some of his neighbors in regard to himself.

Indeed, nothing is more likely, than that he was often reproved and warned by the Puritans of Elstow and Bedford. His vices were just those, which the godly men and women of that age would most loudly condemn, and most solemnly threaten. His very sports were an abomination to them: for the popular games were then associated with principles which the Puritans both hated and dreaded. He would, therefore, have been often warned and reproved on the common, when a Puritan passed by, even if oaths and blasphemies had not been mingled with his sports; and as they were the very shouts of his gambols, he was as sure to hear a "testimony" against both, as Scott's "Cuddie Headrig" from his mither, against the popinjay.

Besides, there is good reason to suppose that Bunyan, if not invited into the houses of the Puritans, was allowed to be present in more than one or two of them, when they read to their families books of "Christian piety." Accordingly, he says, "It was a prison to me, when I have seen some read these books. In these days, the thoughts of religion were very grievous to me. I could neither endure it myself, nor that any other should."

These hints throw some light upon the readiness with which his conscience applied to himself "the terrors of the Lord:" but they leave to the Bible and his incipient genius, all the solemn majesty of his young dreams. These, like his Pilgrim, were his own creations: for, although we may have dreamt of the Day of Judgment, much in the same form as Bunyan, we only dreamt his dream over again. We had his example to help our duller imaginations: whereas the tinker boy had read nothing but his Bible. No Glorious Dreamer had sent him to bed, full of solemn thoughts, or dazzled with glaring visions. He himself knew, and never forgot, that fact; and hence he ascribed his night visions to God alone:-"I have with soberness considered," he

says, "that the LORD, even in my childhood, did scare and affrighten me with fearful dreams."

Bunyan's dreams, then, were not always unsoftened in their issue. Ivimey has quoted one, to this effect: "Once he dreamed that he was just dropping into the flames amongst the damned, when a person in white raiment suddenly plucked him as a brand out of the fire." This is the creation of his own mind, from the visions of Zechariah and John: and as "a dream cometh of a multitude of business," a part of his business on that day must have been the perusal of part of two books of the Holy Scriptures. We know also where he must have read on the morning of the day, when he dreamt "that the end of the world and the day of judgment were arrived; and thought that the earth quaked, and opened her mouth to receive him."--Ivimey's Life. Indeed, his own versions of such dreams (as we shall see) all manifest an extensive familiarity with the Scriptures, and a keen perception, yea, vivid realization, of whatever is most appalling or magnificent in eternal things. He dreamt like a prophet, whilst he was only a boy.

The finest illustration of this, Bunyan put into the lips of the the man in the "chamber," at the Interpreter's house. That dream may, indeed, be a compound of many of his own; but it is all his own, and evidently selected from distinct recollections of his own midnight visions in youth: it belongs, therefore, to his life, as much as to his allegory; and is the first grand disclosure of the real power of both his mind and conscience, in boyhood. He himself did not write it for this purpose, nor think, perhaps, that it would ever reveal the original elements of his genius. That, however, is no reason why we should not view it in that light. Modesty as much binds us to say, that the boy Bunyan dreamt, as it bound him to say, “the man rising out of bed, in a chamber," said, "This night, as I was in my sleep, I dreamed, and behold, the heavens grew exceeding

black; also it thundered and lightened in such fearful wise, that it put me in an agony. So I looked up in my dream, and saw the clouds rack at an unusual rate: upon which I heard a great sound of a trumpet, and saw also a man sit upon a cloud, attended with thousands of heaven. They were all in flaming fire; also the heavens were in a burning flame. I heard then a voice saying, 'Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment.' And with that, the rocks rent, the graves opened; and the dead that were therein came forth. Some of them were exceeding glad, and looked upward; and some sought to hide themselves under the mountains.

"Then I saw the man that sat on the cloud, open the book, and bid the world draw near. Yet there was, by reason of the fierce flame which issued out, and came before him, a convenient distance betwixt him and them, as betwixt the judge and the prisoners at the bar. I heard it also proclaimed to them that attended on the man that sat on the cloud, Gather together the tares, the chaff, and the stubble, and cast them into the burning lake.' And with that, the bottomless pit opened, just whereabout I stood; out of the mouth of which there came, in an abundant manner, smoke and coals of fire, with hideous noises.

"It was also said to the same persons, 'Gather my wheat into the garner!' And with that, I saw many catched up and carried away in the clouds; but I was left behind! I also sought to hide myself, but I could not; for the man upon the cloud still kept his eye upon me. My sins also came into my mind, and my conscience did accuse me on every side; for, as I thought, the Judge had always his eye upon me, showing indignation in his countenance. But what affrighted me most was, that the angels gathered up several, and left me behind: also, the pit of hell opened her mouth just where I stood.”—Pilgrim.

Splendid as this painting is, there is not a feature of it which was not shadowed out in his own first dreams. It only em

bodied fully, and emblazons a little, what disturbed the sleep of the lisping blasphemer of Elstow, when neither the fatigue nor the excitement of daring sports could put down the energies of his mind or conscience.

These energies, however, are not seen in all their early strength, in the current versions of his young dreams. I therefore subjoin another version of them, from the sketch of his Life, in the British Museum :

"He has often, since his conversion, confest with horror and detestation of himself, that when he was but a child, or at least a stripling youth, he had but few equals for lying, swearing, and blaspheming God's holy name, which became then to him as a second nature; not considering that he must die, and one day give an account before the dread tribunal of the God of all the earth; living, as it were, without God in the world; the though's of which, when, by the light of divine grace, he came to understand his dangerous condition, drew many showers of tears from his sorrowful eyes, and sighs from his groaning heart.

"The first thing that sensibly touched him in this his unregenerate state, were fearful dreams, and visions of the night, which often made him cry out in his sleep, and alarm the house, as if somebody had been about to murder him; and being waked, he would start, and stare about him with such a wildness, as if some real apparition had yet remained; and generally these dreams were about evil spirits, in monstrous shapes and forms, that presented themselves to him in threatening postures, as if they would have taken him away, or torn him in pieces: at some times they seemed to belch flame, at other times a contagious smoke, with horrible noises and roaring.

"This continued for some time, and there came others somewhat of another nature, seemingly more pleasing and alluring to entice those sweet darling sins that so much bewitch the

world, and carry men away to the pit of destruction, as carnal concupiscential desires, thirst after rich and unlawful gain, vainglory, and pomp, with many others of the same black stamp ; yet, when he began somewhat seriously to consider, even these wrought darkness and confusion in his soul, and took him with unaccountable melancholy. Once he dreamt he saw the face of the heavens, as it were, all on fire, the firmament crackling and shivering as with the noise of mighty thunders, and an archangel flew in the midst of heaven sounding a trumpet, and a glorious throne was seated in the east, whereon sat one in brightness like the morning star; upon which he, thinking it was the end of the world, fell upon his knees, and, with uplifted hands towards heaven, cried, O Lord God, have mercy upon me! what shall I do! the day of judgment is come, and I am not prepared!' when immediately he heard a voice behind him exceedingly loud, saying, 'Repent;' and upon this he awoke and found it but a dream. Yet, as he said, upon this he grew more sericus, and it remained in his mind a considerable time.

"At another time he dreamed that he was in a pleasant place, jovial and rioting, banqueting and feasting his senses. when immediately a mighty earthquake rent the earth, and made a wide gap, out of which came bloody flames, and the figures of men tossed up in globes of fire, and falling down again with horrible cries, shrieks, and execrations, whilst some devils that were mingled with them laughed aloud at their torments; and whilst he stood trembling at this sight, he thought the earth sunk under him, and a circle of flame enclosed him; but when he fancied he was just at the point to perish, one in white shining raiment descended and plucked him out of that dreadful place, whilst the devils cried after him to leave him with them, to take the just punishment his sins had deserved; yet he escaped the danger, and leaped for joy when he awoke and found it but a dream. Many others, somewhat to the