Pilgrims Progress

John Bunyan started to write after 1660 with the restoration of the monachy, and the resusitation of old anti-conformist legislation, his preaching led to imprisonment for twelve years in Bedford Goal. The resultant increase of literary output culminated in Grace Abounding, one of the finest books on religious experience ever written. In 1672 Charles ll, realizing that this policy of suppression was accomplishing nothing, used is royal perogative to issue a Declaration of Indulgence . As a result Bunyan was set free. The unpopularity of this measure,however, soon led to it being rescinded and Bunyan was again inprisoned, though this time for only six months. It was then that he wrote the first part of Pilgrim's Progress and it appeared in print in 1678. The Second part of the book was published in 1684. The popularity of this book is shown that in his life time it is estimated that 100,000 copies and since his death the number of seperate editions and translations, let alone actual copies sold has left the statisticians far behind.

The story is about two people who meet, namely Christian and Evangelist, and it is their story of the world and how it is perceived and what will happen in the end if we don't take heed to the message within.

The Pilgrims Progress is written in traditional old English but the poetry of the book is magnificent. Nothing is as good as the traditional language of the 1680's after all that was the time of the King James version of the Bible and nobody can fault this book for being written at a time of great out-pouring of spirit and Life. For me the traditional rich language of the time is the version I would choose to read over any modern translation how ever tired or boring that it might appear to others. John Bunyan's Classic has sold a remarkable number of copies in many different languages and therefor I feel that it is right that the traditional is left intack.

This is a wonderful journey of a man's amazing faith and travel though his christian life and as his last sentance in the book states...Shall it be my lot to go that way again, I may give those that desire it an account of what I here am silent about. Meantime I bid my reader ADIEU.

Jayne reviewed a special Folio Society Old English Version and the copy shown above is a Penguin Classic in modern English which is available for general purchase.