Bunyan wrote many other works, but none of them equals the _Pilgrim's Progress_. His _Holy War_ is a powerful allegory, which has been called a prose _Paradise Lost_. Bunyan also produced a strong piece of realistic fiction, the _Life and Death of Mr. Badman_. This shows the descent of a soul along the broad road. The story is the counterpart of his great masterpiece, and ranks second to it in point of merit. [Illustration: BUNYAN'S DREAM. _From Fourth Edition Pilgrim's Progress, 1680_.] General Characteristics.--Since the _Pilgrim's Progress_ has been more widely read in England than any other book except the _Bible_, it is well to investigate the secret of Bunyan's power. In the first place, his style is simple. In the second place, rare earnestness is coupled with this simplicity. He had something to say, which in his inmost soul he felt to be of supreme importance for all time. Only a great man can tell such truths without a flourish of language, or without straining after effect. At the most critical part of the journey of the Pilgrims, when they approach the river of death, note that Bunyan avoids the tendency to indulge in fine writing, that he is content to rely on the power of the subject matter, simply presented, to make us feel the terrible ordeal:-- "Now I further saw that betwixt them and the gate was a river; but there was no bridge to go over, and the river was very deep... The Pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their minds, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them by which they might escape the river... They then addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian began to sink... And with that, a great darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so that he could not see before him..." "Now, upon the bank of the river, on the other side, they saw the two shining men again, who there waited for them... Now you must note that the city stood upon a mighty hill; but the Pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had these two men to lead them up by the arms; they had likewise left their mortal garments behind them in the river; for though they went in with them, they came out without them." [Illustration: Let Badman's broken leg put check To Badman's course of evil, Lest, next time, Badman breaks his neck, And so goes to the devil. WOODCUT FROM THE FIRST EDITION OF MR. BADMAN] Of all the words in the above selection, eighty per cent are monosyllables. Few authors could have resisted the tendency to try to be impressive at such a climax. One has more respect for this world, on learning that it has set the seal of its approval on such earnest simplicity and has neglected works that strive with every art to attract attention.