_Bishop Patrick's "Parable of a Pilgrim."_--Can any of your contributors
inform me of any bibliographical notice of Bishop Patrick's _Parable of a
Pilgrim_? Its singular title, and the suggested plagiarism of Bunyan,
lately attracted my attention; but I incline to the belief that we may
still regard the _Pilgrim's Progress_ to be as original as it is
extraordinary. Patrick's work appears to have been written in 1663, while
Bunyan was not committed to prison until 1660, and was released in 1673:
having written, or at least composed, his extraordinary work during the
interval. Bunyan might therefore have seen and read Patrick's book; but,
from a careful comparison of the two works, I am satisfied in my own mind
that such a supposition is unnecessary, and probably erroneous. I may add
that Patrick honestly confesses, that not even his own work is entirely
original, but was suggested by an elder "Parable of the Pilgrim" in Baker's
_Sancta Sophia_.