The Sun.
London, England, 1814-09-02 00:00:00

rPnICE SIXPEN'CrA- iT AT. FP ENT,Tire

TTIE SUN RE` W,

(N'o. XIT.)

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'Phe fristors of Fi 'etioit ; bei iig• a CI it ii.ll Acct t tit 'of ihe ni:st
'celebrated I'rc.seAV'orks of Fictietl, from the e;'l.l-liect Gt:, a
Roman-des, to the No.ve!s f the present :4.,;.- t'y Jr,ilii
nciaor. in thice I'Vuite"s 12410.-:-1.:0.NG24,11c, i•-?:,;:it,4;
Pats, ONME, and iiiiov,..c..
liliett _,

we nc-Cticed thil') Very iiitere.stinz Work,
sOOn after thg. 'commencement ot" p'or

hours, We intimates' stn interiiicifi to l'estittle

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subject as °Ppm timity might adini-t we reoor to
it now with t'rea't pleasure; and we rejoice in baying
reason to believe, that though its intrinsic merits
are Nveitcatculitted to reeonimeUd i atten,..
tion, its circUlation hai been promoted by the .cry
favourable manner in-Which it %cella noticed in the
Sint RENTIEw. The ideAOf giving a Comprehensive
account of 'alithaie ingenious prOdnetion's of itna...
gination; Which IX, cl,e chiefly intended for -anuic=
meat, in the earlier periods of their introduction to
the ‘;`,orld, but Which in their progresi
rent countries, hai-e been SndieionSl arid uSeluill;
blended with a Moral purpose, is a novel idea, and
we are persuaded, that' it could not havt been
tarried into effecf with more diligtrice;
judgment, and taste, than characterize tilt whole
Of these Very entertaining vOluite'S. ,tIIC
former occasion' we submitted, to' Our Readers:an
extract in vindication of Novel-writing, which
we consider as not only A very satisfact de-
fence of this species Of composition, but, as
powerful rccommendaiion of tiaStnucli as it
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holds forth the impressive influence of .example
in the
.virtuons characters which it presents, and;
an the other hand, operates ,irr proportion; as a
warning against those ofofd amitraq descriptitin,
while it also inculcates lessons of prudetice, in-
cites noble and generrins,feelings,'-and; unless of
a very romantic descriptioi:-itideed, gives an eili4
.oTile of mankind, which triay be cOnSiderei-as
clm-t for a da; course in the perilOnS Voyage of
human life.—We are,_ternpted to urikefor.theitits
tracts from the work on thi-s head ; oti.::tha
-rir,cvnt trse.claL.3!tyll r 0:1•y'5
the Author's account orthaCcelehrated ReligibriS
-Allegory., The Pilgrims' -,Progress, as. it will nut
only .afford a fair speeitten of tht manner in
Which the whole is executed, but rlso of the cri-
tical acumen and liberal views of the At!her. We
are the more disposed to extract this part of the
work, because we,do not. recollect id have seen
any formal critique on it before ; And because, at
this period, Religionfits are daily springing up in

all directions,- and of every description.
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" Of the various spiritual romances which have
appeared in diiferent countries, no one has beet)
so deservedly popular as the Pili;rim's Progress Of
JOHN Bz.NyAti-,:an allegorical work, iti which the
author describes the journey of a Christian train
the City of Destruction to the, heavenly Jerusa-
lem. The origin of the Pilgrim's Progress has
been 'attributed by satire to Barnard's Religious
Allegory, entitled The Isle of Nan, or Proceed=
ings ,in Mansh:re, published in 1627,whilemthers
have traced it to the story of -the Wandcging
_Knight, •transiked •from the French by Wm.
GoOdyeare, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
There-is also au 'old French work, which was
Written by a Monk of Calais, and was versified in
English as far back as 1426, relating to a pil-
grimage to' Jerusalem, and containing., various
dialogues between the Pilgrim's Grace—Diett,
Sapience, &c. The existence of such works can
detract' little. from the praise of originality ;
if .the notion of a- journey through the perils and
temptations of life; to a place Of -religious re r,
has been borrowed-by the author of the Pilgriin's
Progress; it' was most probably suggested ny
Flemish work alreaily nientiohed, which de•,.cribei
the pilgrimage of Coloulhelle'.tO'Jerasaleui..
" The Pilgrim's Progress was written While the
author was in prison) there lie lay froni'lef. to.
1672 ; so that the Ante 'of its eompos:tiou
be -fixed between these 'two periods,- The work 4.4
introduced in a Manner its—Mysteriont
solemnity, bears- a strilfing,• resemblance to the
commencement of the Vision of Dante i---` rls
walked through the wilderness. 'of this •world,
lighted 'on atertain place vt here was a • den. and
laid- me down in that place to sleek; urici.fit slept
I dreamed a dreatu-•-•-k•dreanted, and behOld I :Jaw-
a man clothed with' ra4, with .){.book in his hand.
I looked, and saw him teenthtbopk, rind read
therein, and as 'he read ,he wept ,and,tiembled,'
&c. The 'author then -describes: 411 e ftwithtfni:4
spiritual fears of his hero, ChriStimi---,bis
titan to depart from the City of nettractiort,---.i-his
ineffectual attempts to induce his %vifctunl family
and neighbours to accOmpanyhim7--' his denariarei
and all the incidents, whether of a ditcoaraging.

or comforting nature, which he encountered oil
Ws journey.
• " It was, pertvcis, ill-judged in the author tr. 7
represent Christian as_baving•;t wife and family,

since, lvhatever be the intend, ,t
io be cvnvlc74.4 by his leaving theni, 0114 ,4-41itivt