зame purpose, I might mention, as he at sundry times related them; but, not to be tedious, these for a taste may suffice."

Under such circumstances, and in spite of such feelings, Bunyan grew up into a reckless lad; for, although wickedness of any kind in professors of religion would shock him even then, he himself was not afraid of sin: indeed, he feared nothing, when he could forget his dreams. He mentions one remarkable instance of fool-hardiness. "Being in the fields," he says, "with one of my companions, it chanced that an adder passed over the highway: so I, having a stick in my hand, struck her over the back; and having stunned her, I forced open her mouth with my stick, and plucked her tongue out with my fingers; by which act, had not God been merciful to me, I might, by my desperateness, have brought myself to my end." Dr. Southey says, "If this were indeed an adder, and not a harmless snake, his escape from the fangs was more remarkable than he himself was aware of." No one, however, was more likely to know an adder from a snake than Bunyan; for no one was more amongst the hedges and bosky banks: and although he was never, perhaps, fully aware of all the venom of an adder's fangs, he has certainly made his escape appear as remarkable as if it had been a miracle: for, what more could any one say of it than he did?

CHAPTER II.

BUNYAN IN THE ARMY.

THAT a young man of Bunyan's roistering habits and reckless spirit should have enlisted for a soldier, is only what might be expected; but it is somewhat strange (if true) that he should have preferred the Parliamentary to the Royal army. True; he seems never to have been a drunkard; and it is certain he never was licentious; but still, as he himself could not only "sin with delight and ease" in his own way, but also take "pleasure in the vileness of his companions," the Royalists were most suited to his moral tastes. His blasphemy and blackguardism would have pleased them, and their profligacy would not have offended him. He joined, however, the Parliamentary troops; and, whatever cant or hypocrisy, vulgarity or vice, was prevalent amongst them, it was not of Bunyan's kind, nor of the cavalier order and style. There were both sleek and sly villains in Cromwell's army; and some of them men of no mean rank. Bunyan says, that he himself overheard one of them tempting virtue "in Oliver's days," by proposing to ascribe the fruit of shame to a miracle. "I heard him say this, and it greatly afflicted me. I had a mind to have accused him before some magistrate; but he was a great man, and I was poor, so I let it alone; but it troubled me very much."-Badman's Life.

This revolting at crime, although an anomaly in Bunyan's character, was not a new thing with him, when the criminal

professed godliness. Years before he entered the army, such inconsistencies shocked him. "I well remember," he says, "that even when I could take pleasure in the vileness of my com panions, wicked things by those who professed goodness, would make my spirit tremble. As once, above all the rest, when I was at the height of my vanity, yet hearing one swear that was reckoned godly, it had so great a stroke upon my spirit, that it made my heart ache."

He was not, of course, often shocked by swearing whilst amongst the Roundheads, whatever other vices he may have. detected in some of them beneath the mask of religion. Hume himself being the judge, the character of the Parliamentary army was very high when Bunyan joined it in 1645. "The private soldiers," Hume says, "employed their vacant hours in prayer, in perusing the Holy Scriptures, in ghostly conferences, where they compared the progress of their souls in grace, and mutually stimulated each other to further advances in the great work of their salvation. When they were marching to battle, the whole field resounded, as well with psalms and spiritua. songs adapted to the occasion, as with instruments of military music; and every man endeavored to drown the sense of present danger, in the prospect of that crown of glory which was set before him. In so holy a cause, wounds were esteemed meritorious; death, martyrdom; and the hurry and dangers of action, instead of banishing their pious visions, rather strove to impress their minds more strongly with them."-Hume's England, vol.

vii.

Such, in general, were the men with whom Bunyan associated, when he became a soldier. It was well for him. Had he joined the ranks commanded by Rupert, he might have become as vile as "dissolute Wilmot," or "licentious Goring," as Hume styles them. They are well designated. Such leaders would not have been allowed to follow Cromwell.

It is well known that Cromwell's own regiment was composed of select men, "most of them freeholders, or freeholders' sons, who, upon matter of conscience, engaged in the quarrel," under him. It is not so well known, however, that he endeavored to assimilate other regiments to his own, by means of Hampden especially. The following account of this will be readily recognized as his own. The speech was addressed to the Parliament, when they conferred with him upon their proposal, that he should assume the title of king: "From my first being captain of a troop of horse, I did labor as well as I could to discharge my trust; and God blessed me as it pleased him. I had a very worthy friend then-Mr. Hampden; and he was a very noble person; and I know his memory is very grateful to all. At my first going out into that engagement, I saw our men were beaten on every hand-I did, indeed; and desired him that he would make some additions to my Lord Essex's army, of some new regiments. And I told him, it would be serviceable to him, in bringing such men in as I thought had a spirit that would do something in the work. Your troops,' said I, 'are most of them old decayed serving men, and tapsters, and suci kind of fellows: and their troops are gentlemen's sons, younger sons, and persons of quality. And do you think that the spirit of such base and mean fellows will ever be able to encounter gentlemen that have honor, and courage, and resolution in them? You must get men of a spirit; and, take it not ill what I say, of a spirit that is likely to go on as far as gentlemen will go: or else, I am sure, you will be beaten still.' I told him so.

"He was a wise and worthy person, and he did think that I talked a good notion, but an unpracticable one. I told him, I could do somewhat in it; and I raised such men as had the fear of God in them, and some conscience of what they did. And from that day forth, they were never beaten; but whenever they engaged the enemy, they beat continually."-Peck's Cromwell.