Norwich bulletin., 1922-07-22
Famous Literary Mysteries
wAs yoHN BUNYAN A GYPsYs

Was John Bunyan, who wrote the great allegory, Pilgrims Progress, gpysy. Very little Is known of the early life of this wonderful man. Bunyan's father was what was then called whitesmith. maker and mender of ke-- ties and pots. John described himself as a tinker. who traveied around the country in search of jobs. ConteHpor- ary literature depicts the tlnker's draer as disreputable, but discrimination must
 be used to distinguish between the va
 grant and the steady handicraftsman Bunyan wrote My descent was of a very low and inconsiderable station. my fath- CTS house being of that rank that IS meanest and most despised of all the families of the land-r
 IL has been generally believed that If
 he was not entirely of gypsy extraction,
 he had some gypsy blood in his veins Sir Walter Scott was disposed to favor the opinion that the Bunyzns. "thougn reclaimed and settled. may have sprung
 from the gypsy tribe.
 1 A writer who took exception to -his i opinion. said that there was nothing 1 of the gypsy about Bunyan. for he ] Is described as having been tall of stature strengthened. with sparkling eyes wearing his hair on the upper lip after the old British fashion, his hai- reddish, but in his later days sprinkled with gray, his nose well out, his mouth ] not too large. his forehead something high, and his habits always plain au | modest
 ! There Is more of the Saxon than the Zingari in that description, as appears | also from the portraits of Bunyanz EAnother argument opposed to tfe | gypsy theory Is that the register n the parish where BunYan was born shows
 that the family had been settled in Bel. fordxhire for long time. and some oi them were persons of property and in a position above the class suggested bs the term gypsy. Besides. gypsies, at .ht
 time of Bunyan were i'll in favor 1T England and they were much persecute1 as undesirables, which the Bunyan fam fly seem not to have been?
 To refute the assertion that BunysI had been a gypsy other writers take the parish register and copy therefroW
 long list of Bunyans who had beer baptized, held estates and had marriei
 at least two centuries before the tiIn'
 of the Tinker of Bedford Jail" T'ls' ] say this disapproves the theory tha. BJfnyan may have had gypsy blood 1T his veins. They also affirm that thu long existence of the name in thu county "effectually disposes of the
 supposition that the Bunyans wer gypeies."
 l But in many instances it Is show. in English history that the gypsies as sumed the Christian and surnsmes 2 Great Britain And Europe generally [. protect themselves against the severtt'
 | of the laws Tassed against them Tn tradition among all the British gypsies 1 ! that their British names were originall. assumed from those Of people Of inilz ence among whom the tribe settled, a they scattered over the country. and ha : districts assigned to them under chief tains. with a king over all. and tolS
 ems or passports to keep each in hi
 district, or from infringing on the right I of other people.
 Az to the writers who argue tha
 Bunyan's personality indicated he wa
 not a gypsy, this statement is take
 exception to by Sampson in his -fHis
 i tory of the Gypsies," who says that ; person can, in the most important sense of the word. be a gypsy with blue eyes and fair hair, as well a black. no matter what his charRc.e of habits. calling or creed may se. At the time of Bunyan's active wor !, | f. was death by law for<betng a lgyps and felony without benefit of clergy for associatinz with them Bunyan him E self wrote as follows: Another though :. came to my mind. and that was. wheths
 I've (his family and relatives) were C . the Isralites or not7 For finding l !. the scriptures that they were once th peculiar people of God though I. If . were one of this race my soul must neet be happy. Now again. I found with n ', a great longing about this question. bt could not t11 how should. At last '' asked my father of 1t. who told me. ',,q 1. we are not"
 v Writers may continue to argue, hr $ they will never know whether or ns e the writer of the greatest of aIi all e gories was a gypsy.