As far as possible, in the sections devoted to seventeenth-century England, our choice was confined to contemporary books and prints. In the second part of the exhibition it would have been possible to show many more editions and translations of "The Pilgrim's Progress," but row after row of nothing but title-pages wearies the visitor and defeats the purpose of an exhibition which is to give pleasure as well as information. The north half of the room-to the right upon entering- - contains cases numbered 1 to 16. Here are arranged the sections of part I covering the life and times of John Bunyan. Case I is in the north-east corner against the wall. If the visitor moves from left to right following the numbered cases to the other end of the room the story will be unfolded in more or less logical fashion. The south half of the room - to the left - contains the second part of the exhibition arranged in cases 17 to 33. Case 17 is the first against the east wall. The following descriptive notes are in no sense a full catalogue, but a brief guide for visitors to the more important exhibits arranged case by case in the order in which they should be seen. In general, the contemporary books and prints have been listed with sufficient fullness to facilitate later identification. No doubt many of the formal rules for cataloguing have been unintentionally but unavoidably violated in the process. CASE 4, Section 1 PHOTOGRAPHS: Newport Pagnell Pagnell fields. Two views of Bunyan's cottage at Elstow. St. John's church, Bedford. SIR BEVES OF HAMPTON. (In: Three Middle English romances ... retold by Laura A. Hibbard. London, 1911.) The SOULDIERS' pocket Bible... London, 1643. Bunyan may have carried a copy while a soldier in Cromwell's army. DENT, ARTHUR. The Plain man's path-way to heaven... London, 1664. First ed. 1601. This and the following item (in the English edition) were the only books brought to the household of John Bunyan by his wife. BROOK, BENJAMIN. Lives of the Open to show the life of John Gifford, for several years rector of St. John's church during the Commonwealth and the first pastor of the Dissenting church at Bedford, v. 3, P. 257-9. Section 2 PHOTOGRAPHS: High Street, Bedford, showing the site of the county jail where Bunyan was imprisoned from 1660 to 1672. Bedford bridge to-day. BEDFORD bridge showing the gatehouse in which the town jail was located. It was during Bunyan's imprisonment here in 1675 that he wrote "The Pilgrim's Progress.” Engraving by S. Hooper dated 1783. ST. PAUL'S church, Bedford. Engraved by W. Byrne after drawing by T. Hearne. From: Lysons. Magna Britannia... London, 1806-22. v. I, pt. 1, containing Bedfordshire, 1813, is shown. Section 2 The ORIGINAL warrant for the arrest of John Bunyan in 1675. It was during this six months imprisonment in the Bedford bridge jail that "The Pilgrim's Progress" was written. See the article, "How I found the Bunyan warrant," by W. G. Thorpe, published in The Gentleman's magazine for February, 1890. (v. 268, p. 192200.) Lent by the Pierpont Morgan Library. Section 3 FOXE, JOHN, 1516-1587. The Acts and monuments. . . [commonly called "Book of martyrs"]. London, 1641. 3 v. folio. Black letter. Volume I is shown. Bunyan's own copy with his name written in large capitals at the foot of the title-page. The third volume has both the name and the date, 1662. A Bible and this copy of the "Book of martyrs" are said to have been the only books that Bunyan had with him during the twelve years that he spent in jail. This work, once the property of the Library of the Literary and Scientific Institute at Bedford, was bought by the late J. Pierpont Morgan in 1911. A full account of the circumstances that forced the sale, and of the final purchase of the work by Mr. Morgan, will be found in Farrar, C. F., Old Bedford... Bedford, 1926. Lent by the Pierpont Morgan Library. LUTHER, MARTIN. A Commentarie... upon the Epistle of S. Paul London, to the Galathians... 1577. Of all the books that Bunyan knew he considered this commentary "most fit for a wounded conscience." BUNYAN'S LATER YEARS AND HIS MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH CASE 6, Section 1 PHOTOGRAPHS: Bunyan's home in St. Cuthbert's Street, Bedford. (From an old print.) St. Cuthbert's Street to-day. ENGRAVING: John Bunyan discoursing to the townspeople of Bedford. BUNYAN'S License to Preach. Under the Declaration of Indulgence a license was granted to Bunyan on May 9, 1672, to preach in "the howse of Josias Roughead" at Bedford. The entry from the State Papers, Domestic series, recording the granting of the license is shown here as tran scribed in G. L. Turner's "Original records of early nonconformity under persecution and indulgence," published in 1911. v. I is opened at page 586. PROFITABLE Meditations... A reprint (London, 1860) of Bunyan's earliest prison work first published in 1661. AT BEDFORD BUNYAN, JOHN. Grace abounding to the chief of sinners... 13. ed. Boston, 1732. at Bedford... don, 1823. 3. ed. . . . Lon AN ACCOUNT of the life and actions Autobiography written in Bedford jail of Mr. John Bunyan, late inhabitant and first published in 1666. BIOGRAPHIA BRITANNICA; or, The lives of the most eminent persons who have flourished in Great Britain and Ireland... London, 1748. Volume 2 is opened at page 1028-1029 to the short biography of Bunyan. IVIMEY, JOSEPH. The Life of John Bunyan, minister of the Gospel of the town of Bedford, from his cradle to his grave... London, 1692 [1832]. The title-page of this reprint reads: "A Life of Mr. John Bunyan written immediately after his death and prefixed to what is called the third part of the Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1692, and now [1832] reprinted from a copy in the British Museum." |