'The Miracles They Wrought': A Chapbook Reading of The Pilgrim's Progress, with an edited transcript of The Pilgrims Progress to the Other World (1684)

• Published in: Bunyan studies no. 13; p. 40
• Main Author: Milne, Kirsty
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Newcastle Upon Tyne Northumbria University, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences 01.01.2008
• Subjects: British & Irish literature; Bunyan, John (1628-1688); English literature; Otherness
• ISSN: 0954-0970

[...]although the first exchanges between Christian and Faithful are retained (in highly abbreviated form), all other dialogue has been scrapped or changed to reported speech. Research has shown that the ownership of 'small books' extended surprisingly far up the social scale, with romances, pamphlet dialogues and jest books turning up in the libraries of gentlemen.41 Frances Wolfreston, herself a member of the Staffordshire gentry, possessed a number of chapbooks and 'penny godlies', including several published (and perhaps written) by Passinger.42 In the eighteenth century, as Jan Fergus demonstrates in her study of provincial booksellers, members of the 'middling sort' were still buying chapbook novels and romances (she records, for example, the daughter of a well-to-do Daventry innkeeper ordering an abridged version of Robinson Crusoe).41' Extrapolating back in time from Pat Rogers' work on chapbook versions of Defoe and Swift, we might reassess J. B.' s project, seeing it less as an attempt to drag Bunyan down to the lowest common denominator than as a comparable and distinctive literary product: a ten-minute digest giving busy people the essence of a book they did not have time to read. Why then studiest thou in this doubtful Condition, and pressest not rather forward? [5] Christ. Because I know not the way, Then I saw Evangelist streach out his hand and give him a Roll, in which was written this admonition: fly the wrath to come, Mat. 3.7. which Christian (for so was the man's name) reading with eyes fixed upon Evangelist asked whither he should fly or which way? when Evangelist pointing o're a very wide field, saying, do you see yon little gate? [...]they went on talking of divers Adventures, till they came to a stile that lead into a pleasant meddow, when finding the high way rough, they left it and went over, but going a great way they found they were mistaken in the way, and were resolved to return, But then the storms arose and night coming on they could not find the way, but lying down under a little shelter where falling asleep the Giant Despair found them next morning and carryed them to Doubting-Castle, where he beat them very greivously for two dayes, but at last they opened the gates with a key call'd Promise and [19] got thence, making what hast they could to the high way which lead them to the Delectable mountains, where they stayed and refreshed themselves, and took directions of the shepherds that dwelt there, and then departed, but were again lead out of the way by the Flatterer & taken in a net, and there had perished had not one of the Celestial guard come by and delivered them, who after he had given them correction set them in the right way; when as they went rejoycing, but they had not gone far but they met with a man called Atheist who had turned his back upon Zion, who would have perswaded them to have done the like, telling them there was no such place, but they would not belive him, but went on discoursing of the glory of the City, till they overtook one called Ignorance who would needs bear them company, and held a long but erroneous Colloquy with them.