the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第7节

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fered；　and　how　little　he　could　guess　the　secret　designs　of　the　court；　the　unsuspicious　thankfulness　with　which　he　accepted　the　precious　boon　of　freedom　will　not　appear　to　require　any　apology。　Before　he　left　his　prison　he　had　begun　the　book　which　has　made　his　name　immortal。　　The　history　of　that　book　is　remarkable。　　The　author　was；　as　he　tells　us；　writing　a　treatise；　in　which　he　had　occasion　to　speak　of　the　stages　of　the　Christian　progress。　　He　compared　that　progress；　as　many　others　had　compared　it；　to　a　pilgrimage。　　Soon　his　quick　wit　discovered　innumerable　points　of　similarity　which　had　escaped　his　predecessors。　　Images　came　crowding　on　his　mind　faster　than　he　could　put　them　into　words；　quagmires　and　pits；　steep　hills；　dark　and　horrible　glens；　soft　vales；　sunny　pastures；　a　gloomy　castle　of　which　the　courtyard　was　strewn　with　the　skulls　and　bones　of　murdered　prisoners；　a　town　all　bustle　and　splendour；　like　London　on　the　Lord　Mayor's　Day；　and　the　narrow　path；　straight　as　a　rule　could　make　it；　running　on　up　hill　and　down　hill；　through　city　and　through　wilderness；　to　the　Black　River　and　the　Shining　Gate。　　He　had　found　out；　as　most　people　would　have　said；　by　accident；　as　he　would　doubtless　have　said；　by　the　guidance　of　Providence；　where　his　powers　lay。　　He　had　no　suspicion；　indeed；　that　he　was　producing　a　masterpiece。　　He　could　not　guess　what　place　his　allegory　would　occupy　in　English　literature；　for　of　English　literature　he　knew　nothing。　　Those　who　suppose　him　to　have　studied　the　Fairy　Queen　might　easily　be　confuted；　if　this　were　the　proper　place　for　a　detailed　examination　of　the　passages　in　which　the　two　allegories　have　been　thought　to　resemble　each　other。　　The　only　work　of　fiction；　in　all　probability；　with　which　he　could　compare　his　Pilgrim；　was　his　old　favourite；　the　legend　of　Sir　Bevis　of　Southampton。　　He　would　have　thought　it　a　sin　to　borrow　any　time　from　the　serious　business　of　his　life；　from　his　expositions；　his　controversies；　and　his　lace　tags；　for　the　purpose　of　amusing　himself　with　what　he　considered　merely　as　a　trifle。　　It　was　only；　he　assures　us；　at　spare　moments　that　he　returned　to　the　House　Beautiful；　the　Delectable　Mountains；　and　the　Enchanted　Ground。　　He　had　no　assistance。　　Nobody　but　himself　saw　a　line；　till　the　whole　was　complete。　　He　then　consulted　his　pious　friends。　　Some　were　pleased。　　Others　were　much　scandalised。　　It　was　a　vain　story；　a　mere　romance；　about　giants；　and　lions；　and　goblins；　and　warriors；　sometimes　fighting　with　monsters　and　sometimes　regaled　by　fair　ladies　in　stately　palaces。　　The　loose　atheistical　wits　at　Will's　might　write　such　stuff　to　divert　the　painted　Jezebels　of　the　court：　　but　did　it　become　a　minister　of　the　gospel　to　copy　the　evil　fashions　of　the　world？　　There　had　been　a　time　when　the　cant　of　such　fools　would　have　made　Bunyan　miserable。　　But　that　time　was　passed；　and　his　mind　was　now　in　a　firm　and　healthy　state。　　He　saw　that；　in　employing　fiction　to　make　truth　clear　and　goodness　attractive；　he　was　only　following　the　example　which　every　Christian　ought　to　propose　to　himself；　and　he　determined　to　print。　The　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃　stole　silently　into　the　world。　　Not　a　single　copy　of　the　first　edition　is　known　to　be　in　existence。　　The　year　of　publication　has　not　been　ascertained。　　It　is　probable　that；　during　some　months；　the　little　volume　circulated　only　among　poor　and　obscure　sectaries。　　But　soon　the　irresistible　charm　of　a　book　which　gratified　the　imagination　of　the　reader　with　all　the　action　and　scenery　of　a　fairy　tale；　which　exercised　his　ingenuity　by　setting　him　to　discover　a　multitude　of　curious　analogies；　which　interested　his　feelings　for　human　beings；　frail　like　himself；　and　struggling　with　temptations　from　within　and　from　without；　which　every　moment　drew　a　smile　from　him　by　some　stroke　of　quaint　yet　simple　pleasantry；　and　nevertheless　left　on　his　mind　a　sentiment　of　reverence　for　God　and　of　sympathy　for　man；　began　to　produce　its　effect。　　In　puritanical　circles；　from　which　plays　and　novels　were　strictly　excluded；　that　effect　was　such　as　no　work　of　genius；　though　it　were　superior　to　the　Iliad；　to　Don　Quixote；　or　to　Othello；　can　ever　produce　on　a　mind　accustomed　to　indulge　in　literary　luxury。　　In　1678　came　forth　a　second　edition　with　additions；　and　then　the　demand　became　immense。　　In　the　four　following　years　the　book　was　reprinted　six　times。　　The　eighth　edition；　which　contains　the　last　improvements　made　by　the　author；　was　published　in　1682；　the　ninth　in　1684；　the　tenth　in　1685。　　The　help　of　the　engraver　had　early　been　called　in；　and　tens　of　thousands　of　children　looked　with　terror　and　delight　on　execrable　copper　plates；　which　represented　Christian　thrusting　his　sword　into　Apollyon；　or　writhing　in　the　grasp　of　Giant　Despair。　　In　Scotland；　and　in　some　of　the　colonies；　the　Pilgrim　was　even　more　popular　than　in　his　native　country。　　Bunyan　has　told　us；　with　very　pardonable　vanity；　that　in　New　England　his　dream　was　the　daily　subject　of　the　conversation　of　thousands；　and　was　thought　worthy　to　appear　in　the　most　superb　binding。　　He　had　numerous　admirers　in　Holland；　and　among　the　Huguenots　of　France。　　With　the　pleasures；　however；　he　experienced　some　of　the　pains　of　eminence。　　Knavish　booksellers　put　forth　volumes　of　trash　under　his　name；　and　envious　scribblers　maintained　it　to　be　impossible　that　the　poor　ignorant　tinker　should　really　be　the　author　of　the　book　which　was　called　his。　He　took　the　best　way　to　confound　both　those　who　counterfeited　him　and　those　who　slandered　him。　　He　continued　to　work　the　gold…field　which　he　had　discovered；　and　to　draw　from　it　new　treasures；　not　indeed　with　quite　such　ease　and　in　quite　such　abundance　as　when　the　precious　soil　was　still　virgin；　but　yet　with　success　which　left　all　competition　far　behind。　　In　1684　appeared　the　second　part　of　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress。〃　　It　was　soon　followed　by　the　〃Holy　War；〃　which；　if　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃　did　not　exist；　would　be　the　best　allegory　that　ever　was　written。　Bunyan's　place　in　society　was　now　very　different　from　what　it　had　been。　　There　had　been　a　time　when　many　Dissenting　ministers；　who　could　talk　Latin　and　read　Greek；　had　affected　to　treat　him　with　scorn。　　But　his　fame　and　influence　now　far　exceeded　theirs。　　He　had　so　great　an　authority　among　the　Baptists　that　he　was　popularly　called　Bishop　Bunyan。　　His　episcopal　visitations　were　annual。　　From　Bedford　he　rode　every　year　to　London；　and　preached　there　to　large　and　attentive　congregations。　　From　London　he　went　his　circuit　through　the　country；　animating　the　zeal　of　his　brethren；　collecting　and　distributing　alms；　and　making　up　quarrels。　　The　magistrates　seem　in　general　to　have　given　him　little　trouble。　　But　there　is　reason　to　believe　that；　in　the　year　1685；　he　was　in　some　danger　of　again　occupying　his　old　quarters　in　Bedford　gaol。　　In　that　year　the　rash　and　wicked　enterprise　of　Monmouth　gave　the　Government　a　pretext　for　persecuting　the　Nonconformists；　and　scarcely　one　eminent　divine　of　the　Presbyterian；　Independent；　or　Baptist　persuasion　remained　unmolested。　　Baxter　was　in　prison：　　Howe　was　driven　into　exile：　　Henry　was　arrested。　　Two　eminent　Baptists；　with　whom　Bunyan　had　been　engaged　in　controversy；　were　in　great　peril　and　distress。　　Danvers　was　in　danger　of　being　hanged；　and　Kiffin's　grandsons　were　actually　hanged。　　The　tradition　is　that；　during　those　evil　days；　Bunyan　was　forced　to　disguise　himself　as　a　waggoner；　and　that　he　preached　to　his　congregation　at　Bedford　in　a　smoke…frock；　with　a　cart…whip　in　his　hand。　　But　soon　a　great　change　took　place。　　James　the　Second　was　at　open　war　with　the　Church；　and　found　it　necessary　to　court　the　Dissenters。　　Some　of　the　creatures　of　the　government　tried　to　secure　the　aid　of　Bunyan。　　They　probably　knew　that　he　had　written　in　praise　of　the　indulgence　of　1672；　and　therefore　hoped　that　he　might　be　equally　pleased　with　the　indulgence　of　1687。　　But　fifteen　years　of　thought；　observation；　and　commerce　with　the　world　had　made　him　wiser。　　Nor　were　the　cases　exactly　parallel。　　Charles　was　a　professed　Protestant：　　James　was　a　professed　Papist。　　The　object　of　Charles's　indulgence　was　disguised；　the　object　of　James's　indulgence　was　patent。　　Bunyan　was　not　deceived。　　He　exhorted　his　hearers　to　prepare　themselves　by　fasting　and　prayer　for　the　danger　which　menaced　their　civil　and　religious　liberties；　and　refused　even　to　speak　to　the　courtier　who　came　down　to　remodel　the　corporation　of　Bedford；　and　who；　as　was　supposed；　had　it　in　charge　to　offer　some　municipal　dignity　to　the　Bishop　of　the　Baptists。　Bunyan　did　not　live　to　see　the　Revolution。　　In　the　summer　of　1688　he　undertook　to　plead　the　cause　of　a　son　with　an　angry　father；　and　at　length　prevailed　on　the　old　man　not　to　disinherit　the　young　one。　　This　good　work　cost　the　benevolent　intercessor　his　life。　　He　had　to　ride　through　heavy　rain。　　He　came　drenched　to　his　lodgings　on　Snow　Hill；　was　seized　with　a　violent　fever；　and　died　in　a　few　days。　　He　was　buried　in　Bunhill　Fields；　and　the　spot　where　he　lies　is　still　regarded　by　the　Nonconformists　with　a　feeling　which　seems　scarcely　in　harmony　with　the　stern　spirit　of　their　theology。　　Many　Puritans；　to　whom　the　respect　paid　by　Roman　Catholics　to　the　reliques　and　tombs　of　saints　seemed　childish　or　sinful；　are　said　to　have　begged　with　their　dying　breath　that　their　coffins　mi