New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE TINKER OF ELSTOw.

THE TINKER OF ELSIOW'
LIFE OF JOHN BuNYAN. BY EDMUND VEN.
ABLEs, NJ A. 16mo. PIP. lei' A~A'' '"o""'
Whitaker. ,, IL.
1twas handy necessary for Canon venabes to write
prefa,ory note iustying the inclusion Oh 9ohh nu"
vans life in the series Of Great "n'eis ior az
kuredly his position In English literature 70 "o ''
distin guished and unquestioned 'hal 'ha' VI guy
other author hitherto admitted to TINS oiogfaPho"
library A new life OF Bunyan, indeed, ai'er wha'
r.. heec dome In that direction by Southey Macauiay'
, r,,.,rao ans latest of all Dr. Brown, can scarcely
,a,. hesn n gracious task for modest biographer
hut Canon Venables has accomplished 1t In neat anu
workmanlikc manner, and has had inc sVou se"so ~
draw freely from the writings of his PREDECESSORS.
pcrhaps too in one particular he was better equipped
even than Macaulay that Is he was nom MS
more capablc Of sympathy with the spiritual wrestnhes
sra sfuerIes which darkcned so many years oil Bun
vans life and through which, as through psyehoiog
"a, auneang furnace, his soul passed In torment W
issue purified enlightened and made strong
The record of this long agony IS 1t Is true preserved
I'm the terse vigorous and earnest language Oh inc
sufferer himself In his "Grace Astounding to the
chief of sinners, he wrote the most vivid history OF
a human soul extant 1t Is narrow, imperfect and
defective through ignorance but IL is TREMENDOUSLY
real. and instinct with passion which eniorces us
reality Bunyans inner life has strange and paradox
cal contrasts 1t is not possible TO explain him by MS
environment. lie. rises far above 1t, and so I'M
ing him as concerning Shakespeare. Tho most puz-
cling fact is his wonderful breadth and catholicity
1t is that which makes The Pilgrims Progress
book which commends itself, not TO any Sect but 10
the Church Universal. Yet where did the TINKER
of Elstow acquire this catholicyl Not, certainly
from his contemporaries his zcftgeist, for the
perod in which no preached and wrote was sectaran
almost as never before Puritansm was not rendered
Invader BY persecution, less bigoted by the re-
action from persecution After 1t had felt the heavy
hand of the rc-estabshed Church, and once more en-
loved freedom of worship, 1t became, If possible
harder What was there moreover In the Caivinstic
creed az impart liberality of viewi John Bunyan
was tran ned In the stricest sect OF Geneva POSSIBLY
Clifford, lis spiritual teacher, may haze oeeh less
rigid than Law preachers who had followed their voca
ton longer and the young disciple may have learned
some federation under him. There is, however, no
evidence to base such conclusion upon
Bunyan, too, not always as broad as he ap
pears In "The Pilgrims Progress and :" The Holy
war; Even with the pen in his hand
he did not invariably recognize the Wis
dom of unity In essentials and freedom
in non-essentials. The sight of a Common Prayer
Book seemed to bring to the surface all his latene
hostility to Popery and Prelacy," and not Milton be-
Iaboring samasius could objurgate opponent moro
deliberately and heartily than did this gentieheafeu
and slguarly soberminded and just man. Inc nero
of the Pilgrims Progress" is Christian IN inc
broadest Of the term He cannot be identlhed
one thing his story takes hold strongly upon
reopIe whose churches are far asunder. OF course
there are other obvious grounds for the popularity
of the book and for its vitality Bunyan possessed
the creative imagination. He put life into his CHAR
acters, and made them move and talk naturally. lie
applied personal experience, making portraits oi
the Bedford men and women whom he knew lie put
the simplest homeliest English In their mouths, and
that is strong point Bunysn's style was evidently
natural development of his increasing study IN the
English Bible. That great well OF English undehled
was his resource. Thence, quite unconsciously, no
doubt. he derived his style and his language. In
fact tie Bible English had become his own, ana he
used II with perfect ease and freedom.
The tradition that Bunyan wrote the Pilgrims
Progress" during his twelve years Imprisonment In
Bedford Jail has been shown to rest on error by the
most recent researches. IL appears now that the
first part was actually begun while the author was
in prison, but that th, only six months term
of confinement which he incurred subsequent to his
release from the longer PERIOD when, the Order OF
Indulgence having been Withdrawn, new srasm OF
persecution passed over the country. Bunyan bore
: mis- punishment with unfalterine dignity and sweet
ness of temper and his religion broadened from year
to year until his death. Of singular sensi-
tveness and indOmtablc will, It was Inevitable that
conviction of should persuade him of the peculiar
Nervousness of his offences. Hence an extravaganza
of self accusation which has deceived even some OF
his bographer, leading them TO believe that he was
in youth a dissipated young rufiian. In truth, he
seems never have been in the least dcpraved, but
to have possessed degree of purity which 1t would
be hard parallel to-day In the same social class at
tho same age. His selfsearhngs demonstrate his
hypersenstiveness, but this attribute of the
mysticism which was the controlling element in his
nature. All his aspirations religious, and these
high devotional tendencies, expressed and illustrated
in nervous English Illuminated by the glow of a
snguary fertile and active Imagination, and Informed
by an intensity of conviction which forced them upon
the attention, enabled him TO take place in literature
probably not less enduring than that of the few mas
d. tors of English language and expression. Canon
.ayenates has told his story we'll and Interestingly
and the full photography by Mr. Anderson, which IS
feature of this series, completes biography which
IS useful and compact II not exhaustive brilliant