Giant-Killer and John Hickathrift. Cowper ventured to praise the
great allegorist, but did not venture to name him. It is a
significant circumstance that, till a recent period, all the
numerous editions of the "Pilgrim's Progress" were evidently
meant for the cottage and the servants' hall. The paper, the
printing, the plates, were all of the meanest description. In
general, when the educated minority and the common people differ
about the merit of a book, the opinion of the educated minority
finally prevails. The "Pilgrim's Progress" is perhaps the only
book about which, after the lapse of a hundred years, the
educated minority has come over to the opinion of the common
people.

The attempts which have been made to improve and to imitate this
book are not to be numbered. It has been done into verse: it
has been done into modern English. "The Pilgrimage of Tender
Conscience," "The Pilgrimage of Good Intent," "The Pilgrimage
of Seek Truth," "The Pilgrimage of Theophilus," "The Infant
Pilgrim," "The Hindoo Pilgrim," are among the many feeble copies
of the great original. But the peculiar glory of Bunyan is that
those who most hated his doctrines have tried to borrow the help
of his genius. A Catholic version of his parable may be seen
with the head of the Virgin in the title-page. On the other
hand, those Antinomians for whom his Calvinism is not strong
enough may study the pilgrimage of Hephzibah, in which nothing
will be found which can be construed into an admission of free
agency and universal redemption. But the most extraordinary of
all the acts of Vandalism by which a fine work of art was ever
defaced was committed so late as the year 1853. It was
determined to transform the "Pilgrim's Progress" into a