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in　translating　the　Bible；　and　in　writing　the　famous　tracts　and

treatises　with　which　he　inundated　all　Germany。



It　was　to　the　circumstance　of　John　Bunyan　having　been　cast　into

gaol　that　we　probably　owe　the　'Pilgrim's　Progress。'　　He　was　thus

driven　in　upon　himself；　having　no　opportunity　for　action；　his

active　mind　found　vent　in　earnest　thinking　and　meditation；　and

indeed；　after　his　enlargement；　his　life　as　an　author　virtually

ceased。　　His　'Grace　Abounding'　and　the　'Holy　War'　were　also

written　in　prison。　　Bunyan　lay　in　Bedford　Gaol；　with　a　few

intervals　of　precarious　liberty；　during　not　less　than　twelve

years；　（7）　and　it　was　most　probably　to　his　prolonged　imprisonment

that　we　owe　what　Macaulay　has　characterised　as　the　finest

allegory　in　the　world。



All　the　political　parties　of　the　times　in　which　Bunyan　lived；

imprisoned　their　opponents　when　they　had　the　opportunity　and　the

power。　　Bunyan's　prison　experiences　were　principally　in　the　time

of　Charles　II。　　But　in　the　preceding　reign　of　Charles　I。；　as　well

as　during　the　Commonwealth；　illustrious　prisoners　were　very

numerous。　　The　prisoners　of　the　former　included　Sir　John　Eliot；

Hampden；　Selden；　Prynne　（8）　（a　most　voluminous　prison…writer）；　and

many　more。　　It　was　while　under　strict　confinement　in　the　Tower；

that　Eliot　composed　his　noble　treatise；　'The　Monarchy　of　Man。'

George　Wither；　the　poet；　was　another　prisoner　of　Charles　the

First；　and　it　was　while　confined　in　the　Marshalsea　that　he　wrote

his　famous　'Satire　to　the　King。'　　At　the　Restoration　he　was　again

imprisoned　in　Newgate；　from　which　he　was　transferred　to　the　Tower；

and　he　is　supposed　by　some　to　have　died　there。



The　Commonwealth　also　had　its　prisoners。　　Sir　William　Davenant；

because　of　his　loyalty；　was　for　some　time　confined　a　prisoner　in

Cowes　Castle；　where　he　wrote　the　greater　part　of　his　poem　of

'Gondibert'：　and　it　is　said　that　his　life　was　saved　principally

through　the　generous　intercession　of　Milton。　　He　lived　to　repay

the　debt；　and　to　save　Milton's　life　when　〃Charles　enjoyed　his　own

again。〃　　Lovelace；　the　poet　and　cavalier；　was　also　imprisoned　by

the　Roundheads；　and　was　only　liberated　from　the　Gatehouse　on

giving　an　enormous　bail。　　Though　he　suffered　and　lost　all　for　the

Stuarts；　he　was　forgotten　by　them　at　the　Restoration；　and　died

in　extreme　poverty。



Besides　Wither　and　Bunyan；　Charles　II。　imprisoned　Baxter；

Harrington　（the　author　of　'Oceana'）；　Penn；　and　many　more。　　All

these　men　solaced　their　prison　hours　with　writing。　　Baxter　wrote

some　of　the　most　remarkable　passages　of　his　'Life　and　Times'　while

lying　in　the　King's　Bench　Prison；　and　Penn　wrote　his　'No　Cross　no

Crown'　while　imprisoned　in　the　Tower。　　In　the　reign　of　Queen　Anne；

Matthew　Prior　was　in　confinement　on　a　vamped…up　charge　of　treason

for　two　years；　during　which　he　wrote　his　'Alma；　or　Progress

of　the　Soul。'



Since　then；　political　prisoners　of　eminence　in　England　have　been

comparatively　few　in　number。　　Among　the　most　illustrious　were　De

Foe；　who；　besides　standing　three　times　in　the　pillory；　spent　much

of　his　time　in　prison；　writing　'Robinson　Crusoe'　there；　and　many

of　his　best　political　pamphlets。　　There　also　he　wrote　his　'Hymn　to

the　Pillory；'　and　corrected　for　the　press　a　collection　of　his

voluminous　writings。　（9）　　Smollett　wrote　his　'Sir　Lancelot

Greaves'　in　prison；　while　undergoing　confinement　for　libel。

Of　recent　prison…writers　in　England；　the　best　known　are　James

Montgomery；　who　wrote　his　first　volume　of　poems　while　a　prisoner

in　York　Castle；　and　Thomas　Cooper；　the　Chartist；　who　wrote　his

'Purgatory　of　Suicide'　in　Stafford　Gaol。



Silvio　Pellico　was　one　of　the　latest　and　most　illustrious　of　the

prison　writers　of　Italy。　　He　lay　confined　in　Austrian　gaols　for

ten　years；　eight　of　which　he　passed　in　the　Castle　of　Spielberg　in

Moravia。　　It　was　there　that　he　composed　his　charming　'Memoirs；'

the　only　materials　for　which　were　furnished　by　his　fresh　living

habit　of　observation；　and　out　of　even　the　transient　visits　of　his

gaoler's　daughter；　and　the　colourless　events　of　his　monotonous

daily　life；　he　contrived　to　make　for　himself　a　little　world　of

thought　and　healthy　human　interest。



Kazinsky；　the　great　reviver　of　Hungarian　literature；　spent

seven　years　of　his　life　in　the　dungeons　of　Buda；　Brunne；

Kufstein；　and　Munkacs；　during　which　he　wrote　a　'Diary　of　his

Imprisonment；'　and　amongst　other　things　translated　Sterno's

'Sentimental　Journey；'　whilst　Kossuth　beguiled　his　two　years'

imprisonment　at　Buda　in　studying　English；　so　as　to　be　able　to

read　Shakspeare　in　the　original。



Men　who；　like　these；　suffer　the　penalty　of　law；　and　seem　to　fail；

at　least　for　a　time；　do　not　really　fail。　　Many；　who　have　seemed　to

fail　utterly；　have　often　exercised　a　more　potent　and　enduring

influence　upon　their　race；　than　those　whose　career　has　been　a

course　of　uninterupted　success。　　The　character　of　a　man　does　not

depend　on　whether　his　efforts　are　immediately　followed　by　failure

or　by　success。　　The　martyr　is　not　a　failure　if　the　truth　for　which

he　suffered　acquires　a　fresh　lustre　through　his　sacrifice。　（10）

The　patriot　who　lays　down　his　life　for　his　cause；　may　thereby

hasten　its　triumph；　and　those　who　seem　to　throw　their　lives　away

in　the　van　of　a　great　movement；　often　open　a　way　for　those　who

follow　them；　and　pass　over　their　dead　bodies　to　victory。　　The

triumph　of　a　just　cause　may　come　late；　but　when　it　does　come；　it

is　due　as　much　to　those　who　failed　in　their　first　efforts；　as　to

those　who　succeeded　in　their　last。



The　example　of　a　great　death　may　be　an　inspiration　to　others；　as

well　as　the　example　of　a　good　life。　　A　great　act　does　not　perish

with　the　life　of　him　who　performs　it；　but　lives　and　grows　up　into

like　acts　in　those　who　survive　the　doer　thereof　and　cherish　his

memory。　　Of　some　great　men；　it　might　almost　be　said　that　they　have

not　begun　to　live　until　they　have　died。



The　names　of　the　men　who　have　suffered　in　the　cause　of　religion；

of　science；　and　of　truth；　are　the　men　of　all　others　whose　memories

are　held　in　the　greatest　esteem　and　reverence　by　mankind。　　They

perished；　but　their　truth　survived。　　They　seemed　to　fail；　and　yet

they　eventually　succeeded。　（11）　　Prisons　may　have　held　them；　but

their　thoughts　were　not　to　be　confined　by　prison…walls。　　They　have

burst　through；　and　defied　the　power　of　their　persecutors。　　It　was

Lovelace；　a　prisoner；　who　wrote：



　　　　　　　　〃Stone　walls　do　not　a　prison　make；

　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　iron　bars　a　cage；

　　　　　　　　　　Minds　innocent　and　quiet　take

　　　　　　　　　　　　That　for　a　hermitage。〃



It　was　a　saying　of　Milton　that；　〃who　best　can　suffer　best　can　do。〃

The　work　of　many　of　the　greatest　men；　inspired　by　duty；　has　been

done　amidst　suffering　and　trial　and　difficulty。　　They　have

struggled　against　the　tide；　and　reached　the　shore　exhausted；　only

to　grasp　the　sand　and　expire。　　They　have　done　their　duty；　and　been

content　to　die。　　But　death　hath　no　power　over　such　men；　their

hallowed　memories　still　survive；　to　soothe　and　purify　and　bless

us。　　〃Life；〃　said　Goethe；　〃to　us　all　is　suffering。　　Who　save　God

alone　shall　call　us　to　our　reckoning？　　Let　not　reproaches　fall　on

the　departed。　　Not　what　they　have　failed　in；　nor　what　they　have

suffered；　but　what　they　have　done；　ought　to　occupy　the　survivors。〃



Thus；　it　is　not　ease　and　facility　that　tries　men；　and　brings　out

the　good　that　is　in　them；　so　much　as　trial　and　difficulty。

Adversity　is　the　touchstone　of　character。　　As　some　herbs　need　to

be　crushed　to　give　forth　their　sweetest　odour；　so　some　natures

need　to　be　tried　by　suffering　to　evoke　the　excellence　that　is　in

them。　　Hence　trials　often　unmask　virtues；　and　bring　to　light

hidden　graces。　　Men　apparently　useless　and　purposeless；　when

placed　in　positions　of　difficulty　and　responsibility；　have

exhibited　powers　of　character　before　unsuspected；　and　where　we

before　saw　only　pliancy　and　self…indulgence；　we　now　see　strength；

valour；　and　self…denial。



As　there　are　no　blessings　which　may　not　he　perverted　into　evils；

so　there　are　no　trials　which　may　not　be　converted　into　blessings。

All　depends　on　the　manner　in　which　we　profit　by　them　or　otherwise。

Perfect　happiness　is　not　to　be　looked　for　in　this　world。　　If　it

could　be　secured；　it　would　be　found　profitless。　　The　hollowest　of

all　gospels　is　the　gospel　of　ease　and　comfort。　　Difficulty；　and

even　failure；　are　far　better　teachers。　　Sir　Humphry　Davy　said：

〃Even　in　private　life；　too　much　prosperity　either　injures

the　moral　man；　and　occasions　conduct　which　ends　in　suffering；

or　it　is　accompanied　by　the　workings　of　envy；　calumny；　and

malevolence　of　others。〃



Failure　improves　tempers　and　strengthens　the　nature。　　Even　sorrow

is　in　some　mysterious　way　linked　with　joy　and　associated　with

tenderness。　　John　Bunyan　once　said　how；　〃if　it　were　lawful；　he

could　even　pray　for　greater　trouble；　for　the　greater　comfort's

sake。〃　　When　surprise　was　expressed　at　the　patience　of　a　poor

Arabian　woman　under　heav