The farmer and mechanic., 1907-03-19
THE GREATEST OF ALL ALLEGORlSlS
Bv DR. T B.


ussl. to couaider for awhile one
III the greatest, most original autLoI@
taat nIarlfy English literature. OF eX-
trrme oDscurIty ne Was one ~ tEe
fs.3ef important II modern writers. and
as certain Of immortality as any "i
ne greatest seHiuses IN al modern
hterat4res unless wc are 10 except vi
l.aHa Shakespeare. \ robust, inEeh-
t..e. eIear-h headed genius was J"fh
I:uusau, and man ~ 10 De pii1ti
no has never become fascinated Win
The Pilgrims Progress, ana hd0
fe.a. fingered over ana oyer tne
,1. I4ue4 pages seeking 10 learn more
.T tHe true Christian life, ana It's
blessed beautiful promises ana end
tu. Ifr sa- born iu Eistpw, near-IE
I.elror9 iii England. His Dirth-year
a4 f6ys. and he lived silky years,
GsIu@ u 1858. His father was q
common tinker, ana ne said or ms
home that il was in rank OF the
fsrauest and most dispiscd in the land :
Dr all languages and countries II IS
ffase that England surpaSSeS ali others
tH the richness, the originality, the
snlandor ana extent Of its literature.
lais particularly applies to its own
grraacular literature. and the list of
ifs arandly endowed sons who from
1hacurlty rose into great fame is not
cetualled by that Of any modern nation
g.nat-oaHer-M writer's rising from the
rude plain, humble class INTO the
highest places 'e.crnizing thelr oNE
"ac and their CountrE's greatness.
OF those there are but few who com
pare #5th Bunyan Pm the triumphs oi
genius and the wonderful originality
uT what he has given to posterlty. HIS
style is crude plain but most potent
and responsive. His great production
IS indeed a masterpiece ana OF lnIfnI-
table excellence It is really Il most
.,.F f..4t, tff.fi
modern languages. and is read by more
f,1itIc than any other work IN the
Itoralurts Of the world, with the one
exception Of the Holy Bible OF God. It's
very remarkable simplicity and rude
ness its dcstitution Of the graces ana
beauties Of the great authors works,
It's bold directncss of metaphor and
n fearless literaIncss of parable which
no other work exhibits would at flrSt
sight perhaps rcpel most cultivated
.oaders But it nevertheless possesses
great attraction Of its own, and has
mower to engage the most cultured
scholar and the humblest seeker after
truth and romance and Righteousness.
1t is read by the young and the old,
BY all classes and conditions in life,
and possesses a charm, Il peculiar IN
t@rcst for all. What is the secret Of
all this? It is q romance, an allegOry,
q fiction and vet how full Of attrac-
IL
decd Of parallels and occurrences. The
hero OF the romantic fiction is named
christian. His escape from the dread
tul city of sin. and his many trials
and conflicts and adventures in his
journey from earth to Heaven at last,
which he finds to the great, endless
gladneSs of his soul constitute the ele-
ments Of this graphic, original and
most interesting narrative. An English
critic of the last century says that the
adventures are all parableS-are more
or less of the same character, perSOnl-
fcatiOns of abstract qualities. the fol-
lies, vices, the fears, the hopes, the
virtues and the failings of religious
humanity. 1t is a very picturesque, j
most lively account Of what befel the
earnest, cOnSecrated hero, and his as
Sociates and enemies. 1t is so Won
dcrful an allegory or tale that the child
becomes SO delighted with it, and the
literary student enamOred of it too, and
the gray haired veteran so engaged
with it. that they will be eager to again
accompany the servant of God III his
startling experiences and sufferings
ana joys 1t is q wonderful book in
deed to 50 enthrall all kinds and
classes Of men as we'll as all ages. The
materials used seem hOmely and plain
and seemingly insufficient, but in the
hands Of the great genius they are
transformed into incidents and visions
Says an English critic of the attrac-
tons: 1T is the hOmely emotions, the
idiOmatic VigOr of the style; it is the
fearless straig aightfOrdWardnes of the
conceptions and the ineXhauStible rich
ness Of the imagery and adventure
that brings such cOnSummate victory
and SO lifts the soul and engages the
faculties of the readers. The same ex-
cellent interpreter, Prof. Thomas B
shaw says farther: Indeed the ve.N
rudeness Of the style, with it's rough
idiOmaticiSm, its picturesque, rustic
carnestness and the strong tinge OF
Scriptural phraseology brings us in
voluntarily back to the age of infancy
the age of belief. In the painting
OF the multitude of characters Whicf
crowd the pages of his strange drama
we often mark vigorous strokes of OBJ
Se"Vation. capacity and even humor-
The adventures, too, are varied with {
rrodig3Iity of conception which ap
pears absolutely unbounded." 1t is {
narNcllouS picture wrought by the
hand OF Il most wonderful if unframed
painter. No writer of like emporium
ity. like childhoods surroundings. like
circumstances of poverty, persecution
and distress with such limitations .
learning, travel. association and ad
vantageS in the history of all liter
atures ever achieved such great sue
cess. and made himself immortal b,
the creations and conceptions of hi
own most unique and lofty genius
The study of the life. natural endOW
ments. unfavOrable environments, ant
extraordinary limitations and long pro
tracted prosecutions of John Bunyan
il connection with his actual perform
ances. and the perpetuity of his owl
production. make him surely one o
the most interesting studies in all o
the realms of literature. Rober
Southey. who was a prolific author
and wrote largely in verse and prose
was Il judicious critic some times HI
wrote wisely of Bunyan's 'homespu.
style For instance he said: IF it il
not we'll Of English undefled. [,
which the poet as we'll as the phil
osopher must repair if they woulC
drink OF the living waters, it is a clea
stream of current English, the YER
nacular speech of his age-sOmetimes
indeed. in its ruSticity and cOarseneSS
but always in its plainneSS and it
strength. Any one who can read
even 4 small boy, can readily under
stand the homely reality of the write
Who tells his story in such a simple, III
rect, lucid way, plain and yet strong
I,unyan'S greatest book and Bunyan
superb genius command the attention
of the civilized world. and perhaps t,
q extent in the twpptiatb cen