D I DY O U  K N O W ?

S O M E  I N T E R E S T I N G  F A C T S  A B O U T

J O H N  B U N Y A N A N D

P I L G R I M’ S  P R O G R E S S

C O M P I L E D  BY  J O S E P H  F A R R U G I A

15 years before his death, Gandhi wrote: "My days are numbered. I am not likely to live very long - perhaps a year or a little more. For the first time in fifty years I find myself in the Slough Of Despond. All about me is darkness; I am praying for light." He must have been reading, or read “The Pilgrim's Progress.“

If you ever visit the Australian National Gallery of Victoria at Federation Square in Melbourne, look for the painting Bunyan in Prison by George Follingsby. It's not always on display. It's ironic that one of the most compelling pictures of the great English preacher John Bunyan is here in Melbourne, Australia, near the Yarra River and behind the crazy-crackled modern facade of Federation Square: but there it is!

Spurgeon’s wife told the story how one day there arrived at her home, an illustrated copy of The Pilgrim's Progress, inscribed "Miss Thompson, with desires for her progress in the blessed pilgrimage, from C. H. Spurgeon—April 20, 1854." It was a sign of growing interest, as well as of pastoral care, and her own deepening sentiment gradually led her to consult Mr. Spurgeon as to her state before God. So the friendship steadily grew.

There are seven Hills mentioned in the Pilgrim’s Progress.

1. The high hill - Mount Sinai.2. Hill Difficulty.3. Hill Error.4. Mount Caution.5. The Little Hill Lucre.6. The high Hill Clear.7. The Holy City set on a high hill.

The Blue Peter Book Awards, inaugurated in the year 2000, are a series of literary prizes for children's literature awarded annually by the BBC television programme Blue Peter, the most famous and popular children's TV programme in Great Britain.  In the year 2000, Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress won both the

overall ‘Book of the Year’ award and also the ‘Special Book to Keep Forever’ award.

Being a soilder in the Parliament’s Army at the Siege of Leicester, in 1645, John Bunyan was drawn out to be a sentinel, but another soldier voluntarily desired to go in his room, which John consented to, he went, and as he stood sentinel there, was shot in the head with a musket-ball, and died. This was a deliverance that Bunyan would often mention, but never without thanksgiving to God.

It seems that Bunyan did not read the proofs of his books very carefully; in the first seven editions of The Pilgrim’s Progress the Town of Morality was called Mortality in spite of the correct name used elsewhere. 

John Wesley, one of the first leaders of Methodism, edited and reissued Bunyan’s spiritual classic. In 1743 he published “An Abridgement To The Pilgrim’s Progress”. In it he compresses the incidents and details of the story but retains the theological debates, also omitting a whole page of a long disquisition between Christian and Hopeful. He is accused by many to have gutted Bunyan’s work of the very spiritual riches it contained.

In 1879 the Bunyan Meeting House in Mill Street, Bedford was given a magnificent pair of bronze doors representing scenes from Pilgrim's Progress in ten panels by Francis, the 9th Duke of Bedford.

The visitors' entrance to Christ Church College - Oxford has an embedded inscription which reads: "My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage." These are the last words of Valiant-for-Truth before he crossed the River of Death, found in the Second Part of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.

In 1996, Tom Hardiman, Curator of the York Institute in Saco, Maine discovered a portion of The Grand Moving Panorama of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, also known as the Bunyan Tableaux. Hardiman stumbled upon the canvases; two large sections of this very famous Moving Panorama, in a section of the basement of the Institute. One of the sections found was approximately 500 feet long and the other, 400 feet. This find is the only extant version of Pilgrim's Progress. Although this Panorama had been given to the Institute in October, 1896, it had slowly been forgotten, thought lost, for exactly 100 years. The canvas has been restored at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The Panorama was one of the most popular and important moving panoramas in the 19th century. In its original state it consisted of 54 finished scenes painted on the 8-foot tall and

1200-foot long canvas. The enormous panorama was wound onto giant wooden spools and, to the astonishment of spellbound audiences, unrolled across theater stages each evening accompanied by music and a lecturer, who described the scenes, told the story, and acted more or less as a guide. It was close to two hours in length when viewed professionally. Panoramas as well as Moving Panoramas were given reviews by the newspapers, as films are today. Many of the designs for the Panorama and the actual painting were done by the noted painters of the day; Frederic E. Church, J. F. Cropsey, and Daniel Huntington c.1850-1851. These paintings hold more than forty scenes. Some are from twelve to thirty feet wide. Well-known figures from the Holy Scriptures are shown against beautiful landscape scenes as recorded in Bunyan's classic story.

On the 31st October 1847, the John Williams, a ship of the London Missionary Society (LMS), left Gravesend for the Pacific Islands from whence it had come. Its cargo included five thousand Bibles and four thousand copies of The Pilgrim's Progress in Tahitian.

Bunyan made shoelaces while imprisoned to support his family, “many hundred gross” by his own accounting.

The first 10.5% of the text of  Part One is concerned with Christian’s unconverted state up to his entrance through the Wicket-gate, while the remaining 89.5% focuses upon Christian’s advance, while being tempted to retreat, and growth in grace.

When China’s Communist government printed Pilgrim’s Progress as an example of Western cultural heritage, an initial printing of 200,000 copies was sold out in three days.

John’s surname is found spelt in no fewer than thirty-four different ways. This shows that the spelling was uncertain with Buignon, Buniun, Bonyon, Buinon, Bungnon and Binyan being examples of the genre. These "errors"` continued through Bunyan's life in that he signed himself as both Bunyan and Bunyon, whilst his pardon from jail referred to him as "Bunnion."

The book traveled from Holland (where it was translated in 1681) to Germany (translated in 1703 from the Dutch) to Sweden (translated in 1727 from the German)

"I marvel," said King Charles to Dr John Owen, "that a learned man such as you can sit and listen to an unlearned tinker." "May it please your Majesty," replied he, "if I could possess the tinker's abilities to grip men's hearts, I would gladly give in exchange all my learning.”

John Bunyan was the eldest son and had a sister and two brothers. He was married twice, after his first wife died, and in all had six children; three girls (Mary, Elisabeth and Sarah) and three boys (John, Thomas and Joseph)

It is surprising to discover that Bunyan and “The Pilgrim’s Progress” were not included in Encyclopedia Britannica’s Great Books of the Western World. 

Tiyo Soga was a South African journalist, minister, translator, missionary, and composer of hymns. Soga was the first black South African to be ordained and worked to translate the Bible and John Bunyan’s classic work “The Pilgrim’s Progress” into his native Xhosa language.  He suffered from poor health and it was during one of these bouts of sickness that he used his time to translate “ThePilgrim’s Progress”. His translation and adaptation of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”has been called “the most important literary influence in 19th century South Africa after the Bible.” He adapted the story to fit his people's daily experiences and believed that the book, with its vivid imagery, would do more to win souls than any other he could prepare. “The Pilgrim’s Progress”had the impact he hoped, and remains a treasure of the South African church.

With the cooperation of his jailer, Bunyan occasionally was permitted to leave his prison cell to go and preach to “unlawful assemblies” gathered in secret, after which he voluntarily returned to his jail cell.  This was primarily during

the time of the Black Plague that swept through England. And then also shortly after the Great Fire of London. There were probably other times too, because the jailer was probably sympathetic to him!

The engraver John Sturt (1658-1730) was the first person to provide engraved illustrations for “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (1728 edition).

Bunyan’s book was at first received with much criticism from his Puritan friends, who saw in it only an addition to the worldly literature of his day, but there was not much then for Puritans to read, and it was not long before it was devoutly laid beside their Bibles and perused with gladness and with profit. 

At the end of his life, John Bunyan wrote this in a deed, “The natural affection and love which I have and bear into my well-beloved wife, Elizabeth.” Truly romantic words, especially after years of marriage. It just showed how much they’d grown to love and appreciate each other over the years.

In terms of numbers, “The Pilgrim’s Progress”would have been a runaway best seller had it appeared in our day. 100,000 copies were in print in English alone in 1692!

There was a Zulu translation of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” in 1895 by J.K Lorimer and Benjamin Zikode.

In January 1672 the Bedford congregation called John Bunyan to be its pastor while he was still in prison.

The first printed work of fiction in Korean was John Bunyan's “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (in Korean  천로역정  ) translated by Canadian missionary James S. Gale and helped by his wife . The illustrations of this edition were by famous Korean artist Gim Gisan. With the first publication in 1895, there are more than 200 Korean translations of this great book.  Among the sculptures, books, and other artefacts found in the Korean Christian Museum at Soongsil University in Seoul, South Korea (the first museum in that country to tell the story of how Christianity vitalized Korean culture after it officially reached the peninsula around the 17th century) is a copy of Bunyan's book.  

In Part One there are ten chief stopping places.

The Slough of DespondThe Interpreter's HouseThe Palace BeautifulThe Valley of HumiliationThe Valley of the Shadow of DeathVanity FairDoubting CastleThe Delectable MountainsThe Country of BeulahThe Celestial City

While some Baptists proudly claim Bunyan, other Baptists today still disown him because of his tolerant position in his work Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, No Bar to Communion.

At the age of ten or thereabouts, as he himself tells us in Grace Abounding, an autobiographical work, Bunyan became seriously worried about the state of his soul.

When local magistrates sentenced Bunyan to imprisonment unless he promised them he would not preach, he refused, declaring that he would remain in prison till the moss grew on his eyelids rather than fail to do what God had commanded him to do.

In Bunyan’s day great preachers swayed public opinion as much as the mass media do today, which is one reason his unlicensed activities were perceived as a threat.

In the 3rd edition (1970-1979) of The Great Soviet Encyclopedia “The Pilgrim’s Progress”is described in one sentence; ‘In Bunyan’s novel religious moralizing is combined with attacks on the aristocracy and bourgeoisie.’

A stained-glass window is devoted to John Bunyan in Westminster Abbey, London.

What books did Bunyan read? Apart from the Holy Bible, we are quite certain about five books, for which we have his own express statements.

1. Baily's “Practice of Piety.” 

2.Dent's “The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven.”

3.The short biography of Francis Spira

4. Luther's Commentary on the Galatians. 

5. Foxe's Book of Martyrs, In these few volumes may be summed up the entire literary knowledge which Bunyan is known to have possessed. 

The Russian translation was first published in two volumes by Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov in 1782. This was an indirect translation, i.e. made not from the original, but from its French version.

There is a story told (some say it is a legend) that in his prison Bunyan took out a bar from one of the chairs in his cell, scooped it hollow, and converted it into a flute, upon which he played sweet music in the dark and solitary hours of the prison evening. The jailers never could find out the source of that music, for when they came to search his cell, the bar was replaced in the chair, and there was no apparent possibility of flute-playing; but when the jailers departed the music would mysteriously recommence. 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the most prolific Christian author of all time and known as ‘the Prince of Preachers’ read “The Pilgrim’s Progress” at age 6 and went on to read it over 100 times.

Bunyan would have been released from prison if he would agree not to preach in “unlawful” or unlicensed assemblies. His own writings attest that he was given every opportunity to “conform.” It was a compromise he would not make.

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, received a copy of the Tibetian edition of “ThePilgrim’s Progress”translated by Revered Evan Mackenzie, F.R.G.S. In a letter dated the tenth day of the tenth month of the iron-sheep year (1931) addressed to the Religious Tract Society, the Dalai Lama thanks the Society for sending him a copy, though, as he points out, “it is difficult for us who

accept and spread the doctrine of those who wear the Yellow Hat to accept and live that religion” 

At the Buhl Reference Center of Geneva College’s McCartney Library, Pennsylvania, one can find ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress Windows’, an artistic depiction of John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, by Henry Lee Willet. These are a one-of-a-kind 18-pane stained glass window, standing fifteen feet tall, and are marvelous works of art.

In 1921, no fewer than three copies of the original English edition of 1678 had been sold by auction in London.  Nathaniel Ponder sold them for 4s. 6d., the modern price was £3,000. For

the book is one of the rarest in the language, only nine copies being known. Three of these are in public libraries; the John Rylands at Manchester, the British Museum, and the Lenox in New York. The other three are in private hands.

The church Bunyan pastored still continues in the heart of Bedford, England. Now called “Bunyan Meeting,” it is affiliated with both the Baptists and Congregationalists.

Between the ages of 16 and 19, Bunyan served in the Parliamentary army. Being at the Siege of Leicester, in 1645, John Bunyan was drawn out to be a sentinel.

According to those who were near him, John Bunyan’s last words, while struggling with death, were, “Weep not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will, no doubt, through the mediation of his blessed Son, receive me, though a sinner; where I hope we before long shall meet, to

sing the new song, and remain everlastingly happy, world without end. Amen.”

During the later years of his life, his influence as pastor and preacher increased and he became so national a leader and teacher that he was frequently called "Bishop Bunyan," though the Baptists had no bishops and abhorred that office and all it stood for.

In 1844, Stanislaus Hoga published the first Hebrew translation of Bunyan's “ThePilgrim’s Progress”. His name is not on the book, the brief Hebrew introduction appearing over the Hebrew signature אחיך עברית ( thy Hebrew brother).

In writing Little Women, Louisa May Alcott alluded overtly in numerous instances to John Bunyan's “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. Early in the novel, Marmee encourages her daughters to take up their burdens and travel toward the "Celestial City." Chapter titles in the first volume emphasize Alcott's association of her characters with scenes and situations from The Pilgrim's Progress—for example, "Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful," "Amy's Valley of Humiliation," "Meg Goes to Vanity Fair," and "Jo Meets Apollyon," among others. 

The position for which Bunyan contended, and for which he went to jail, finally prevailed with the Act of Toleration of 1689, which recognized in England the religious rights of Dissenters and Non-conformists.

Bunyan wrote “The Pilgrim’s Progress”in two parts, the first of which was published in London in 1678 and the second in 1684. A third part falsely attributed to Bunyan was issued by Blare in 1692.

According to Librarian Patricia Hurry, of the John Bunyan Museum, “The Pilgrim’s Progress” has been translated into the following foreign languages and dialects. All thses editions, 215 in all including the one in English, are found at the Museum. The last one received to date ( October 2011) is the Maltese language one.

Afrikaans Frisian                   Norwegian

Amharic Gaelic NyanjaAneiteumese Gbari OriyaAngola German OtetlaAo Naga Ghana PapuaArabic Gilbertese PashtuArmenian Gold Coast PersianArmeno-Turkish Gouro PhilippinesAsante Greco-Turkish PolishAssam Greek (modern) PolyglotAssamese Guzerathi PortugueseAtesu Hausa PunjabiBambara Hawaiian RaratonganBangala Uele Hebrew RhodesiaBangladeshi (Braille) Hindi Romanian

Barundi Hungarian RuandanBasa Ibo RussianBelgian Congo Icelandic SamoanBemba Igala SantaliBengali Igaza Sea DyakBobangi Ijaw SechuanaBorneo Ika  SentebeleBraille (Bangladeshi) Ila Serbo-Croat

Braille (English) Indonesian SesutoBrazilian Portuguese Irish Gaelic Setswana

Brazzaville Italian ShinkoyaBreton Ivory Coast Shona 

Bulgarian Japanese SiameseBulu   Kaffir Sierra Leone  Burmese Kalenjin SindhiCambodian Kamba Sinhalese Cameroon Kanuri SlavonianCanarese Kenyan SlovakCantonese Khasi SomaliCebuano Ki SothoCentral Africa   Kikongo SpanishCeylon Kikuyu SudanChinese Kirundi SumatraChinese: Amoy/Hokkien Kisi Kongo Suto  

Chinese: Canton vernacular Korean Swahili

Chinese: Hong Kong Kwanyama Swedish

Chinese: Kuoyo Latvian SyriacChinese: Mandarin Lifu TagalogChinese: village colloquial Lingala Tahitian

Chinese: Wenli Lingombe TaiwanChinyanja Lithuanian TamilChokwe Lokele TeleguCitumbuka Loyalty Islands Temne

Congo Luba-Katanga  Texmelucan Zapotec

Cree Indian Luganda Thai  Czechoslovak      Lunda Tibetan

Dakota Indian Luo  TigrinyaDanish Lushai TivDdu Alur Luvale TogolandDualla Malagasi TongaDutch Malawi TransvaalDyak Malay TshwaEfik Malayalam TubetubeEingilskum Maltese Tulu  Erse   Marathi TurkishEskimo Mende Twi Esperanto Meru TzongaEthiopian Mongo Nkundu UgandaEwe Motu UmbunduFante Mukawan UrduFaroes Nepalese VendaFijian New Hebrides   WelshFinnish Ngonde XhosaFormosa Ngwana Lualuba YiddishFrench Nias YorubaFrench Cameroon Nigerian ZambiaFrench Sudan Niuean Zulu