　had

never　been；〃　and　he　gave　himself　up　without　restraint　to　the

youthful　pleasures　in　which　his　ardent　nature　made　him　ever　the

ringleader。　　The　〃thoughts　of　religion〃　became　very　grievous　to

him。　　He　could　not　endure　even　to　see　others　read　pious　books；　〃it

would　be　as　a　prison　to　me。〃　　The　awful　realities　of　eternity　which

had　once　been　so　crushing　to　his　spirit　were　〃both　out　of　sight　and

mind。〃　　He　said　to　God；　〃depart　from　me。〃　　According　to　the　later

morbid　estimate　which　stigmatized　as　sinful　what　were　little　more

than　the　wild　acts　of　a　roystering　dare…devil　young　fellow；　full　of

animal　spirits　and　with　an　unusually　active　imagination；　he　〃could

sin　with　the　greatest　delight　and　ease；　and　take　pleasure　in　the

vileness　of　his　companions。〃　　But　that　the　sense　of　religion　was

not　wholly　dead　in　him　even　then；　and　that　while　discarding　its

restraints　he　had　an　inward　reverence　for　it；　is　shown　by　the

horror　he　experienced　if　those　who　had　a　reputation　for　godliness

dishonoured　their　profession。　　〃Once；〃　he　says；　〃when　I　was　at　the

height　of　my　vanity；　hearing　one　to　swear　who　was　reckoned　for　a

religious　man；　it　had　so　great　a　stroke　upon　my　spirit　that　it　made

my　heart　to　ache。〃



This　undercurrent　of　religious　feeling　was　deepened　by　providential

escapes　from　accidents　which　threatened　his　life　…　〃judgments　mixed

with　mercy〃　he　terms　them；　…　which　made　him　feel　that　he　was　not

utterly　forsaken　of　God。　　Twice　he　narrowly　escaped　drowning；　once

in　〃Bedford　river〃　…　the　Ouse；　once　in　〃a　creek　of　the　sea；〃　his

tinkering　rounds　having；　perhaps；　carried　him　as　far　northward　as

the　tidal　inlets　of　the　Wash　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Spalding　or

Lynn；　or　to　the　estuaries　of　the　Stour　and　Orwell　to　the　east。　　At

another　time；　in　his　wild　contempt　of　danger；　he　tore　out；　while

his　companions　looked　on　with　admiration；　what　he　mistakenly

supposed　to　be　an　adder's　sting。



These　providential　deliverances　bring　us　to　that　incident　in　his

brief　career　as　a　soldier　which　his　anonymous　biographer　tells　us

〃made　so　deep　an　impression　upon　him　that　he　would　never　mention

it；　which　he　often　did；　without　thanksgiving　to　God。〃　　But　for　this

occurrence；　indeed；　we　should　have　probably　never　known　that　he　had

ever　served　in　the　army　at　all。　　The　story　is　best　told　in　his　own

provokingly　brief　words　…　〃When　I　was　a　soldier　I　with　others　were

drawn　out　to　go　to　such　a　place　to　besiege　it。　　But　when　I　was　just

ready　to　go；　one　of　the　company　desired　to　go　in　my　room；　to　which

when　I　consented；　he　took　my　place；　and　coming　to　the　siege；　as　he

stood　sentinel；　he　was　shot　in　the　head　with　a　musket　bullet　and

died。〃　　Here；　as　is　so　often　the　case　in　Bunyan's　autobiography；　we

have　reason　to　lament　the　complete　absence　of　details。　　This　is

characteristic　of　the　man。　　The　religious　import　of　the　occurrences

he　records　constituted　their　only　value　in　his　eyes；　their　temporal

setting；　which　imparts　their　chief　interest　to　us；　was　of　no

account　to　him。　　He　gives　us　not　the　slightest　clue　to　the　name　of

the　besieged　place；　or　even　to　the　side　on　which　he　was　engaged。

The　date　of　the　event　is　left　equally　vague。　　The　last　point

however　we　are　able　to　determine　with　something　like　accuracy。

November；　1644；　was　the　earliest　period　at　which　Bunyan　could　have

entered　the　army；　for　it　was　not　till　then　that　he　reached　the

regulation　age　of　sixteen。　　Domestic　circumstances　had　then

recently　occurred　which　may　have　tended　to　estrange　him　from　his

home；　and　turn　his　thoughts　to　a　military　life。　　In　the　previous

June　his　mother　had　died；　her　death　being　followed　within　a　month

by　that　of　his　sister　Margaret。　　Before　another　month　was　out；　his

father；　as　we　have　already　said；　had　married　again；　and　whether　the

new　wife　had　proved　the　proverbial　INJUSTA　NOVERCA　or　not；　his　home

must　have　been　sufficiently　altered　by　the　double；　if　we　may　not

say　triple；　calamity；　to　account　for　his　leaving　the　dull　monotony

of　his　native　village　for　the　more　stirring　career　of　a　soldier。

Which　of　the　two　causes　then　distracting　the　nation　claimed　his

adherence；　Royalist　or　Parliamentarian；　can　never　be　determined。

As　Mr。　Froude　writes；　〃He　does　not　tell　us　himself。　　His　friends　in

after　life　did　not　care　to　ask　him　or　he　to　inform　them；　or　else

they　thought　the　matter　of　too　small　importance　to　be　worth

mentioning　with　exactness。〃　　The　only　evidence　is　internal；　and　the

deductions　from　it　vary　with　the　estimate　of　the　counter…balancing

probabilities　taken　by　Bunyan's　various　biographers。　　Lord

Macaulay；　whose　conclusion　is　ably；　and；　we　think；　convincingly

supported　by　Dr。　Brown；　decides　in　favour　of　the　side　of　the

Parliament。　　Mr。　Froude；　on　the　other　hand；　together　with　the

painstaking　Mr。　Offor；　holds　that　〃probability　is　on　the　side　of

his　having　been　with　the　Royalists。〃　　Bedfordshire；　however；　was

one　of　the　〃Associated　Counties〃　from　which　the　Parliamentary　army

drew　its　main　strength；　and　it　was　shut　in　by　a　strong　line　of

defence　from　any　combination　with　the　Royalist　army。　　In　1643　the

county　had　received　an　order　requiring　it　to　furnish　〃able　and

armed　men〃　to　the　garrison　at　Newport　Pagnel；　which　was　then　the

base　of　operations　against　the　King　in　that　part　of　England。　　All

probability　therefore　points　to　John　Bunyan；　the　lusty　young　tinker

of　Elstow；　the　leader　in　all　manly　sports　and　adventurous

enterprises　among　his　mates；　and　probably　caring　very　little　on

what　side　he　fought；　having　been　drafted　to　Newport　to　serve　under

Sir　Samuel　Luke；　of　Cople；　and　other　Parliamentary　commanders。　　The

place　of　the　siege　he　refers　to　is　equally　undeterminable。　　A

tradition　current　within　a　few　years　of　Bunyan's　death；　which　Lord

Macaulay　rather　rashly　invests　with　the　certainty　of　fact；　names

Leicester。　　The　only　direct　evidence　for　this　is　the　statement　of

an　anonymous　biographer；　who　professes　to　have　been　a　personal

friend　of　Bunyan's；　that　he　was　present　at　the　siege　of　Leicester；

in　1645；　as　a　soldier　in　the　Parliamentary　army。　　This　statement；

however；　is　in　direct　defiance　of　Bunyan's　own　words。　　For　the　one

thing　certain　in　the　matter　is　that　wherever　the　siege　may　have

been；　Bunyan　was　not　at　it。　　He　tells　us　plainly　that　he　was　〃drawn

to　go；〃　and　that　when　he　was　just　starting；　he　gave　up　his　place　to

a　comrade　who　went　in　his　room；　and　was　shot　through　the　head。

Bunyan's　presence　at　the　siege　of　Leicester；　which　has　been　so

often　reported　that　it　has　almost　been　regarded　as　an　historical

truth；　must　therefore　take　its　place　among　the　baseless　creations

of　a　fertile　fancy。



Bunyan's　military　career；　wherever　passed　and　under　whatever

standard；　was　very　short。　　The　civil　war　was　drawing　near　the　end

of　its　first　stage　when　he　enlisted。　　He　had　only　been　a　soldier　a

few　months　when　the　battle　of　Naseby；　fatal　to　the　royal　cause；　was

fought；　June　14；　1645。　　Bristol　was　surrendered　by　Prince　Rupert；

Sept。　10th。　　Three　days　later　Montrose　was　totally　defeated　at

Philiphaugh；　and　after　a　vain　attempt　to　relieve　Chester；　Charles

shut　himself　up　in　Oxford。　　The　royal　garrisons　yielded　in　quick

succession；　in　1646　the　armies　on　both　sides　were　disbanded；　and

the　first　act　in　the　great　national　tragedy　having　come　to　a　close；

Bunyan　returned　to　Elstow；　and　resumed　his　tinker's　work　at　the

paternal　forge。　　His　father；　old　Thomas　Bunyan；　it　may　here　be

mentioned；　lived　all　through　his　famous　son's　twelve　years'

imprisonment；　witnessed　his　growing　celebrity　as　a　preacher　and　a

writer；　and　died　in　the　early　part　of　1676；　just　when　John　Bunyan

was　passing　through　his　last　brief　period　of　durance；　which　was　to

give　birth　to　the　work　which　has　made　him　immortal。







CHAPTER　II。







It　cannot　have　been　more　than　two　or　three　years　after　Bunyan's

return　home　from　his　short　experience　of　a　soldier's　life；　that　he

took　the　step　which；　more　than　any　other；　influences　a　man's　future

career　for　good　or　for　evil。　　The　young　tinker　married。　　With　his

characteristic　disregard　of　all　facts　or　dates　but　such　as　concern

his　spiritual　history；　Bunyan　tells　us　nothing　about　the　orphan

girl　he　made　his　wife。　　Where　he　found　her；　who　her　parents　were；

where　they　were　married；　even　her　christian　name；　were　all　deemed

so　many　irrelevant　details。　　Indeed　the　fact　of　his　marriage　would

probably　have　been　passed　over　altogether　but　for　the　important

bearing　it　hid　on　his　inner　life。　　His　〃mercy；〃　as　he　calls　it；

〃was　to　light　upon　a　wife　whose　father　was　counted　godly；〃　and　who；

though　she　brought　him　no　marriage　portion；　so　that　they　〃came

together　as　poor　as　poor　might　be；〃　as　〃poor　as　howlets；〃　to　adopt

his　own　simile；　〃without　so　much　household　stuff　as　a　dish　or　a

spoon　betwixt〃　them；　yet　brought　with　her　to　the　Elstow　cottage　two

religious　books；　which　had　belonged　to　her　father；　and　which　he

〃had　left　her　when　he　died。〃　　These　books　were　〃The　Plain　Man's

Pathway　to　Heaven；〃　the　work　of　Arthur　Dent；　the　puritan　incumbent

of　Shoebury；　in　Essex　…