Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-06-01
John Bunyan.

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for its cxcellency, as "The next book
to the Bible" although the same
claim has been by sor arsons n>ade
for the Book of { IN Prayer,
and by others for Wesley's Hymns.
The distance between Gods book
and the best Of writings is so i'm
measurable, that it would be difficult
if possible at ALTO determine what
book comes "next the Bible and if
judgment were pronounced, it would
perhaps, be as dificult-if possible
at ALTO secure universal acqui-
escence in the decision. But whelh ;
er the Pilgrins's Progress be emit
tledto this high distinction or not,
certain it is that, all things con-
sidcred, it is a most extraordinary
production, and unquestioaably the
most popular religious work in the
English language. Although the
population of Great Britain in Bun
vans days was not, probably, one
eighth Of what it is at present; and
although the number Of readers in
those less-educated times was, very
likely not one-twentieth Of the pres
ent number, yet, during the life of
the author, more than a hundred
thousand copies Of the book were
sold besides several TRANSACTIONS
made into foreign languages. The
editions which have been since pub
lished are too numerous to ascertain;
and, as we write, new issues are be-
ing poured out by the press. Dur
ing the two centuries that have pas
sed away since Bunyan was sent to
the Den on Bedford Bridge, where
he dreamed his immortal dream,
what hundreds Of pretentious works
by diyines, historians, poets, novel
lists, and essayists, have been pub
lished, and are now forgotten
When the Bedfordshire tinker wrote
his allegory, Gilbert Sheldon was
Archbishop Of Canterbury, and Sir
William Dayenant was Poet laureate.
Where now is cherished the memory
of the munifcent hierarch, except at
Oxford ? and by whom, in these days,
is Charles lis knighted laureate
read While they are unremember
ed, the name of their prosecuted con
temp orary has become a household
word.
Not quite two miles from the town
of Bedford stands the ancient village
Of Elstow. 1t contains a venerable
abbey church. and, like the hamlets
Of "Old England" sports a village
green; but it is neither picturesque,
nor otherwise attractive. It is one
Of those quiet, unprogressiye places,
which, for the lack Of hustle and
glitter,a cockney would call stupid"
And yet, ever and anon, strangers of
distinction from London, from Edin-
burg, and even from New Y ork, may
be seen walking on the green,
sketching the old church, entering
the belfry gateway, and gazing with
interest upon the site Of a demolish-
ed cottage These are visitors to the
"haunts and homes" Of genius, who
have come to see the place where
John Bunyan was born, the green
on which he played at tip-cat, the
church where he attended public
worship in his youth, and the belfry
where, with others Of the village ath-
letoe, he INDUCED, many time, in
his favorite exercise Of bell-ringing.
Little did the crones Of Elstow think
on that day, in the year 1923, when
they learned that the wife of neigh
Dor Bunyan, the tinker, had given
birth to a son, that through that ev-
ent their little village was to become
famous throughout this and other
lands attracting the notice Of tour
lists, writers, artists, and antiquarians.
The old cottage in which the great
allegorist was born was destroyed
some gears ago; but not before
sketch of it was made by the then
Citrate of the parish.
The year in which Bunyan was
born was one of some Importance in
English history. Then assembled
the patriotic Parliament which ex-
torted from Charles l. the recogni-
ton Of the important constitutional
instrument known as the petition
of Right; ]" and which may be re-
garded as the second Magma Charter
of English liberty. The Puritan
party, which conteuded so strongly
for the evangelical in the Church,
and for the constitutional in the
State, were then numerous and In
fuential. In that year, Laud, after
wards so noted, was translated from
the see of Bath and Wells to Lon
don; and the royal favorite, the
shallow and mischievous parvenu,
Villiers, Duke Of Buckingham, fell
by the hand of IN assassin. Coke,
the Elk Chief-Justice, re-entered
Parliament; Hampden was returned
for Wendover Cromwell entered the
House of Commons for the first time
as a Member, and thus began his
eyentful public life; and Milton, at
Cambridge, with the clustering locks