Bunyan’s book came out in 1680, and was published by Nathaniel Ponder, who was also the publisher of _The Pilgrim’s Progress_. A third edition appeared in 1696, but as no copy of the second edition is known to exist, no date can be assigned to it. In 1684 Johannes Boekholt, a publisher in Amsterdam, obtained leave of the State to issue a Dutch translation, with the title _Het Leven en Sterben van Mr Quaat_. This edition was illustrated by five copper-plate engravings, executed by Jan Luiken, the eminent Dutch engraver, who also illustrated _The Pilgrim’s Progress_ the following year. In 1782 a Welsh version, translated by T. Lewys, was published at Liverpool with the title: _Bywyd a Marwolaeth yr annuwiol dan enw Mr Drygddyn_. A Gaelic version also was published at Inverness in 1824, entitled _Beath agus Bas Mhr Droch-duine_. The present edition has been reprinted from a copy of the first issue, lent by the Trustees of the Bunyan Church at Bedford, and the proofs read with a second copy of the same issue, in the library of the British Museum. For convenience of reading, as in other issues of this series of CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH CLASSICS, the old type forms of _j_, _s_, _u_, etc. have been made uniform with those in general modern use; but neither the spelling (including the use of capitals and italics {1b}) nor the punctuation has been altered, save as specified. Effect has been given to the errata noted by Bunyan himself, and printed on page 15 of this issue. * * * * * The text of this edition of Bunyan’s _Holy War_ {1a} is a careful reproduction of the First Edition of 1682. It is not certain that there was any further authentic reprint in Bunyan’s life-time. For though both in the Bodleian and the British Museum there is a copy purporting to be a second edition, and bearing date 1684, it is difficult to resist the impression that they are pirated copies, similar to those of which Nathaniel Ponder complained so bitterly in the case of _The Pilgrim’s Progress_. For both paper and typography are greatly inferior to those of the first edition; some of Bunyan’s most characteristic marginalia are carelessly omitted; Bunyan’s own title—‘The Holy War made by Shaddai upon Diabolus for the regaining of the Metropolis of the World’—is altered to the feebler and more commonplace form—‘The Holy War made by Christ upon the Devil for the Regaining of Man’; and, further, when a new edition was issued in 1696, the alterations and omissions of 168 4 were ignored, and a simple reprint made of the first edition of 1682. J. B. 9 _October_, 1905. [Picture: Facsimile of title page of first (1680) edition of The Life and Death of Mr. Badman] THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Courteous Reader,