swear and speak against swearing. I can lie
and speak against lying. I can drink, wench, be unclean, and defraud,
and not be troubled for it. I can enjoy myself and am master of my own
ways, not they of me. This I have attained with much study, care, and
pains.' 'An Atheist Badman was, if such a thing as an Atheist could
be. He was not alone in that mystery. There was abundance of men of
the same mind and the same principle. He was only an arch or chief one
among them.'

Mr. Badman now took to speculation, which Bunyan's knowledge of
business enabled him to describe with instructive minuteness. His
adventures were on a large scale, and by some mistakes and by personal
extravagance he had nearly ruined himself a second time. In this
condition he discovered a means, generally supposed to be a more
modern invention, of 'getting money by hatfuls.'

'He gave a sudden and great rush into several men's debts to the value
of four or five thousand pounds, driving at the same time a very great
trade by selling many things for less than they cost him, to get him
custom and blind his creditors' eyes. When he had well feathered his
nest with other men's goods and money, after a little while he breaks;
while he had by craft and knavery made so sure of what he had, that
his creditors could not touch a penny. He sends mournful sugared
letters to them, desiring them not to be severe with him, for he bore
towards all men an honest mind, and would pay them as far as he was
able. He talked of the greatness of the taxes, the badness of the
times, his losses by bad debts, and he brought them to a composition
to take five shillings in the pound. His release was signed and
sealed, and Mr. Badman could now put his head out of doors again, and
be a better man than when he shut up shop by several thousands of
pounds.'

Twice or three times he repeated the same trick with equal success. It
is likely enough that Bunyan was drawing from life and perhaps from a
member of his own congregation; for he says that 'he had known a
professor do it.' He detested nothing so much as sham religion which
was put on as a pretence. 'A professor,' he exclaims, 'and practise
such villanies as these! Such an one is not worthy the name. Go
professors, go--leave off profession unless you will lead your lives
according to your profession. Better never profess than make
profession a stalking horse to sin, deceit, the devil, and hell.'

Bankruptcy was not the only ar