"
The fame of Bunyan during his life, and during the century which
followed his death, was indeed great, but was almost entirely confined
to religious families of the middle and lower classes. Very seldom was
he, during that time, mentioned with respect by any writer of great
literary eminence. Young coupled his prose with the poetry of the
wretched D'Urfey. In the "Spiritual Quixote," the adventures of
Christian are ranked with those of Jack the Giant-killer and John
Hickathrift. Cowper ventured to praise the great allegorist, but did not
venture to name him. It is a significant circumstance that, till a
recent period, all the numerous editions of the "Pilgrim's Progress"
were evidently meant for the cottage and the servants' hall. The paper,
the printing, the plates were all of the meanest description. In
general, when the educated minority and the common people differ about
the merit of a book, the opinion of the educated minority finally
prevails. The "Pilgrim's Progress" is perhaps the only book about which,
after the lapse of a hundred years, the educated minority has come over
to the opinion of the common people.--MACAULAY.
O king without a crown,
O priest above the line
Whose course is through the ages down,
What wondrous eyes were thine!
As in the sea of glass,
So pictured in those eyes
Were all the things that come to pass
Beneath, above the skies;
Between two worlds the way,
The sun, the cloud, the snares,
The pilgrim's progress day by day,
The gladness God prepares.
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