The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-29
V-nyeitiuG the Statue OF Buuyan.

Il crrcs to lt.ucc tinrlr nat! 'rnl!li' rciat.J
IoSpoN. June 1l.-Thc Year 1874 finds lis
still in the old ay-"arnlShln@ the >epul:
t.hrcs of those whom our fathers stoned. and
tclicitu.iug ourselves that u we had llNtd IN
those DAYS we would rot have been par
takers with tho said iathrrs III the blood OF
the prophets. The great bronze statue OF
John BuuSan. paid Tor by Duke ana un'
y.iI,d by 4 lady, wife OF 4 Dean. Is the COM
mcnlary Of the present upon the past. Inc
statue j. bv our best sculptor, Boehm. and
is a real portrait made after the con'empo-
rarv norilait hv Sadlcr. in the possession
of the Rev. MIR. Give. 1t Is made OF
about two tons of bronze, and nine feet
high. The relriS are from the Pilgrim ;
Progress The fight with Apollyon Chris
tiau meeting with Evangelist the load fall
in from the Pilgrims shoulders at the foot
of the cross: the Interview with angels. On
the uedeStal are Inscribed the words " III
had eyes lifted up to Heaven: the best OF
hooks in his hand: the law of truth was writ
ten on his lips 1t stood a> ii 1t pleaded with
men," The old Pilgrim stands with open
book and uoturucd face: the attitude and
cNpr, s>iun are pathetlcilly beautiful. Ills
dress j. Puritan: at his feet Is 4 bl oxen letter.
Besides the statue there were relics on view at
the Corn Exchange. BunIans Will, found IN
his cotta9cat Ei>ton. dated December23. 1853,
and clearly signed: page oi i church re-
cora written by Bunyan. describing how
certain PERSONS were called up before the
congregation and admon>hcd for their
faults: an Old mug used by Bunyan while
priSonel; bis walking stick: an oak table
made from his pulpit: his arln-chalr. But
the prison aud all its contents are so COM
pletelv swept away that even its locality Is 4
matter Of dOub;. \ vast crowd gathered,
and when Lady Augusta Stanley had un.
yelled the statue. the band broke forth with
the National Anthem n Justify as band
might Lave done when the Tinker
was imprisoned. Some cantankcrouS ole
agitatOrs were now remembered with honor
among them Thomas Mar>dcn, the Section
iron-monger. VINO was Bunyan's fellow
prisoner. AID declined release rather than be
parted from his friend. Marsden'S taste l.
now admired, for the best society OF BED
ford was, in that day, TO be found III TIT
gaol. The beautiful city was decorated
with flags: the people tor hundreds OF mile
made il festival and came III holiday at
tire: three thousand children marched t
the statue; and in the evening there wer
fireworks, che Of which displayed i'll letters
OF flame the maine Of John Bunyan.'
The great speech OF the occasion WA
made by the Dean Of Westminster. lie wa
never more feIicitous. He began with tex
from the "Pilgrim's Progress AS
walked the wilderness Of this world lighte
on a certain place where there was den
Those words, be said, have been translate
into many languages, and thousands i'll Il
parts of the world have asked, "Where wa
that place, and what was the DEM" Th
answer has been given that the place wa
Bedford and the den Bedford gaol. This
Is, ladies and gentlemen, which has given t
Bedford lis chlef-may | say. without OF
fence, lis ony-title 10 everlasting fame
When the laughter and cheers which fol
lowed this remark had subsidized, the Dcal
Went OH. u. CUn1rnH