Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-11-05
ASCENE IN bun
VAN.
ny REV. J. Y. DASFORTH.

j. Y.
1t in the month of August, 1901 at the
Midsummer AssiZcs in that part of England which
| included in its jurisdiction the town of Bedford
| celebrated the birth place ofJohn Bunvan thai
a woman appeared in the Swan chamber where
the two judges, and many justices and gentry O
the country SAT in company. She was neatly though
poorly attired in the peculiar costume of the dav
Her step was slow and somewhat timd as if she
feared TO do anything inconsistent with the dclica-
cy OF her SEX and upon naturally serene and Sc
! riDuS brow there seemed TO press an I'd Iitior al
weight rs OF some extraordinary sorrow which
had hitherto in vain sought relief from an earthly
source Those were indeed times of severe and
wasting trial to men who had any regard to theI
own cOnSclcnccs, any respect for the dignity of hui
man nature, or the inyiOabilitv of human rights
or any sense Of the value of liberty regulated by
justice and bcnifccnt law. All these formal diff
Cultics that oppressed and INSTRUCTED the progress
of society and Of liberal opiniOnn arose out of
the union of the crown and the Croscr the throne
OF power with the spiritual chair. Such contra
dlctIon to the first principles of the Founder of
Christianity, who declared that his kingdom was
not of this world, necessarily led to commissions
IN the church and state which rent the very foun-
| datlonS of society, and produced scenes at which
! humanity might blush, and over which the spirit
OF mercy might weep, as if i'll despair for the tri-
umph of trnth, justice and freedom. 1t might be
called the ProcruStean age when men faS-
tened to iron beds, and stretched shortened ac-
cording to the fancy of tyrants and bigots.
Among the sufferers for conscience sake was
John Bunyan, the immortal pilgrim, who was
thrust INTO Bedford jail, and kept there twelve
Years. that he might learn better manners than to
speak his own mind or use any liberty of teach
ing the ignorant or the wicked out OF that Bible
winch God has given TO man. Rampant power,
and under preteNtot law and justice paid no re-
spcct to the tenderness OF domestic ties, it was
! lY,oi ia tf Il.
! virtues. 1t was the reign OF Charles H., when
parity was denounced as prudery, virtue laughed
TO Scorn, and vice courtcd, honorcd, and even en-
throncd; when truth had fallen in the street and
equity could not enter the dwellings OF men.
Joan bunyan had been torn from his wife and
four children who were dependent for subsistence
on ms daily labor, ana one OF whom was blind,
ana OF course the object OF peculiar attention and
parental sympathy That little bind daughter
frequently shared ms imprisonment with MN, ana
lNtcheu win chlldilkc interest 10 the tales OF
father, IN which ne pointed out the Christian phi
grim way to Heaven.
He that has never looked upon the interview of
tender-hcartcd wife with her husband i'll prison,
has yet to behold one of the most affecting pha-
seS of humanity. Guilty or innocent, he becomes
the object OF extraordinary affection which seeks
to shield or to vndcate innocence. Stern law il
sell seems dcllcatciy to acknowledge this feeling
IN woman, when 1t refuses to question her about
!
/ testimony from either against the other How
could Elizabeth Bunyan sleep upon her bcrcavcd
pillow, when her innocent huSband-ani that lluS-
band n servant of the Most High God-waS Ian
gushing in jail She had never heard of Plinny
/ HiSpulla, CiCeroS Tcrcutia, of Lady Russell, or
! of HELEN Walker. who was to be the heroine OF
an immortal page under the name of Jeanic Deans
! She had no idea of PLAYING the heroine, when she
entered the judicial chamber, but prompted by
the undying affection of woman, she resolved
do all in her power obtain the release of hcl
husband.
Sir Mathew Hale was on the bench, supported
! by other Judges less mcrctul and tender in then
department.
MY lord, said Elizabeth with trcmuous ac
cent of the voice that bespoke her hearts deer
emotion, " make bold to come once again to
! your lordShip, to know what may be done with my
husband
Sir Mathew rcplicd that il WAS ont of his now.
err to help her, because, said he 'thev have taken
! that for a con,iction which INV husband smoke -,