The Rev. Charles Doe describes Bunyan "as tall of stature, strong-boned,
though not corpulent; somewhat of a ruddy face, with sparkling eyes, ...
hair reddish, but in his later days time had sprinkled it with gray, ...
forehead something high, and his habit always plain and modest.... In
his conversation he was mild and affable, not given to loquacity or much
discourse in company.... He had a sharp, quick eye, with an excellent
discerning of persons, being of good judgment and quick wit."
He was careful in preparing his sermons, usually committing them to
writing after he had preached them. In composing his books his habit
was, "first with doing, and then with undoing, and after that with doing
again."
Froude says if Bunyan's "importance may be measured by the influence
which he has exerted over succeeding generations, he must be counted
among the most extraordinary persons whom England has produced.... To
understand, and to make others understand, what Christ had done, and
what Christ required men to do, was the occupation of his whole mind,
and no object ever held his attention except in connection with it." Is
it any wonder that the ministry of the poor, uneducated tinker was a
marvellous success?
Visitors from all parts of the world go to Bedford yearly to look upon
the scenes associated with Bunyan's life. In the Manor are seen his
will, his cabinet, the Church Book, and various editions and foreign
versions of the "Pilgrim's Progress."
Bunyan's chair is also shown, and the oak door with iron crossbars, once
a part of Bedford jail, the home of the great preacher for twelve long
years.
[Illustration: THOMAS ARNOLD.]
THOMAS ARNOLD.
Dr. Thomas Arnold of Rugby, "England's greatest schoolmaster," was born
at West Cowes, Isle of Wight, June 13, 1795. He was the youngest son and
seventh child of William and Martha Arnold. His father died before he
was six years old. His early education was intrusted to his mother's
sister, Mrs. Delafield; and later, at the age of twelve, he was sent to
Winchester.
This aunt he never forgot. When she was seventy-seven he wrote to her,
"This is your birthday, on which I have thought of you, and loved you,
for as many years past as I can remember. No tenth of September will
ever pass without my thinking of you and loving you."
The shy, retiring boy was early fond of books. When he was three, he
received a present from his father of Smollett's "History of England,"
"as a reward," says Dean Stanley, in his life of Arnold, "for the
accuracy with which he had gone through the stories connected with the
portraits and pictures of the successive reigns; and at the same age he
used to sit at his aunt's table arranging his geographical cards, and
recognizing by their shape at a glance the different counties of the
dissected map of England."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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