the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第4章

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as　then　introduced　which　provided　that　he　should　be　deprived　of　his　spiritual　dignities；　that　he　should　be　banished　for　life；　and　that　no　British　subject　should　hold　any　intercourse　with　him　except　by　the　royal　permission。　This　bill　passed　the　Commons　with　little　difficulty。　　For　the　bishop；　though　invited　to　defend　himself；　chose　to　reserve　his　defence　for　the　assembly　of　which　he　was　a　member。　　In　the　Lords　the　contest　was　sharp。　　The　young　Duke　of　Wharton；　distinguished　by　his　parts；　his　dissoluteness；　and　his　versatility；　spoke　for　Atterbury　with　great　effect；　and　Atterbury's　own　voice　was　heard　for　the　last　time　by　that　unfriendly　audience　which　had　so　often　listened　to　him　with　mingled　aversion　and　delight。　　He　produced　few　witnesses；　nor　did　those　witnesses　say　much　that　could　be　of　service　to　him。　　Among　them　was　Pope。　　He　was　called　to　prove　that；　while　he　was　an　inmate　of　the　palace　at　Bromley；　the　bishop's　time　was　completely　occupied　by　literary　and　domestic　matters；　and　that　no　leisure　was　left　for　plotting。　　But　Pope；　who　was　quite　unaccustomed　to　speak　in　public；　lost　his　head；　and；　as　he　afterwards　owned；　though　he　had　only　ten　words　to　say；　made　two　or　three　blunders。　The　bill　finally　passed　the　Lords　by　eighty…three　votes　to　forty…　three。　　The　bishops；　with　a　single　exception；　were　in　the　majority。　　Their　conduct　drew　on　them　a　sharp　taunt　from　Lord　Bathurst；　a　warm　friend　of　Atterbury　and　a　zealous　Tory。　　〃The　wild　Indians；〃　he　said；　〃give　no　quarter；　because　they　believe　that　they　shall　inherit　the　skill　and　prowess　of　every　adversary　whom　they　destroy。　　Perhaps　the　animosity　of　the　right　reverend　prelates　to　their　brother　may　be　explained　in　the　same　way。〃　Atterbury　took　leave　of　those　whom　he　loved　with　a　dignity　and　tenderness　worthy　of　a　better　man。　　Three　fine　lines　of　his　favourite　poet　were　often　in　his　mouth：　〃Some　natural　tears　he　dropped；　but　wiped　them　soon：　The　world　was　all　before　him；　where　to　chuse　His　place　of　rest；　and　Providence　his　guide。〃　At　parting　he　presented　Pope　with　a　Bible；　and　said；　with　a　disingenuousness　of　which　no　man　who　had　studied　the　Bible　to　much　purpose　would　have　been　guilty：　　〃If　ever　you　learn　that　I　have　any　dealings　with　the　Pretender；　I　give　you　leave　to　say　that　my　punishment　is　just。〃　　Pope　at　this　time　really　believed　the　bishop　to　be　an　injured　man。　　Arbuthnot　seems　to　have　been　of　the　same　opinion。　　Swift；　a　few　months　later；　ridiculed　with　great　bitterness；　in　the　〃Voyage　to　Laputa；〃　the　evidence　which　had　satisfied　the　two　Houses　of　Parliament。　　Soon；　however；　the　most　partial　friends　of　the　banished　prelate　ceased　to　assert　his　innocence；　and　contented　themselves　with　lamenting　and　excusing　what　they　could　not　defend。　　After　a　short　stay　at　Brussels；　he　had　taken　up　his　abode　at　Paris；　and　had　become　the　leading　man　among　the　Jacobite　refugees　who　were　assembled　there。　　He　was　invited　to　Rome　by　the　Pretender；　who　then　held　his　mock　court　under　the　immediate　protection　of　the　Pope。　　But　Atterbury　felt　that　a　bishop　of　the　Church　of　England　would　be　strangely　out　of　place　at　the　Vatican；　and　declined　the　invitation。　　During　some　months；　however；　he　might　flatter　himself　that　he　stood　high　in　the　good　graces　of　James。　　The　correspondence　between　the　master　and　the　servant　was　constant。　　Atterbury's　merits　were　warmly　acknowledged；　his　advice　was　respectfully　received；　and　he　was；　as　Bolingbroke　had　been　before　him；　the　prime　minister　of　a　king　without　a　kingdom。　　But　the　new　favourite　found；　as　Bolingbroke　had　found　before　him；　that　it　was　quite　as　hard　to　keep　the　shadow　of　power　under　a　vagrant　and　mendicant　prince　as　to　keep　the　reality　of　power　at　Westminster。　　Though　James　had　neither　territories　nor　revenues；　neither　army　nor　navy；　there　was　more　faction　and　more　intrigue　among　his　courtiers　than　among　those　of　his　successful　rival。　　Atterbury　soon　perceived　that　his　counsels　were　disregarded；　if　not　distrusted。　　His　proud　spirit　was　deeply　wounded。　　He　quitted　Paris；　fixed　his　residence　at　Montpellier；　gave　up　politics；　and　devoted　himself　entirely　to　letters。　　In　the　sixth　year　of　his　exile　he　had　so　severe　an　illness　that　his　daughter；　herself　in　very　delicate　health；　determined　to　run　all　risks　that　she　might　see　him　once　more。　　Having　obtained　a　licence　from　the　English　Government；　she　went　by　sea　to　Bordeaux；　but　landed　there　in　such　a　state　that　she　could　travel　only　by　boat　or　in　a　litter。　　Her　father；　in　spite　of　his　infirmities；　set　out　from　Montpellier　to　meet　her；　and　she；　with　the　impatience　which　is　often　the　sign　of　approaching　death；　hastened　towards　him。　　Those　who　were　about　her　in　vain　implored　her　to　travel　slowly。　　She　said　that　every　hour　was　precious；　that　she　only　wished　to　see　her　papa　and　to　die。　　She　met　him　at　Toulouse；　embraced　him；　received　from　his　hand　the　sacred　bread　and　wine；　and　thanked　God　that　they　had　passed　one　day　in　each　other's　society　before　they　parted　forever。　　She　died　that　night。　It　was　some　time　before　even　the　strong　mind　of　Atterbury　recovered　from　this　cruel　blow。　　As　soon　as　he　was　himself　again　he　became　eager　for　action　and　conflict；　for　grief；　which　disposes　gentle　natures　to　retirement；　to　inaction；　and　to　meditation；　only　makes　restless　spirits　more　restless。　　The　Pretender；　dull　and　bigoted　as　he　was；　had　found　out　that　he　had　not　acted　wisely　in　parting　with　one　who；　though　a　heretic；　was；　in　abilities　and　accomplishments；　the　foremost　man　of　the　Jacobite　party。　　The　bishop　was　courted　back；　and　was　without　much　difficulty　induced　to　return　to　Paris　and　to　become　once　more　the　phantom　minister　of　a　phantom　monarchy。　　But　his　long　and　troubled　life　was　drawing　to　a　close。　　To　the　last；　however；　his　intellect　retained　all　its　keenness　and　vigour。　　He　learned；　in　the　ninth　year　of　his　banishment；　that　he　had　been　accused　by　Oldmixon；　as　dishonest　and　malignant　a　scribbler　as　any　that　has　been　saved　from　oblivion　by　the　Dunciad；　of　having；　in　concert　with　other　Christchurchmen；　garbled　Clarendon's　History　of　the　Rebellion。　　The　charge；　as　respected　Atterbury；　had　not　the　slightest　foundation：　　for　he　was　not　one　of　the　editors　of　the　History；　and　never　saw　it　till　it　was　printed。　　He　published　a　short　vindication　of　himself；　which　is　a　model　in　its　kind；　luminous；　temperate；　and　dignified。　　A　copy　of　this　little　work　he　sent　to　the　Pretender；　with　a　letter　singularly　eloquent　and　graceful。　　It　was　impossible；　the　old　man　said；　that　he　should　write　anything　on　such　a　subject　without　being　reminded　of　the　resemblance　between　his　own　fate　and　that　of　Clarendon。　　They　were　the　only　two　English　subjects　that　had　ever　been　banished　from　their　country　and　debarred　from　all　communication　with　their　friends　by　act　of　parliament。　　But　here　the　resemblance　ended。　　One　of　the　exiles　had　been　so　happy　as　to　bear　a　chief　part　in　the　restoration　of　the　Royal　house。　　All　that　the　other　could　now　do　was　to　die　asserting　the　rights　of　that　house　to　the　last。　　A　few　weeks　after　this　letter　was　written　Atterbury　died。　　He　had　just　completed　his　seventieth　year。　His　body　was　brought　to　England；　and　laid；　with　great　privacy；　under　the　nave　of　Westminster　Abbey。　　Only　three　mourners　followed　the　coffin。　　No　inscription　marks　the　grave。　　That　the　epitaph　with　which　Pope　honoured　the　memory　of　his　friend　does　not　appear　on　the　walls　of　the　great　national　cemetery　is　no　subject　of　regret：　　for　nothing　worse　was　ever　written　by　Colley　Cibber。　Those　who　wish　for　more　complete　information　about　Atterbury　may　easily　collect　it　from　his　sermons　and　his　controversial　writings；　from　the　report　of　the　parliamentary　proceedings　against　him；　which　will　be　found　in　the　State　Trials；　from　the　five　volumes　of　his　correspondence；　edited　by　Mr　Nichols；　and　from　the　first　volume　of　the　Stuart　papers；　edited　by　Mr　Glover。　　A　very　indulgent　but　a　very　interesting　account　of　the　bishop's　political　career　will　be　found　in　Lord　Mahon's　valuable　History　of　England。　。。。

JOHN　BUNYAN。　（May　1854。）

John　Bunyan；　the　most　popular　religious　writer　in　the　English　language；　was　born　at　Elstow；　about　a　mile　from　Bedford；　in　the　year　1628。　　He　may　be　said　to　have　been　born　a　tinker。　　The　tinkers　then　formed　an　hereditary　caste；　which　was　held　in　no　high　estimation。　　They　were　generally　vagrants　and　pilferers；　and　were　often　confounded　with　the　gipsies；　whom　in　truth　they　nearly　resembled。　　Bunyan's　father　was　more　respectable　than　most　of　the　tribe。　　He　had　a　fixed　residence；　and　was　able　to　send　his　son　to　a　village　school　where　reading　and　writing　were　taught。　The　years　of　John's　boyhood　were　those　during　which　the　puritan　spirit　was　in　the　highest　vigour　all　over　England；　and　nowhere　had　that　spirit　more　influence　than　in　Bedfordshire。　　It　is　not　wonderful；　therefore；　that　a　lad　to　whom　nature　had　given　a　powerful　imagination；　and　sensibility　which　amounted　to　a　disease；　should　have　been　early　haunted　by　religious　terrors。　　Before　he　was　ten；　his　sports　were　interrupted　by　fits　of　remorse　and　despair；　and　his　sleep　was　disturbed　by　dreams　of　fiends　trying　to　fly　away　with　him。　　As　he　grew　older；　his　mental　conflicts　became　still　more　violent。　　The　strong　language　in　which　he　described　them　has　strangely　misled　all　his　biographers　except　Mr　Southey。　　It　has　lo