THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE

by Mary Godolphin

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

In offering to the public another volume on my plan of reducing populartales into words of One Syllable exclusively, I wish it to be clearlyunderstood that it is intended for Adult Beginners, no less than forChildren. There is a large class of persons who do not begin to acquirethe art of reading till somewhat late in life, and it is for such that Ithink a book of this Character is peculiarly applicable. 

It may be objected that my system involves the use of words which, though short, are difficult to understand and might be made moreintelligible in polysyllabic language. But I have endeavored as far aspossible to avoid hard and technical expressions, and I cannot butthink that the mere fact of the brevity of the words must be a greatattraction to beginners of all ages. By this method the labor ofdividing and accentuating words is avoided: a difficulty which pupilswho have only attained to the knowledge of monosyllables cannot conquerby independent effort. 

I take this opportunity of acknowledging the great favor with which myprevious books of the same character have been received, and I am gladto hear that they have been found useful as Prizes in Schools. 

I have thought it necessary to retain all the names of Persons andPlaces in their original form, but this is the only exception to mygeneral rule. 

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

PART I. 

As I went through the wild waste of this world, I came to a place wherethere was a den, and I lay down in it to sleep. While I slept I had adream, and lo! I saw a man whose clothes were in rags and he stood withhis face from his own house, with a book in his hand, and a great loadon his back. I saw him read from the leaves of a book, and as he read, he wept and shook with fear; and at length he broke out with a loud cry, and said, What shall I do to save my soul?

So in this plight he went home, and as long as he could he held hispeace, that his wife and babes should not see his grief. But at lengthhe told them his mind, and thus he spoke, O my dear wife, and you mybabes, I, your dear friend, am full of woe, for a load lies hard on me;and more than this, I have been told that our town will be burnt withfire, in which I, you my wife, and you my sweet babes, shall be lost, ifmeans be not found to save us. 

This sad tale struck all who heard him with awe, not that they thoughtwhat he said to them was true, but that they had fears that some weightmust be on his mind; so, as night now drew near, they were in hopes thatsleep might soothe his brain, and with all haste they got him to bed. 

When the morn broke, they sought to know how he did? He told them, Worseand worse; and he set to talk once more in the same strain as he haddone; but they took no heed of it. By and by, to drive off his fit, theyspoke harsh words to him; at times they would laugh, at times they wouldchide, and then set him at nought. So he went to his room to pray forthem, as well as to nurse his own grief. He would go, too, into thewoods to read and muse, and thus for some weeks he spent his time. 

Now I saw, in my dream, that one day as he took his walk in the fieldswith his book in his hand, he gave a groan, --for he felt as if a cloudwere on his soul, --and he burst out as he was wont to do, and said, Whowill save me? I saw, too, that he gave wild looks this way and that, asif he would rush off; yet he stood still, for he could not tell whichway to go. At last, a man, whose name was Evangelist, came up to him andsaid, Why dost thou weep?

He said, Sir, I see by this book in my hand that I am to die, and thatthen God will judge me. Now I dread to die. 

Evangelist. --Why do you fear to die, since this life is fraught withwoe?

The man said, I fear lest a hard doom should wait me, and that this loadon my back will make me sink down, till at last, I shall find I am inTophet. 

If this be your case, said Evangelist, why do you stand still?

But the man said, I know not where to go. 

Then he gave him a scroll with these words on it, Fly from the wrath tocome. 

When the man read it he said, Which way must I fly?

Evangelist held out his hand to point to a gate in the wide field, andsaid, Do you see the Wicket Gate?

The man said, No. 

Do you see that light?

He then said, I think I do. 

Keep that light in your eye, quoth Evangelist, and go straight up to it;so shall you see the gate, at which, when you knock, it shall be toldyou what you are to do. 

Then I saw in my dream that Christian--for that was his name--set off torun. 

Now he had not gone far from his own door, when his wife and young ones, who saw him, gave a loud wail to beg of him to come back; but the manput his hands to his ears, and ran on with a cry of Life! Life! Thefriends of his wife, too, came out to see him run, and as he went, somewere heard to mock him, some to use threats, and there were two who setoff to fetch him back by force, the names of whom were Obstinate andPliable. Now, by this time, the man had gone a good way off, but at lastthey came up to him. 

Then said Christian, Friends, why are you come?

To bid you go back with us, said they. 

But, quoth he, that can by no means be; you dwell in the City ofDestruction, the place where I, too, was born. I know it to be so, andthere you will die and sink down to a place which burns with fire; bewise, good friends, and come with me. 

What! and leave our good, and all out kith and kin?

Yes, said Christian, for that all which you might leave is but a grainto that which I seek, and if you will go with me and hold it firm, youshall fare as well as I; for there, where I go, you will find all youwant and to spare. Come with me, and prove my words. 

Obstinate. --What are the things you seek, since you leave all the worldto find them?

Christian. --I seek those joys that fade not, which are laid up in aplace of bliss--safe there for those who go in search of them. Read itso, if you will, in my book. 

Obstinate. --Tush! Off with your book. Will you go back with us or no?

Christian. --No, not I, for I have laid my hand to the plough. 

Obstinate. --Come, friend Pliable, let us turn back and leave him; thereis a troop of such fools who, when they take up with a whim by the end, are more wise in their own eyes than ten men who know how to think. 

Pliable. --Nay, do not scorn him; if what the good Christian says istrue, the things he looks to are of more worth than ours: my heart leansto what he says. 

Obstinate. --What! more fools still! Go back, go back, and be wise. 

Christian. --Nay, but do you come with your friend Pliable; there aresuch things to be had as those I just spoke of, and more too. If yougive no heed to me, read here in this book which comes to us from God, who could not lie. 

Pliable. --Well, friend Obstinate, I think now I have come to a point;and I mean to go with this good man, and to cast my lot in with his. Then said he to Christian, Do you know the way to the place you speakof?

Christian. --I am told by a man whose name is Evangelist, to do my bestto reach a gate that is in front of us, where I shall be told how tofind the way. 

So they went on side by side. 

Obstinate. --And I will go back to my place; I will not be one of suchvain folk. 

Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate was gone back, Christian andPliable set off to cross the plain, and they spoke thus as they went:--

Christian. --Well, Pliable, how do you do now? I am glad you have a mindto go with me. 

Pliable. --Come, friend Christian, since there are none but we two here, tell me more of the things of which we go in search. 

Christian. --I can find them in my heart, though I know not how to speakof them with my tongue; but yet, since you wish to know, this book tellsus of a world that hast no bounds, and a life that has no end. 

Pliable. --Well said, and what else?

Christian. --That there are crowns of light in store for us, and robesthat will make us shine like the sun. 

Pliable. --This, too, is good; and what else?

Christian. --That there shall be no more care nor grief for he that ownsthe place will wipe all tears from our eyes. 

Pliable. --And what friends shall we find there?

Christian. --There we shall be with all the saints, in robes so brightthat our eyes will grow dim to look on them. There shall we meet thosewho in this world have stood out for the faith, and have been burnton the stake, and thrown to wild beasts, for the love they bore to theLord. They will not harm us, but will greet us with love, for they allwalk in the sight of God. 

Pliable. --But how shall we get to share all this?

Christian. --The Lord of that land saith, if we wish to gain that worldwe shall be free to have it. 

Pliable. --Well, my good friend, glad am I to hear of these thing: comeon, let us mend our pace. 

Christian. --I can not go so fast as I would, for this load on my back. 

Then I saw in my dream that just as they had come to an end of thistalk, they drew near to a slough that was in the midst of the plain, and as they took no heed, they both fell in. The name of the sloughwas Despond. Here they lay for a time in the mud; and the load thatChristian had on his back made him sink all the more in the mire. 

Pliable. --Ah! friend Christian, where are you now?

Christian. --In truth, I do no know. 

Then Pliable said to his friend, Is this the bliss of which you havetold me all this while? If we have such ill speed when we first set out, what may we look for twixt this and the end of our way? And with that hegot out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his ownhouse; then off he went, and Christian saw him no more. 

So Christian was left to strive in the Slough of Despond as well as hecould; yet his aim was to reach that side of the slough that was nextThe Wicket Gate, which at last he did, but he could not get out for theload that was on his back; till I saw in my dream that a man came to himwhose name was Help. 

What do you do here? said Help. 

Christian. --I was bid to go this way by Evangelist, who told me to passup to yon gate, that I might flee from the wrath to come, and on my wayto it I fell in here. 

Help. --But why did you not look for the steps?

Christian. --Fear came so hard on me that I fled the next way and fellin. 

Help. --Give me your hand. 

So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him on firmground, and bade him go on his way. 

Then in my dream I went up to Help and said to him, Sir, since thisplace is on the way from The City of Destruction to The Wicket Gate, howis it that no one mends this patch of ground, so that those who come bymay not fall in the slough?

Help. --This slough is such a place as no one can mend. It is the spot towhich doth run the scum and filth that wait on sin, and that is why mencall it the Slough of Despond. When the man of sin wakes up to a senseof his own lost state, doubts and fears rise up in his soul, and all ofthem drain down and sink in this place: and it is this that makes theground so bad. True there are good and sound steps in the midst of theslough, but at times it is hard to see them; or if they be seen, men'sheads are so dull that they step on one side, and fall in the mire. Butthe ground is good when they have once got in at the gate. 

Now I saw in my dream that by this time Pliable had gone back to hishouse once more, and that his friends came to see him: some said howwise it was to come home, and some that he was a fool to have gone. Some, too, were found to mock him, who said--Well, had I set out, Iwould not have been so base as to come back for a slough in the road. SoPliable was left to sneak off; but at last he got more heart, and thenall were heard to turn their taunts, and laugh at poor Christian. Thusmuch for Pliable. 

Now as Christian went on his way he saw a man come through the field tomeet him, whose name was Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and he dwelt in the townof Carnal Policy, which was near that whence Christian came. Hehad heard some news of Christian; for his flight from The City ofDestruction had made much noise, and was now the talk far and near. Sohe said, How now, good Sir, where do you go with such a load on yourback?

Christian. --In truth, it is a load; and if you ask me where I go, I musttell you, Sir, I must go the The Wicket Gate in front of me, for there Ishall be put in a way to get quit of my load. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Have you not a wife and babes?

Christian. --Yes, but with this load I do not seem to care for them as Idid; and, in truth, I feel as if I had none. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Will you hear me if I speak my mind to you?

Christian. --If what you say be good, I will, for I stand much in need ofhelp. 

Worldly Wiseman. --I would urge you then, with all speed, to get rid ofyour load; for you will not be at rest till then. 

Christian. --That is just what I seek to do. But there is no man in ourland who can take if off me. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Who bade you go this way to be rid of it?

Christian. --One that I took to be a great and true man; his name isEvangelist. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Hark at what I say: there is no worse way in the worldthan that which he has sent you, and that you will find if you take himfor your guide. In this short time you have met with bad luck, for I seethe mud of the Slough of Despond is on your coat. Hear me, for I haveseen more of the world than you; in the way you go, you will meet withpain, woe, thirst, the sword too, --in a word, death! Take no heed ofwhat Evangelist tells you. 

Christian. --Why, Sir, this load on my back is worse to me than all thosethings which you speak of; nay, I care not what I meet with in the way, if I can but get rid of my load. 

Worldly Wiseman. --How did you come by it at first?

Christian. --Why, I read this book. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Like more weak men I know, who aim at things too highfor them you have lost heart, and run in the dark at great risk, to gainyou know not what. 

Christian. --I know what I would gain, it is ease for my load. 

Worldly Wiseman. --But why will you seek for ease thus, when I could putyou in the way to aid it where there would be no risk; and the cure isat hand. 

Christian. --Pray, Sir, tell me what that way is. 

Worldly Wiseman. --Well, in yon town, which you can see from hence--thename of which is Morality--there dwells a man whose name is Legality, a wise man, and a man of some rank, who has skill to help men off withsuch loads as yours from their backs; I know he has done a great dealfor good in that way; aye, and he has the skill to cure those who, fromthe loads they bear, are not quite sound in their wits. To him as Isaid, you may go and get help. His house in but a mile from this place, and should he not be at home, he has a son whose name is Civility, whocan do it just as well as his sire. There, I say, you may go to get ridof your load. I would not have you go back to your old home, but you cansend for your wife and babes, and you will find that food there is cheapand good. 

Now was Christian brought to a stand; but by and by he said, Sir, whichis my way to this good man's house?

Worldly Wiseman. --Do you see that hill?

Christian. --Yes, I do. 

Worldly Wiseman. --By that hill you must go, and the first house you cometo is his. 

So Christian went out of his way to find Mr. Legality's house to seekfor help. 

But, lo, when he had got close up to the hill, it was so steep and highthat he had fear lest it should fall on his head; so he stood still, forhe knew not what to do. His load, too, was of more weight to him thanwhen he was on the right road. Then came flames of fire out of the hill, that made him quake for fear lest he should be burnt. And now it was agreat grief to him that he had lent his ear to Worldly Wiseman; and itwas well that he just then saw Evangelist come to meet him; thoughat the sight of him he felt a deep blush on his face for shame. SoEvangelist drew near, and when he came up to him, he said, with a sadlook; What dost thou here, Christian?

To these words Christian knew not what to say, so he stood quite mute. Then Evangelist went on thus: Art not thou the man that I heard cry inThe City of Destruction?

Christian. --Yes, dear Sir, I am the man. 

Evangelist. --Did not I point out to thee the way to the Wicket Gate?

Christian. --Yes, you did, Sir. 

Evangelist. --How is it, then, that thou hast so soon gone out of theway?

Christian. --When I had got out of the Slough of Despond I met a manwho told me that in a town near, I might find one who could take off myload. 

Evangelist. --What was he?

Christian. --He had fair looks, and said much to me, and got me at lastto yield; so I came here. But when I saw this hill, and how steep itwas, I made a stand, lest it should fall on my head. 

Evangelist. --What said the man to thee?

When Evangelist had heard from Christian all that took place, he said:Stand still a while, that I may show thee the words of God. 

So Evangelist went on to read, 'Now the just shall live by faith, but ifa man draw back, my soul shall have no joy in him. ' Is not this the casewith thee? said he: Hast not thou drawn back thy feet from the way ofpeace, to thine own cost; and dost thou not spurn the most high God?

Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, and said: Woe is me! Woeis me!

At the sight of which, Evangelist caught him by the right hand, andsaid: Faith hopes all things. 

Then did Christian find some peace, and stood up. 

Evangelist. --I pray thee give more heed to the things that I shall tellthee of. The Lord says, 'Strive to go in at the strait gate, the gateto which I send thee, for strait is the gate that leads to life, and fewthere be that find it. ' Why didst thou set at nought the words of God, for the sake of Mr. Worldly Wiseman? That is, in truth, the right namefor such as he. The Lord hath told thee that he who will save his lifeshall lose it. ' He to whom thou wast sent for ease, Legality by name, could not set thee free; no man yet has got rid of his load through him;he could but show thee the way to woe, for by the deeds of the law noman can be rid of his load. So that Mr. Worldly Wiseman and his friendMr. Legality are false guides; and as for his son Civility, he could nothelp thee. 

Now Christian, in great dread, could think of nought but death, and sentforth a sad cry in grief that he had gone from the right way. Then hespoke once more to Evangelist in these words:--Sir, what think you? Isthere hope? May I now go back, and strive to reach The Wicket Gate? Igrieve that I gave ear to this man's voice; but may my sin find grace?

Evangelist. --Thy sin is great, for thou hast gone from the way that isgood, to tread in false paths, yet will the man at the gate let theethrough, for he has love and good will for all men; but take heed thatthou turn not to the right hand or to the left. 

Then did Christian make a move to go back, and Evangelist gave him akiss and one smile, and bade him God speed. 

So he went on with haste, nor did he speak on the road; and could by nomeans feel safe till he was in the path which he had left. In time, hegot up to the gate. And as he saw by the words which he read on it, that those who would knock could go in, he gave two or three knocks, andsaid: May I go in here?

At last there came a great man to the gate, whose name was Good-will, and he said: Who is there; whence come you, and what would you have?

Christian. --I come from The City of Destruction with a load of Sins onmy back; but I am on my way to Mount Zion, that I may be free from thewrath to come; and as I have been told that my way is through this gate, I would know, Sir, if you will let me in?

Good-will. --With all my heart. 

So he flung back the gate. But just as Christian went in, he gave him apull. 

Then said Christian: What means that? Good-will told him that a shortway from this gate there was a strong fort, of which Beelzebub was thechief, and that from thence he and the rest that dwelt there shot dartsat those that came up to the gate to try if they could kill them erethey got in. 

Then said Christian: I come in with joy and with fear. So when he hadgone in, the man at the gate said: Who sent you here?

Christian. --Evangelist bade me come and knock (as I did); and he saidthat you, Sir, would tell me what I must do. 

Good-will. --The door is thrown back wide for you to come in, and no mancan shut it. 

Christian. --Now I seem to reap the good of all the risks I have met withon the way. 

Good-will. --But how is it that no one comes with you?

Christian. --None of my friends saw that there was cause of fear, as Idid. 

Good-will. --Did they know of your flight?

Christian. --Yes, my wife and young ones saw me go, and I heard theircries as they ran out to try and stop me. Some of my friends, too, wouldhave had me come home, but I put my hands to my ears, and so came on myway. 

Good-will. --But did none of them come out to beg of you to go back?

Christian. --Yes, both Obstinate and Pliable came, but when they foundthat I would not yield, Obstinate went home, but Pliable came with me asfar as the Slough of Despond. 

Good-will. --Why did he not come through it?

When Christian told him the rest, he said: Ah, poor man! Is a world ofbliss such a small thing to him, that he did not think it worth while torun a few risks to gain it?

Sir, said Christian, there is not much to choose twixt him and me. Thenhe told Good-will how he had been led from the straight path by Mr. Worldly Wiseman. 

Good-will. --Oh, did he light on you? What! He would have had you seekfor ease at the hands of Mr. Legality. They are, in truth, both of themcheats. And did you take heed of what he said?

Christian then told him all. But now that I am come, said he, I am morefit for death, than to stand and talk to my Lord. But oh, the joy it isto me to be here!

Good-will. --We keep none out that knock at this gate, let them have donewhat they may ere they came here; for they are 'in no wise cast out. 'So, good Christian, come with me, and I will teach you the way you mustgo. Look in front. That is the way which was laid down by Christ and thewise men of old, and it is as straight as a rule can make it. 

Christian. --But is there no turn or bend by which one who knows not theroad might lose his way?

Good-will. --My friend, there are not a few that lead down to it, andthese paths are wide: yet by this you may judge the right from thewrong--the right are straight and are by no means wide. 

Then I saw in my dream that Christian said: Could you not help me offwith this load on my back?--for as yet he had not got rid of it. He wastold: As to your load, you must bear it till you come to the place ofDeliverance, for there it will fall from your back. 

Then Christian would have set off on the road; but Good-will said: Stopa while and let me tell you that when you have gone through the gate youwill see the house of Mr. Interpreter, at whose door you must knock, andhe will show you good things. Then Christian took leave of his friend, who bade him God speed. 

He now went on till he came to the house at the door of which he was toknock; this he did two or three times. At last one came to the door andsaid: Who is there?

Christian. --I have come to see the good man of the house. 

So in a short time Mr. Interpreter came to him and said: What would youhave?

Christian. --Sir, I am come from The City of Destruction, and am on myway to Mount Zion. I was told by the man that stands at the gate, thatif I came here you would show me good things that would help me. 

Then Interpreter took Christian to a room, and bade his man bring alight, and there he saw on the wall the print of one who had a graveface, whose eyes were cast up to the sky, and the best of books was inHis hand, the law of truth was on His lips, and the world was at Hisback. He stood as if He would plead for men, and a crown of gold hungnear his head. 

Christian. --What does this mean?

Interpreter. --I have shown you this print first, for this is He whois to be your sole guide when you can not find your way to the land towhich you go; so take good heed to what I have shown you, lest you meetwith some who would feign to lead you right; but their way goes down todeath. 

Then he took him to a large room that was full of dust, for it had notbeen swept; and Interpreter told his man to sweep it. Now when he didso, such clouds of dust flew up, that it made Christian choke. 

Then said Interpreter to a maid that stood by; Make the floor moist thatthe dust may not rise; and when she had done this, it was swept withease. 

Christian. --What means this?

Interpreter. --This room is the heart of that man who knows not the graceof God. The dust is his first sin and the vice that is in him. He thatswept first is the Law, but she who made the floor moist is The Bookwhich tells Good News to Man. Now as soon as you saw the first of thesesweep, the dust did so fly that the room could not be made clean by him;this is to show you that the law as it works does not cleanse the heartfrom sin, but gives strength to sin, so as to rouse it up in the soul. 

Then you next saw the maid come in to lay the dust; so is sin made cleanand laid low by faith in The Book. 

Now, said Christian, let me go hence. 

Well, said Interpreter, keep all things so in thy mind that they may bea goad in thy sides; and may faith guide thee!

Then I saw in my dream that the high way which Christian was to tread, had a wall on each side, and the name of that wall was Salvation. Upthis high way did Christian run, but with great toil for the load on hisback. He ran thus till he drew near to a place on which stood a cross, and at the foot of it a tomb. Just as Christian came up to the cross, his load slid from his back, close to the mouth of the tomb, where itfell in, and I saw it no more. 

Then was Christian glad, and said with a gay heart: He gives me rest byhis grief, and life by his death. 

Yet he stood still for a while, for he was struck with awe to think thatthe sight of the cross should thus ease him of his load. Three or fourtimes did he look on the cross and the tomb, and the tears rose to hiseyes. As he stood thus and wept, lo, three Bright Ones came to him, andone of them said: Peace be to thee! thou hast grace from thy sins. Andone came up to him to strip him of his rags and put a new robe on him, while the third set a mark on his face, and gave him a roll with aseal on it, which he bade him look on as he went, and give it at TheCelestial Gate; and then they left him. 

Christian gave three leaps for joy, and sang as he went: Ah, what aplace is this! Blest cross! Blest tomb! Nay, blest is the Lord that wasput to shame for me!

He went on thus till he came to a vale where he saw three men who werein a sound sleep, with chains on their feet. The name of one was Simple, one Sloth, and the third Presumption. As Christian saw them lie in thiscase, he went to wake them, and said: You are like those that sleep onthe top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is at your feet. Wake, rise, andcome with me. Trust me, and I will help you off with your chains. Withthat they cast their eyes up to look at him, and Simple said: I wouldfain take more sleep. Presumption said: Let each man look to his own. And so they lay down to sleep once more. 

Then I saw in my dream that two men leapt from the top of the walland made great haste to come up to him. Their names were Formalist andHypocrisy. 

Christian. --Sirs, whence come you, and where do you go?

Formalist and Hypocrisy. --We were born in the land of Vain-glory, andare on our way to Mount Zion for praise. 

Christian. --Why came you not in at the Gate? Know you not that he thatcomes not in at the door, but climbs up to get in, the same is a thief?

They told him that to go through the gate was too far round; that thebest way was to make a short cut of it, and climb the wall, as they haddone. 

Christian. --But what will the Lord of the town to which we are boundthink of it, if we go not in the way of his will?

They told Christian that he had no need for care on that score, for longuse had made it law, and they could prove that it had been so for years. Christian. --But are you quite sure that your mode will stand a suit atlaw?

Yes, said they, no doubt of it. And if we get in the road at all, praywhat are the odds? If we are in, we are in; you are but in the way, whocome in at the gate, and we too are in the way that choose to climb thewall. Is not our case as good as yours?

Christian. --I walk by the rule of my Lord, but you walk by the rule ofyour own lusts. The Lord of the way will count you as thieves, and youwill not be found true men in the end. 

I saw then that they all went on till they came to the foot of the Hillof Difficulty, where there was a spring. There were in the same placetwo more ways, one on the left hand and one on the right; but the paththat Christian was told to take went straight up the hill, and its nameis Difficulty, and he saw that the way of life lay there. 

Now when Christian got as far as the Spring of Life he drank of it, andthen went up the hill. But when the two men saw that it was steep andhigh, and that there were three ways to choose from, one of them tookthe path the name of which is Danger, and lost his way in a great wood, and one of them went by the road of Destruction, which led him to a widefield full of dark rocks, where he fell, and rose no more. I then sawChristian go up the hill, where at first I could see him run, then walk, and then go on his hands and knees, so steep was it. Now half way up wasa cave made by the Lord of that hill, that those who came by might restthere. So here Christian sat down, and took out the scroll and read it, till at last he fell off in a deep sleep which kept him there till itwas dusk; and while he slept his scroll fell from his hand. At lengtha man came up to him and woke him, and said: Go to the ant, thou man ofsloth, and learn of her to be wise. 

At this Christian gave a start, and sped on his way, and went at a quickpace. 

When he had got near to the top of the hill, two men ran up to meet him, whose names were Timorous and Mistrust, to whom Christian said, Sirs, what ails you? You run the wrong way. 

Timorous said that Zion was the hill they meant to climb, but that whenthey had got half way they found that they met with more and more risk, so that great fear came on them, and all they could do was to turn back. 

Yes, said Mistrust, for just in front of us there lay two beasts of preyin our path; we knew not if they slept or not, but we thought that theywould fall on us and tear our limbs. 

Christian. --You rouse my fears. Where must I fly to be safe? If I goback to my on town (Destruction) I am sure to lose my life, but if I canget to The Celestial City, there shall I be safe. To turn back is death;to go on is fear of death, but when I come there, a life of bliss thatknows no end. I will go on yet. 

So Mistrust and Timorous ran down the hill and Christian went on hisway. Yet he thought once more of what he had heard from the men, andthen he felt in his cloak for his scroll, that he might read it and findsome peace. He felt for it but found it not. Then was Christian in greatgrief, and knew not what to do for the want of that which was to be hispass to The Celestial City. At last, thought he: I slept in the caveby the side of the hill. So he fell down on his knees to pray that Godwould give him grace for this act; and then went back to look for hisscroll. But as he went, what tongue can tell the grief of Christian'sheart? Oh, fool that I am! said he, to sleep in the day time; so to giveway to the flesh as to use for ease that rest which the Lord of the hillhad made but for the help of the soul!

Thus, then, with tears and sighs, he went back, and with much care didhe look on this side and on that for his scroll. At length he came nearto the cave where he had sat and slept. How far, thought Christian, haveI gone in vain! Such was the lot of the Jews for their sin; they weresent back by the way of the Red Sea; and I am made to tread those stepswith grief which I might have trod with joy, had it not been for thissleep. How far might I have been on my way by this time! I am made totread those steps thrice which I need not to have trod but once; yea, now too I am like to be lost in the night, for the day is well nighspent. O that I had not slept!

Now by this time he had come to the vale once more, where for a spell hesat down and wept; but at last, as he cast a sad glance at the foot ofthe bench, he saw his scroll, which he caught up with haste, and put inhis cloak. Words are too weak to tell the joy of Christian when he hadgot back his scroll. He laid it up in the breast of his coat and gavethanks to God. With what a light step did he now climb the hill! But, ere he got to the top, the sun went down on Christian, and he soon sawthat two wild beast stood in his way. Ah, thought he, these beasts rangein the night for their prey; and if they should meet with me in thedark, how should I fly from them? I see now the cause of all those fearsthat drove Mistrust and Timorous back. 

Still Christian went on, and while he thought thus on this sad lot hecast up his eyes and saw a great house in front of him, the name ofwhich was Beautiful, and it stood just by the side of the high road. Sohe made haste and went on in the hope that he could rest there a while. The name of the man who kept the lodge of that house was Watchful, andwhen he saw that Christian made a halt as if he would go back, he cameout to him and said: Is thy strength so small? Fear not the two wildbeasts, for they are bound by chains, and are put here to try the faithof those that have it, and to find out those that have none. Keep in themidst of the path and no harm shall come to thee. 

Then I saw, in my dream, that still he went on in great dread of thewild beasts; he heard them roar, yet they did him no harm; but when hehad gone by them he went on with joy, till he came and stood in front ofthe lodge where Watchful dwelt. 

Christian. --Sir, what house is this? May I rest here to night?

Watchful. --This house was built by the Lord of the Hill to give aid tothose who climb up it for the good cause. Tell me, whence come you?

Christian. --I am come from the Town of Destruction, and am on my way toMount Zion; but the day is far spent, and I would, with your leave, passthe night here. 

Watchful. --What is your name?

Christian. --My name is now Christian, but at first it was Graceless. 

Watchful. --How is it you came so late? The sun is set. 

Christian then told him why it was. 

Watchful. --Well, I will call one that lives here, who, if she like yourtalk, will let you come in, for these are the rules of the house. 

So he rang a bell, at the sound of which there came out at the door agrave and fair maid, whose name was Discretion. When Watchful told herwhy Christian had come there, she said: What is your name?

It is Christian, said he, and I much wish to rest here to night, andthe more so for I see this place was build by the Lord of the Hill, toscreen those from harm who come to it. 

So she gave a smile, but the tears stood in her eyes; and in a shorttime she said: I will call forth two or three more of our house, andthen she ran to the door and brought in Prudence, Piety, and Charity, who met him and said: Come in, thou blest of the Lord; this house wasbuilt by the King of the Hill for such as you. Then Christian bent downhis head, and went with them to the house. 

Piety. --Come, good Christian, since our love prompts us to take you into rest, let us talk with you of all that you have seen on your way. 

Christian. --With a right good will, and I am glad that you should ask itof me. 

Prudence. --And, first, say what is it that makes you wish so much to goto Mount Zion?

Christian. --Why there I hope to see Him that did die on the Cross; andthere I hope to be rid of all those thing that to this day grieve andvex me. There, they say, is no death; and there I shall dwell with suchas love the Lord. 

Charity. --Have you a wife and babes?

Christian. --Yes, I have. 

Charity. --And why did you not bring them with you?

Christian then wept, and said: Oh, how glad should I have been to do so!but they would not come with me, nor have me leave them. 

Charity. --And did you pray to God to put it in their hearts to go withyou?

Christian. --Yes, and that with much warmth, for you may think how dearthey were to me. 

Thus did Christian talk with these friends till it grew dark, and thenhe took his rest in a large room, the name of which was Peace; there heslept till break of day, and then he sang a hymn. 

They told him that he should not leave till they had shown him all therare things that were in that place. There were to be seen the rod ofMoses, the nail with which Jail slew Sisera, the lamps with which Gideonput to flight the host of Midian, and the ox goad with which Shamgarslew his foes. And they brought out the jaw bone of an ass with whichSamson did such great feats, and the sling and stone with which Davidslew Goliath of Gath. 

Then I saw in my dream that Christian rose to take his leave ofDiscretion, and of Prudence, Piety, and Charity, but they said that hemust stay till the next day, that they might show him The DelectableMountains; so they took him to the top of the house, and bade him lookto the South, which he did, and lo, a great way off, he saw a rich land, full of hills, woods, vines, shrubs, and streams. 

What is the name of this land? said Christian. 

Then they told him it was Immanuel's Land. And, said they, It is as muchmeant for you, and the like of you, as this hill is; and when you reachthe place, there you may see the gate of The Celestial City. Then theygave him a sword, and put on him a coat of mail, which was proof fromhead to foot, lest he should meet some foe in the way; and they wentwith him down the hill. 

Of a truth, said Christian, it is as great a toil to come down the hillas it was to go up. 

Prudence. --So it is, for it is a hard thing for a man to go down to TheVale of Humiliation, as thou dost now, and for this cause have we comewith you to the foot of the hill. So, though he went with great care, yet he caught a slip or two. 

Then in my dream I saw that when they had got to the foot of the hill, these good friends of Christian's gave him a loaf of bread, a flask ofwine, and a bunch of dry grapes; and then they left him to go on hisway. 

But now in this Vale of Humiliation poor Christian was hard put to it, for he had not gone far, ere he saw a foe come in the field to meet him, whose name was Apollyon. Then did Christian fear, and he cast in hismind if he would go back or stand his ground. But Christian thought thatas he had no coat of mail on his back, to turn round might give Apollyona chance to pierce it with his darts. So he stood his ground, For, thought he, if but to save my life were all I had in view, still thebest way would be to stand. 

So he went on, and Apollyon met him with looks of scorn. 

Apollyon. --Whence come you, and to what place are you bound?

Christian. --I am come from The City of Destruction, which is a place ofall sin, and I am on my way to Zion. 

Apollyon. --By this I see you are mine, for of all that land I am thePrince. How is it, then, that you have left your king? Were it not thatI have a hope that you may do me more good, I would strike you to theground with one blow. 

Christian. --I was born in your realm, it is true, but you drove us toohard, and your wage was such as no man could live on. 

Apollyon. --No prince likes to lose his men, nor will I as yet lose you;so if you will come back, what my realm yields I will give you. 

Christian. --But I am bound by vows to the King of Kings; and how can I, to be true, go back with you?

Apollyon. --You have made a change, it seems, from bad to worse; but whynot give Him the slip, and come back with me?

Christian. --I gave Him my faith, and swore to be true to Him: how can Igo back from this?

Apollyon. --You did the same to me, and yet I will pass by all, if youwill but turn and go back. 

Then, when Apollyon saw that Christian was stanch to his Prince, hebroke out in a great rage, and said, I hate that Prince, and I hate hislaws, and I am come out to stop you. 

Christian. --Take heed what you do. I am on the King's high way to Zion. 

Apollyon. --I am void of fear, and to prove that I mean what I say, hereon this spot I will put thee to death. With that he threw a dart offire at his breast, but Christian had a shield on his arm, with which hecaught it. Then did Christian draw his sword, for he saw it was timeto stir; and Apollyon as fast made at him, and threw darts as thick ashail; with which, in spite of all that Christian could do, Apollyon gavehim wounds in his head, hand, and foot. 

This made Christian pause in the fight for a time, but Apollyon stillcame on, and Christian once more took heart. They fought for half a day, till Christian, weak from his wounds, was well nigh spent in strength. When Apollyon saw this, he threw him down with a great force; on whichChristian's sword fell out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am sure ofthee now. 

But while he strove to make an end of Christian, that good man put outhis hand in haste to feel for his sword, and caught it. Boast not, ohApollyon! said he, and with that he struck him a blow which made hisfoe reel back as one that had had his last wound. Then he spread out hiswings and fled, so that Christian for a time saw him no more. 

Then there came to him a hand which held some of the leaves of the treeof life; some of them Christian took, and as soon as he had put them tohis wounds, he saw them heal up. 

Now near this place was the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and Christianmust needs go through it to get to The Celestial City. It was a land ofdrought and full of pits, a land that none but such as Christian couldpass through, and where no man dwelt. So that here he was worst put toit than in his fight with Apollyon, which by and by we shall see. 

As he drew near the Shadow of Death he met with two men, to whomChristian thus spoke: To what place do you go?

Men. --Back! Back! and we would have you do the same if you prize lifeand peace. 

Christian. --But why?

Men. --We went on as far as we durst. 

Christian. --What then have you seen?

Men. --Seen! Why the Valley of the Shadow of Death; but by dint of goodluck we caught sight of what lay in front of it, ere we came up. Deathdoth spread out his wings there. In a word it is a place full of badmen, where no law dwells. 

Christian. --I see not yet, by what you have told me, but that this is myway to Zion. 

Men. --Be it thy way then; we will not choose it for ours. 

So they took their leave, and Christian went on, but still with hisdrawn sword in his hand, for fear lest he should meet once more with afoe. 

I saw then in my dream that so far as this vale went, there was on theright hand a deep ditch; that ditch to which the blind have led theblind as long as the world has been made. And, lo, on the left handthere was a quag. In which if a man fall, he will find no firm groundfor his foot to stand on. The path way was not broad, and so goodChristian was the more put to it. This went on for miles, and in themidst of that vale was a deep pit. One thing which I saw in my dreamI must not leave out; it was this:--Just as Christian had come to themouth of the pit, one of those who dwelt in it swept up to him, and ina soft tone spoke bad things to him, and took God's name in vain, whichChristian thought must have come from his own mind. This put him outmore than all the rest had done; to think that he should take that namein vain for which he felt so deep a love, was a great grief to him. Yetthere was no help for it. Then he thought he heard a voice which said:Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear noharm for thou art with me. 

Now as Christian went on, he found there was a rise in the road, whichhad been thrown up that that path might be clear to those who were boundfor Zion. Up this road Christian went, and saw his old friend Faithful ashort way off. 

Then said Christian: Ha, my friend, are you here? Stay, and I will joinyou. 

This ere long he did, and they spoke of all that had come to pass sincethey had last met. 

In course of time the road they took brought them to a town, the name ofwhich is Vanity, where there is a fair kept through the whole year, andall that is bought or sold there is vain and void of worth. There, too, are to be seen at all times games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues. Yet he that will go to The Celestial City must needs passthrough this fair. 

As soon as Christian and Faithful came to the town, a crowd drew roundthem, and some said they had lost their wits, to dress and speak as theydid, and to set no store by the choice goods for sale in Vanity Fair. When Christian spoke, his words brought from these folks fierce tauntsand jeers, and soon the noise and stir grew to such a height that thechief man of the fair sent his friends to take up these two strange men, and he bade them tell him whence they came, and what they did there insuch a garb. Christian and Faithful told them all; but those who sat tojudge the case thought that they must be mad, or else that they had cometo stir up strife at the fair; so they beat them with sticks, and putthem in a cage, that they might be a sight for all the men at the fair. Then the worse sort of folks set to pelt them with mud out of spite, and some threw stones at them for mere sport; but Christian and Faithfulgave good words for bad, and bore all in such a meek way, that not a fewtook their part. This led to blows and fights, and the blame was laid onChristian and Faithful, who were then made to toil up and down the fairin chains, till, faint with stripes, they were at length set with theirfeet in the stocks. But they bore their griefs and woes with joy, forthey saw in them a pledge that all should be well in the end. 

By and by a court sat to try them: the name of the judge was LordHate-good; and the crime laid to their charge was that they had come toVanity Fair to spoil its trade, and stir up strife in the town; and hadwon not a few men to their side, in spite of the prince of the place. 

Faithful said to the Judge: I am a man of peace, and did but wage war onSin. As for the prince they speak of, since he is Beelzebub, I hold himin scorn. 

Those who took Faithful's part were won by the force of plain truth andright in his words; but the judge said, Let those speak who know aughtof this man. 

So three men, whose names were Envy, Superstition, and Pick-thank, stoodforth and swore to speak the truth, and tell what they knew of Faithful. Envy said: My lord, this man cares nought for kings or laws, but seeksto spread his own views, and to teach men what he calls faith. I heardhim say but just now that the ways of our town of Vanity are vile. Anddoes he not in that speak ill of us?

Then Superstition said: My lord, I know not much of this man, and haveno wish to know more, but of this I am sure, that he is a bad man, forhe says that our creeds are vain. 

Pick-thank was then bid to say what he knew, and his speech ran thus:My lord, I have known this man for a long time, and have heard himsay things that ought not to be said. He rails at our great PrinceBeelzebub, and says that if all men were of his mind, that prince shouldno more hold sway here. More than this, he hath been heard to rail onyou, my lord, who are now his judge. 

Then said the Judge to Faithful: Thou base man! Hast though heard whatthese folk have said of thee?

Faithful. --May I speak a few words in my own cause?

Judge. --Thy just doom would be to die on the spot; still, let us hearwhat thou hast to say. 

Faithful. --I say, then, to Mr. Envy, that all laws and modes of life inwhich men heed not the Word of God are full of sin. As to the charge ofMr. Superstition, I would urge that nought can save us if we do notthe will of God. To Mr. Pick-thank, I say that men should flee from thePrince of this town and his friends, as from the wrath to come and so, Ipray the Lord to help me. 

Then the Judge, to sum up the case, spoke thus: You see this man who hasmade such a stir in our town. You have heard what these good men havesaid of him, which he owns to be true. It rests now to you to save hislife or hang him. 

The twelve men who had Faithful's life in their hands spoke in a lowtone thus: This man is full of schisms, said Mr. Blind-man. Out of theworld with him, said Mr. No-good. I hate the mere look of him, said Mr. Malice. From the first I could not bear him, said Mr. Love-ease. Nor I, for he would be sure to blame my ways, said Mr. Live-loose. Hang him, hang him! said Mr. Heady. A low wretch! said Mr. High-mind. I long tocrush him, said Mr. Enmity. He is a rogue, said Mr. Liar. Death is toogood for him, said Mr. Cruelty. Let us kill him, that he may be out ofthe way, said Mr. Hate-light. Then said Mr. Implacable: Not to gain allthe world would I make peace with him, so let us doom him to death. And so they did, and in a short time he was led back to the place fromwhence he came, there to be put to the worst death that could be thoughtof; for the scourge, the sword, and the stake brought Faithful to hisend. 

Now I saw that there stood near the crowd a strange car with two brightsteeds, which, as soon as his foes had slain him, took Faithful upthrough the clouds straight to The Celestial City, with the sound of theharp and lute. 

As for Christian, for this time he got free; and there came to him oneHopeful, who did so from what he had heard and seen of Christian andFaithful. Thus, while one lost his life for the truth, a new man rosefrom his death, to tread the same way with Christian. And Hopeful saidthere were more men of the fair who would take their time, and then cometoo. 

By and by their way lay just on the bank of a pure stream, from whichthey drank. On each side of it were green trees that bore fruit, and ina field through which it ran they lay down to sleep. When they woke upthey sat for a while in the shade of the boughs; thus they went on forthree or four days, and to pass the time they sang:

He that can tell What sweet fresh fruit, yea leaves these trees doyield, Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field. 

Now on the left hand of the road was By-path Meadow, a fair green fieldwith a path through it, and a stile. Come, good Hopeful, said Christian, let us walk on the grass. 

Hopeful. --But what if this path should lead us wrong?

Christian. --How can it? Look, doth it not go by the way side?

So they set off through the field. But they had not gone far when theysaw in front of them a man, Vain-confidence by name, who told them thatthe path led to The Celestial Gate. So the man went first; but lo, thenight came on, and it grew so dark that they lost sight of their guide, who, as he did not see the path in front of him, fell in a deep pit, andwas heard of no more. 

Where are we now? said Hopeful. 

Then was Christian mute, as he thought he had led his friend out of theway. And now light was seen to flash from the sky, and rain came down instreams. 

Hopeful (with a groan) Oh, that I had kept on my way!

Christian. --Who could have thought that this path should lead us wrong?

Hopeful. --I had my fears from the first, and so gave you a hint. 

Christian. --Good friend, I grieve that I have brought you out of theright path. 

Hopeful. --Say no more, no doubt it is for our good. 

Christian. --We must not stand thus; let us try to go back. 

Hopeful. --But, good Christian, let me go first. 

Then they heard a voice say: Set thine heart to the high way, the waythou hast been: turn once more. But by this time the stream was deepfrom the rain that fell, and to go back did not seem safe; yet theywent back, though it was so dark and the stream ran so high that once ortwice it was like to drown them. Nor could they, with all their skill, get back that night. So they found a screen from the rain, and therethey slept till break of day. 

Now, not far from the place where they lay was Doubting Castle, thelord of which was Giant Despair; and it was on his ground that they nowslept. There Giant Despair found them, and with a gruff voice he badethem wake. Whence are you? said he; and what brought you here? They toldhim that they had lost the path. Then said Giant Despair: You have noright to force your way in here; the ground on which you lie is mine. 

They had not much to say, as they knew that they were in fault. So GiantDespair drove them on, and put them in a dark and foul cell in a stronghold. Here they were kept for three days, and they had no light nor foodnor a drop to drink all that time, and no one to ask them how they did. Now Giant Despair had a wife, whose name was Diffidence, and he told herwhat he had done. Then said he, What will be the best way to treat them?Beat them well, said Diffidence. So when he rose he took a stout stickfrom a crab tree, and went down to the cell where poor Christian andHopeful lay, and beat them as if they had been dogs, so that they couldnot turn on the floor; and they spent all that day in sighs and tears. 

The next day he came once more, and found them sore from the stripes, and said that since there was no chance for them to be let out of thecell, their best way would be to put an end to their own lives: For whyshould you wish to live, said he, with all this woe? But they told himthey did hope he would let them go. With that he sprang up with a fiercelook, and no doubt would have made an end of them, but that he fell in afit for a time, and lost the use of his hand; so he drew back, and leftthem to think of what he had said. 

Christian. --Friend, what shall we do? The life that we now lead is worsethan death. For my part I know not which is best, to live thus, or todie at our own hand, as I feel that the grave would be less sad to methan this cell. Shall we let Giant Despair rule us?

Hopeful. --In good truth our case is a sad one, and to die would be moresweet to me than to live here; yet let us bear in mind that the Lord ofthat land to which we go hath said: 'Thou shalt not kill. ' And by thisact we kill our souls as well. My friend Christian, you talk of ease inthe grave, but can a man go to bliss who takes his own life? All the lawis not in the hands of Giant Despair. Who knows but that God, who madethe world, may cause him to die, or lose the use of his limbs as he didat first. I have made up my mind to pluck up the heart of a man, and totry to get out of this strait. Fool that I was not to do so when firsthe came to the cell. But let us not put an end to our own lives, for agood time may come yet. 

By these words did Hopeful change the tone of Christian's mind. 

Well, at night the Giant went down to the cell to see if life was stillin them, and in good truth that life was in them was all that could besaid, for from their wounds and want of food they did no more than justbreathe. When Giant Despair found they were not dead, he fell in a greatrage, and said that it should be worse with them if they had not beenborn. At this they shook with fear, and Christian fell down in a swoon;but when he came to, Hopeful said: My friend, call to mind how strong infaith you have been till now. Say, could Apollyon hurt you, or all thatyou heard, or saw, or felt in the Valley of the Shadow of Death? Look atthe fears, the griefs, the woes that you have gone through. And now tobe cast down! I, too, am in this cell, far more weak a man than you, andGiant Despair dealt his blows at me as well as you, and keeps me fromfood and light. Let us both (if but to shun the shame) bear up as wellas we can. 

When night came on, the wife of Giant Despair said to him: Well, willthe two men yield?

To which he said: No; they choose to stand firm, and will not put an endto their lives. 

Then said Mrs. Diffidence: At dawn of day take them to the yard, andshow them the graves where all those whom you have put to death havebeen thrown, and make use of threats this time. 

So Giant Despair took them to this place, and said: In ten days time youshall be thrown in here if you do not yield. Go; get you down to yourden once more. With that he beat them all the way back, and there theylay the whole day in a sad plight. 

Now, when night was come, Mrs. Diffidence said to Giant Despair: I fearmuch that these men live on in hopes to pick the lock of the cell andget free. 

Dost thou say so, my dear? quoth Giant Despair to his wife; then at sunrise I will search them. 

Now, on that night, as Christian and Hopeful lay in the den, they fellon their knees to pray, and knelt till the day broke; when Christiangave a start, and said: Fool that I am thus to lie in this dark den whenI might walk at large! I have a key in my pouch, the name of whichis Promise, that, I feel sure, will turn the lock of all the doors inDoubting Castle. 

Then said Hopeful: That is good news; pluck it from thy breast, and letus try it. 

So Christian put it in the lock, when the bolt sprang back, the doorflew wide, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. When they got to theyard door the key did just as well; but the lock of the last strong gateof Doubting Castle went hard, yet it did turn at last, though the hingegave so loud a creak that it woke up Giant Despair, who rose to seekfor the two men. But just then he felt his limbs fail, for a fit cameon him, so that he could by no means reach their cell. Christian andHopeful now fled back to the high way, and were safe out of his grounds. When they sat down to rest on a stile, they said they would warn thosewho might chance to come on this road. So they cut these words ona post: This is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by GiantDespair, who loves not the King of the Celestial Country, and seeks tokill all who would go there. 

Then they came to The Delectable Mountains, which the Lord of the Hillowns. Here they saw fruit trees, vines, shrubs, woods, and streams, anddrank and ate of the grapes. Now there were men at the tops of thesehills who kept watch on their flocks, and as they stood by the high way, Christian and Hopeful leant on their staves to rest, while thus theyspoke to the men: Who owns these Delectable Mountains, and whose are thesheep that feed on them?

Men. --These hills are Immanuel's, and the sheep are His too, and He laiddown his life for them. 

Christian. --Is this the way to The Celestial City?

Men. --You are in the right road. 

Christian. --How far is it?

Men. --Too far for all but those that shall get there, in good truth. 

Christian. --Is the way safe?

Men. --Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; but the men of sin shallfall there. 

Christian. --Is there a place of rest here for those that faint on theroad?

Men. --The Lord of these Hills gave us a charge to help those that camehere, should they be known to us or not; so all the good things of theplace are yours. 

I then saw in my dream that the men said: Whence come you, and by whatmeans have you got so far? For but few of those that set out come hereto show their face on these hills. 

So when Christian and Hopeful told their tale, the men cast a kindglance at them, and said: With joy we greet you on The DelectableMountains!

Their names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere, and theyled Christian and Hopeful by the hand to their tents, and bade them eatof that which was there, and they soon went to their rest for the night. 

When the morn broke, the men woke up Christian and Hopeful, and tookthem to a spot whence they saw a bright view on all sides. Then theywent with them to the top of a high hill, the name of which was Error;it was steep on the far off side, and they bade them look down to thefoot of it. So Christian and Hopeful cast their eyes down, and saw theresome men who had lost their lives by a fall from the top; men who hadbeen made to err, for they had put their trust in false guides. 

Have you not heard of them? said the men. 

Christian. --Yes, I have. 

Men. --These are they, and to this day they have not been put in a tomb, but are left here to warn men to take good heed how they come too nearthe brink of this hill. 

Then I saw that they had led them to the top of Mount Caution, and badethem look far off. From that stile, said they, there goes a path toDoubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, and the men whom yousee there came as you do now, till they got up to that stile; and, asthe right way was rough to walk in, they chose to go through a field, and there Giant Despair took them, and shut them up in Doubting Castle, where they were kept in a den for a while, till he at last sent them outquite blind, and there they are still. At this Christian gave a look atHopeful, and they both burst out with sobs and tears, but yet said not aword. 

Then the four men took them up a high hill, the name of which was Clear, that they might see the gates of The Celestial City, with the aid ofa glass to look through, but their hands shook, so they could not seewell. 

When Christian and Hopeful thought they would move on, one of the mengave them a note of the way, and the next (Experience by name) bade themtake heed that they slept not on The Enchanted Ground, and the fourthbade them God Speed. Now it was that I woke from my dream. 

Then I slept, and dreamt once more, and saw Christian and Hopeful godown near the foot of these hills, where lies the land of Conceit, whichjoins the way to Mount Zion, by a small lane. Here they met a brisk lad, whose name was Ignorance, to whom Christian said: Whence come you, andto what place do you go?

Ignorance. --Sir, I was born in the land that lies off there on the left, and I wish to go to The Celestial City. 

Christian. --How do you think to get in at the gate?

Ignorance. --Just as the rest of the world do. 

Christian. --But what have you to show at that gate to pass you throughit?

Ignorance. --I know my Lord's will, and I have led a good life; I pay forall that I have, I give tithes, and give alms, and have left my own landfor that to which I now go. 

Christian. --But you came not in at the gate that is at the head of thisway, you came in through a small lane; so that I fear, though you maythink well of all you have done, that when the time shall come, you willhave this laid to your charge, that you are a thief and so you will notget in. 

Ignorance. --Well, since I know you not; you keep to your own creed, andI will keep to mine, and I hope all will be well. And as for the gatethat you talk of, all the world knows that it is far from our land, andI do not think that there is a man in all our parts who does so muchas know the way to it, and I see not what need there is that he should, since we have, as you see, a fine green lane at the next turn that comesdown from our part of the world. 

Christian said in a low tone of voice to Hopeful: There is more hope ofa fool than of him. 

Hopeful. --Let us pass on if you will, and talk to him by and by, when, may be, he can bear it. 

So they went on, and Ignorance trod in their steps a short way fromthem, till they saw a road branch off from the one they were in, andthey knew not which of the two to take. 

As they stood to think of it, a man whose skin was black, but who wasclad in a white robe, came to them and said: Why do you stand here? Theytold him that they were on their way to The Celestial City, but knew notwhich of the two roads to take. 

Come with me, then, said the man, for it is there that I mean to go. 

So they went with him, though it was clear that the road must have madea bend, for they found they would soon turn their backs on The CelestialCity. 

Ere long, Christian and Hopeful were both caught in a net, and knew notwhat to do; and with that the white robe fell off the black man's back. 

Then they saw where they were. So there they sat down and wept. 

Christian. --Did not one of the four men who kept guard on their sheeptell us to take heed lest Flatterer should spread a net for out feet?

Hopeful. --Those men, too, gave us a note of the way, but we have notread it, and so have not kept in the right path. Thus they lay in thenet to weep and wail. 

At last they saw a Bright One come up to them with a whip of fine cordin his hand, who said: What do you here? Whence come you?

They told him that their wish was to go to Zion, but that they had beenled out of the way by a black man with a white cloak on, who, as he wasbound for the same place, said he would show them the road. 

Then said he: It is Flatterer, a false man, who has put on the garb of aBright One for a time. 

So he rent the net and let the men out. Then he bade them come with him, that he might set them on the right way once more. He said: Where wereyou last night?

Quoth they: With the men who kept watch of their sheep on The DelectableMountains. 

Then he said: But when you were at a stand why did you not read yournote?

They told him they had not thought of it. 

Now I saw in my dream that he bade them lie down, and whipt them sore, to teach them the good way in which they should walk; and he said: Thosewhom I love I serve thus. 

So they gave him thanks for what he had taught them, and went on theright way up the hill with a song of joy. 

At length they came to a land the air of which made men sleep, and herethe lids of Hopeful's eyes dropped, and he said: Let us lie down hereand take a nap. 

Christian. --By no means, lest if we sleep we wake no more. 

Hopeful. --Nay, friend Christian, sleep is sweet to the man who has spentthe day in toil. 

Christian. --Do you not call to mind that one of the men who kept watchof the sheep bade us take care of The Enchanted Ground? He meant by thatthat we should take heed not to sleep; so let us not sleep, but watch. 

Hopeful. --I see I am in fault. 

Christian. --Now then, to keep sleep from our eyes I will ask you, as wego, to tell me how you came at first to do as you do now?

Hopeful. --Do you mean how came I first to look to the good of my soul?

Christian. --Yes. 

Hopeful. --For a long time the things that were seen and sold at VanityFair were a great joy to me. 

Christian. --What things do you speak of?

Hopeful. --All the good of this life; such as lies, oaths, drink; in aword, love of self and all that tend to kill the soul. But I heard fromyou and Faithful that the end of these things is death. 

Thus did they talk as they went on their way. 

But I saw in my dream that by this time Christian and Hopeful had gotthrough The Enchanted Ground and had come to the land of Beulah, wherethe air is sweet; and as their way lay through this land, they made nohaste to quit it, for here they heard the birds sing all day long, andthe sun shone day and night; the Valley of Death was on the left, and itwas out of the reach of Giant Despair; nor could they from this place somuch as see Doubting Castle. 

Now were they in sight of Zion, and here some of the Bright Ones came tomeet them. Here, too, they heard the voice of those who dwelt in Zion, and had a good view of this land of bliss, which was built of rare gemsof all hues, and the streets were laid with gold. So that the rays oflight which shone on Christian were too bright for him to bear, and hefell sick, and Hopeful had a fit of the same kind. So they lay by for atime, and wept, for their joy was too much for them. 

At length, step by step, they drew near to Zion, and saw that the gateswere flung back. 

A man stood in the way, to whom Christian and Hopeful said: Whose vinesand crops are these?

He told them they were the king's and were put there to give joy tothose who should go on the road. So he bade them eat what fruit theychose, and took them to see the king's walks; where they slept. 

Now I saw in my dream that they spoke more in their sleep than they haddone all the rest of the way, and I could but muse at this, but the mansaid: Why do you muse at it? The juice from the grapes of this vine isso sweet as to cause the lips of them that sleep to speak. 

I then saw that when they woke, they would fain go up to Zion; but as Isaid, the sun threw off such bright rays from The Celestial City, whichwas built of pure gold, that they could not, as yet, look on it, savethrough a glass made for that end. 

Now as they went, they met with two men in white robes, and the face ofeach shone bright as the light. 

These men said: Whence come you? And when they had been told they said:You have but one thing more to do, which is a hard one, and then you arein Zion. 

Christian and Hopeful did then beg of the two men to go with them; whichthey did. But, said they, It is by your own faith that you must gain it. 

Now 'twixt them and the gate was a fierce stream which was broad anddeep; it had no bridge, and the mere sight of it did so stun Christianand Hopeful that they could not move. 

But the men who went with them said: You can not come to the gate butthrough this stream. 

Is there no way but this one to the gate? said poor Christian. 

Yes, quoth they, but there have been but two men, to wit, Enoch andElijah who have trod that path since the world was made. 

When Christian and Hopeful cast their eyes on the stream once more, theyfelt their hearts sink with fear, and gave a look this way and thatin much dread of the waves. Yet through it lay the way to Zion. Is thestream all of one depth? said Christian. He was told that it was not, yet that in that there was no help, for he would find the stream more orless deep, as he had faith in the King of the place. So they set footon the stream, but Christian gave a loud cry to his good friend Hopeful, and said: The waves close round my head, and I sink. Then said Hopeful:Be of good cheer; my feet feel the bed of the stream, and it is good. 

But Christian said: Ah, Hopeful, the pains of death have got hold of me;I shall not reach the land that I long for. And with that a cloud cameon his sight, so that he could not see. 

Hopeful had much to do to keep Christian's head out of the stream; nay, at times he had quite sunk, and then in a while he would rise up halfdead. 

Then said Hopeful: My friend, all this is sent to try if you will callto mind all that God has done for you, and live on Him in your heart. 

At these words Hopeful saw that Christian was in deep thought; so hesaid to him: Be of good cheer, Christ will make thee whole. 

Then Christian broke out with a loud voice: Oh, I see Him, and He speaksto me and says, When you pass through the deep streams, I will be withyou. 

And now they both got strength, and the stream was as still as a stone, so that Christian felt the bed of it with his feet, and he could walkthrough it. Thus they got to the right bank, where the two men in brightrobes stood to wait for them, and their clothes were left in the stream. 

Now you must bear in mind that Zion was on a steep hill, yet didChristian and Hopeful go up with ease and great speed, for they hadthese two men to lead them by the arms. 

The hill stood in the sky, for the base of it was there. So in sweettalk they went up through the air. The Bright Ones told them of thebliss of the place, which they said was such as no tongues could tell, and that there they would see the Tree of Life, and eat of the fruit ofit. 

When you come there, said they, white robes will be put on you, andyour talk from day to day shall be with the King for all time. There youshall not see such things as you saw on earth, to wit, care and want, and woe and death. You now go to be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Christian and Hopeful. --What must we do there?

They said: You will have rest for all your toil, and joy for all yourgrief. You will reap what you have sown--the fruit of all the tearsyou shed for the King by the way. In that place you will wear crowns ofgold, and have at all times a sight of Him who sits on the throne. Thereyou shall serve Him with love, with shouts of joy and with songs ofpraise. 

Now, while they thus drew up to the gate, lo, a host of saints came tomeet them, to whom the two Bright Ones said: These are men who felt lovefor our Lord when they were in the world, and left all for His name;and He sent us to bring them far on their way, that they might go in andlook on their Lord with joy. 

Then the whole host with great shouts came round on all sides (as itwere to guard them); so that is would seem to Christian and Hopeful asif all Zion had come down to meet them. 

Now, when Christian and Hopeful went in at the gate a great change tookplace in them, and they were clad in robes that shone like gold. Therewere bright hosts that came with harps and crowns, and they said tothem: Come, ye, in the joy of the Lord. And then I heard all the bellsin Zion ring. 

Now, just as the gates were flung back for the men to pass in, I hada sight of Zion, which shone like the sun; the ground was of gold, andthose who dwelt there had love in their looks, crowns on their heads, and palms in their hands, and with one voice they sent forth shouts ofpraise. 

But the gates were now once more shut, and I could but wish that I, too, had gone in to share this bliss. Then I woke, and, lo, it was a dream. 

END OF FIRST PART. 

PART II. 

Once more I had a dream, and it was this:--Christiana, the wife ofChristian, had been on her knees to pray, and as she rose, she heard aloud knock at the door. If you come in God's name, said she, come in. Then I thought in my dream that a form, clad in robes as white as snow, threw back the door, and said, Peace be to this house. At a sight sonew to her, Christiana at first grew pale with fear, but in a short timetook heart and told him she would fain know whence he came, and why. Sohe said his name was Secret, and that he dwelt with those that are onhigh. Then said her guest: Christiana, here is a note for thee, whichI have brought from Christian. So she took it, broke the seal, and readthese words, which were in gold:--"To her who was my dear wife. The Kingwould have you do as I have done, for that was the way to come to thisland, and to dwell with Him in joy. " When Christiana read this, she shedtears, and said to him who brought the note, Sir, will you take me andmy sons with you, that we, too, may bow down to this king? But he said, Christiana, joy is born of grief: care must come first, then bliss. Toreach the land where I dwell, thou must go through toils, as well asscorn and taunts. But take the road that leads up to the field gatewhich stands in the head of the way; and I wish you all good speed. Iwould have thee wear this note in thy breast, that it may be readby thee till thou must give it up at the last gate that leads to TheCelestial City. 

Then Christiana spoke to her boys, and said: My sons, I have of latebeen sad at the death of Christian, your dear sire. But I feel sure nowthat it is well with him, and that he dwells in the land of life andpeace. I have, too, felt deep grief at the thoughts of my own state andyours; for we were wrong to let our hearts grow cold, and turn a deafear to him in the time of his woe, and hold back from him when he fledfrom this City of Destruction. 

The thought of these things would kill me, were it not for a dream whichI had last night, and for what a guest who came here at dawn has toldme. So come, my dear ones, let us make our way at once to the gate thatleads to The Celestial City, that we may see your sire and be there withhim and his friends. 

Then her first two sons burst out in tears of joy that Christiana'sheart was set that way. 

Now while they put all things right to go, two friends of Christiana'scame up to her house, and gave a knock at the door. To them she said, If you come in God's name, come in. This mode of speech from the lips ofChristiana struck them as strange. Yet they came in, and said, Pray whatdo you mean by this?

I mean to leave my home, said she to Mrs. Timorous--for that was thename of one of these friends. 

Timorous:--To what end, pray tell me?

Christiana:--To go to my dear Christian. And with that she wept. 

Timorous:--Nay, can it be so? Who or what has brought you to this stateof mind?

Christiana:--Oh, my friend, if you did but know as much as I do, I doubtnot that you would be glad to go with me. 

Timorous:--Pray what new lore have you got hold of that draws your mindfrom your friends, and tempts you to go no one knows where?

Christiana:--I dreamt last night that I saw Christian. Oh, that my soulwere with him now! The Prince of the place has sent for me, through onewho came to me at sun rise, and brought this note to bid me go there;read it, I pray you. 

Timorous:--Ah, how mad to run such risks! You have heard, I am sure, from our friend Obstinate, what Christian met with on the way, for hewent with him; yea, and Pliable, too, till they, like wise men, cameback through fear. You heard how he met with the beasts of prey andApollyon, what he saw in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and morestill that makes my hair stand on end to hear of; think, too, of thesefour sweet boys who are your own flesh and bone; and, though you shouldbe so rash as to wish to go, yet for their sale, I pray you keep athome. 

But Christiana said: Tempt me not. I have now a chance put in my handto get gain, and in truth I should be a fool if I had not the heart tograsp it. And these toils and snares that you tell me of shall not keepme back; no, they serve but to show me that I am in the right. Caremust first be felt, then joy. So since you came not to my house in God'sname, as I said, I pray you to be gone, and tempt me no more. 

Then Timorous said to Mercy (who had come with her): Let us leave her inher own hands, since she scorns all that I say. 

But Mercy thought that if her friend Christiana must be gone, she wouldgo part of the way with her to help her. She took some thought, too, ofher own soul, for what Christiana had said had laid hold on her mind, and she felt she must have some talk with this friend; and if she foundthat truth and life were in her words, she would join her with all herheart. 

So Mercy said to Timorous: I came with you to see Christiana, and sinceon this day she takes leave of the town, I think the least I can dowould be to walk a short way with her to help her on. But the rest shekept from Timorous. 

Timorous:--Well, I see you have a mind to play the fool, too; but takeheed in good time, and be wise. 

So Mrs. Timorous went to her own house; and Christiana, with her fourboys and Mercy, went on their way. 

Mercy, said Christiana, I take this as a great boon that you should setfoot out of doors to start me on my way. 

Then said young Mercy (for she was quite young): If I thought it wouldbe good to join you, I would not go back at all to the town. 

Christiana:--Well, Mercy, cast your lot in with mine; I know what willbe the end of our toils. Christian is where he would not fail to be forall the gold in the mines of Spain. Nor shall you be sent back, thoughthere be no one but I to ask it for you; for the King who has sent forme and my boys is One who turns not from those who seek Him. If you likeI will hire you, and you shall go as my maid, and yet shall share allthings with me, so that you do but go. 

Mercy:--But how do I know that I shall be let in? If I thought I shouldhave help from Him from whom all help comes, I would make no pause, butwould go at once, let the way be as rough as it might. 

Christiana:--Well, Mercy, I will tell you what I would have you do. Gowith me as far as to the field gate, and there I will ask; and if nohopes should be held out to you by Him who keeps the gate, you can butgo back to your home. 

Mercy: Well, I will go with you, and the Lord grant that my lot may becast to dwell in the land for which my heart yearns. 

Christiana then felt glad that she had a friend to join her, and thather friend should have so great a care for her soul. 

So they went on their way; but the face of Mercy wore so sad a mien thatChristiana said to her, What ails you? Why do you weep?

Mercy:--Oh, who could but weep to think of the state of my poor friendsnear and dear to me, in our had town?

Christiana:--You feel for your friends as my good Christian did for mewhen he left me, for it went to his heart to find that I would not seethese things in the same light as he did. And now, you, I, and thesedear boys, reap the fruits of all his woes. I hope, Mercy, these tearsof yours will not be shed in vain, for He who could not lie, has saidthat they who sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

Now when Christiana came up to the Slough Of Despond, she and her sonsmade a stand, and Christiana told them that this was the place in whichher dear Christian fell. But Mercy said, Come, let us try; all we haveto do is to keep the steps well in view. Yet Christiana made a slip ortwo in the mud; but at last they got through the slough, and then theyheard a voice say to them: Blest is she who hath faith, for those thingswhich were told her of the Lord shall come to pass. 

So now they went on once more, and Mercy said, Had I as good groundsto hope to get in at the gate as you have, I think no Slough Of Despondwould keep me back. 

Well, said Christiana, you know your sore, and I know mine, and hardtoil will it be for both of us to get to the end of the way; for howcan we think that they who set out on a scheme of so much bliss, shouldsteer clear of frights and fears on their way to that bright bourn whichit is their aim to reach?

When they came to the gate, it took them some time to make out a plan ofwhat they should say to Him who stood there; and as Mercy was not so oldas her friend, she said that it must rest with Christiana to speak forall of them. So, she gave a knock, and then (like Christian) two more;but no one came. 

Now they heard the fierce bark of a dog, which made them shake withfear, nor did they dare for a while to knock a third time, lest the dogshould fly at them. So they were put to their wits' end to know what todo: to knock they did not dare, for fear of the dog; to go back they didnot dare, lest He who kept the gate should see them as they went, andmight not like it. At last they gave a knock four times as loud as thefirst. 

Then He who stood at the gate said, Who is there? The dog was heard tobark no more, and the gate swung wide for them to come in. 

Christiana sank on her knees, and said, Let not our Lord be wroth thatwe have made this loud noise at His gate. 

At this He said: Whence come you, and what is it that you would have?

Quoth Christiana: We are come from the town whence Christian came, to beg to be let in at this gate, that we may go on our way to TheCelestial City. I was once the wife of Christian, who now is in the landof bliss. 

With that, He who kept the gate threw up His arms and said, What! is sheon her road to The Celestial City who, but a short time since, did hatethe life of that place?

Then Christiana bent her head, and said, Yes, and so are these, my dearsons. So He took her by the hand and led her in; and when her four sonshad gone through, He shut the gate. This done, He said to a man hard by, Sound the horn for joy. 

But now that Christiana was safe through the gate with her boys, shethought it time to speak a word for Mercy, so she said, My Lord, I havea friend who stands at the gate, who has come here with the same trustthat I did; one whose heart is sad to think that she comes, it may be, when she is not sent for; while I had word from Christian's King tocome. 

The time did so lag with poor Mercy while she stood to be let in, thatthough it was but a short space, yet through fear and doubt did it seemto her like an hour at least; and Christiana could not say more forMercy to Him who kept the gate for the knocks, which came so fast, andwere at last so loud that they made Christiana start. 

Then He said, Who is there?

Quoth Christiana: It is my friend. 

So He threw back the gate to look out, but Mercy was in a swoon, fromthe fear that she should not be let in. 

Then He took her by the hand and said, Fear not; stand firm on thy feet, and tell me whence thou art come, and for what end?

Mercy:--I do not come as my friend Christiana does, for I was not sentfor by the King, and I fear I am too bold. Yet if there is grace toshare, I pray Thee let me share it. 

Then He took her once more by the hand and led her in, and said, All maycome in who put their trust in me, let the means be what they may thatbrought them here. 

Then He told those that stood by to bring her some myrrh, and in a whileshe got well. 

Now I saw in my dream that he spoke good words to Mercy, Christiana, andher boys, so as to make glad their hearts. And He took them up to thetop of the gate, where He left them for a while, and Christiana said: Ohmy dear friend, how glad am I that we have all got in!

Mercy:--So you may well be; but most of all have I cause for joy. 

Christiana:--I thought at one time as I stood at the gate, and none cameto me, that all our pains had been lost. 

Mercy:--But my worst fears came when I saw Him who kept the gate grantyou your wish, and take no heed of me. And this brought to my mind thetwo who ground at the same mill, and how I was the one who was left; andI found it hard not to cry out, I am lost! I am lost!

Christiana:--I thought you would have come in by rude force. 

Mercy:--Ah me! You saw that the door was shut on me, and that a fiercehound was not far off. Who, with so faint a heart as mine, would notgive loud knocks with all her might? But, pray, what said my Lord atthis rude noise? Was He not wroth with me?

Christiana:--When He heard your loud thumps at the door He gave a smile;and to my mind, what you did would seem to please Him well. But itis hard to guess why He keeps such a dog. Had I known of it, I fear Ishould not have had the wish to come. But now we are in, we are safe;and I am glad with all my heart. 

One of Christiana's boys said: Pray ask to have a chain put on the dog, for it will bite us when we go hence. 

Then He who kept the gate came down to them once more, and Mercy fellwith her face to the ground, and said, Oh, let me bless and praise theLord with my lips!

So He said to her, Peace be to thee; stand up. 

But she would not rise till she had heard from Him why He kept so fiercea dog in the yard. He told her He did not own the dog, but that it wasshut up in the grounds of one who dwelt near. In truth, said He, it iskept from no good will to me or mine, but to cause those who come hereto turn back from my gate by the sound of its voice. But hadst thouknown more of me thou wouldst not have felt fear of a dog. The poor manwho goes from door to door will, for the sake of alms, run the risk of abite from a cur; and shall a dog keep thee from me?

Mercy:--I spoke of what I knew not; but, Lord, I know that Thou dost allthings well. 

Then Christiana rose as if she would go on her way. So He fed them, andset them in the right path, as He had done to Christian. And as theywent, Christiana sang a hymn: "We turn our tears to joy, and our fearsto faith. "

They had not gone far when they saw some fruit trees, the boughs ofwhich hung from the top of a wall that was built around the grounds ofhim who kept the fierce hound, and at times those that came that waywould eat them to their cost. So as they were ripe, Christiana's boysthrew them down and ate some of them; though Christiana chid them forit, and said, That fruit is not ours. But she knew not then whose itwas. Still the boys would eat of it. 

Now when they had gone but a bow shot from the place, they saw two men, who with bold looks came fast down the hill to meet them. With that, Christiana and her friend Mercy, drew down their veils, and so kept ontheir way, and the boys went on first. Then the men came up to them, butChristiana said: Stand back, or go by in peace, as you should. Yet theytook no more heed of her words than if they had been deaf. 

Christiana, who did not like their looks, said, We are in haste, and cannot stay; our work is a work of life and death. With that she and therest made a fresh move to pass, but the men would not let them. So withone voice they all set up a loud cry. Now, as they were not far fromthe held gate, they were heard from that place, and some of those in thelodge came out in haste to catch these bad men; when they soon leapt thewall, and got safe to the grounds where the dog was kept. 

Reliever:--How was it that when you were at the gate you did not ask Himwho stood there to take you on your way, and guard you from harm? Hadyou done so you would not have gone through these frights, for He wouldhave been sure to grant you your wish. 

Christiana:--Ah, Sir, the joy we felt when we were let in, drove fromour thoughts all fears to come. And how could we think that such had mencould lurk in such a place as that? True, it would have been well forus if we had thought to ask Him; but since our Lord knew it would be forour good, how came it to pass that He did not send some one with us?

Reliever:--You did not ask. When the want of a thing is felt, that whichwe wish for is worth all the more. 

Christiana:--Shall we go back to my Lord and tell Him we wish we hadbeen more wise, and ask for a guard?

Reliever:--Go back you need not, for in no place where you go will youfind a want at all. 

When he had said this he took his leave, and the rest went on their way. 

Mercy:--What a blank is here! I made sure we had been past all risk, andthat we should see no more care. 

Christiana:--Your youth may plead for you, my friend, and screen youfrom blame; but as for me, my fault is so much the worse in so far asI knew what would take place ere I came out of my door. Mercy:--But howcould you know this ere you set out?

Christiana:--Why, I will tell you. One night as I lay in bed, I had adream, in which I saw the whole scene as it took place just now. 

By this time Christiana, Mercy and the four boys had come to the houseof Interpreter. Now when they drew near to the door they heard the soundof Christiana's name; for the news of her flight had made a great stir;but they knew not that she stood at the door. At last she gave a knock, as she had done at the gate, when there came to the door a young maid, Innocent by name. 

Innocent:--With whom would you speak in this place?

Christiana:--As we heard that this is a place of rest for those that goby the way, we pray that we may be let in, for the day, as you see, isfar spent, and we are loth to go on by night. 

Innocent:--Pray what is your name, that I may tell it to my Lord?

Christiana:--My name is Christiana; I was the wife of Christian, whosome time since came by this way, and these are his four sons. 

Innocent then ran in and said to those there, Can you guess who is atthe door? There are Christiana, her boys and her friend!

So they leapt for joy, and went to tell it to their Lord, who came tothe door and said, Art thou that Christiana whom Christian left in thetown of Destruction, when he set out for The Celestial City?

Christiana:--I am she, and my heart was so hard as to slight his woes, and leave him to make his way as he could; and these are his four sons. But I, too, am come, for I feel sure that no way is right but this. 

Interpreter:--But why do you stand at the door? Come in; it was but justnow that we spoke of you, for we heard that you were on your way. Come, my dear boys, come in; come, my sweet maid, come in. So he took themto the house, and bade them sit down and rest. All in the house wore asmile of joy to think that Christiana was on her way to The CelestialCity, and they were glad to see the young ones walk in God's ways, andgave them a kind of clasp of the hand to show their good will. They saidsoft words, too, to Mercy, and bade them all be at their ease. To fillup the time till they could sup, Interpreter took them to see all thosethings that had been shown to Christian. This done, they were led to aroom in which stood a man with a prong in his hand, who could look noway but down on the ground; and there stood one with a crown in hishand, which he said he would give him for his prong; yet the first mandid not look up, but went on to rake the straws, dust, and stocks whichlay on the floor. 

Then said Christiana: I think I know what this means. It is a sketch ofa man of this world, is it not, good Sir?

Interpreter:--Thou art right, and his prong shows that his mind is ofthe earth, and that he thinks life in the next world is a mere song;take note that he does not so much as look up; and straws, sticks, anddust, with most, are the great things to live for. 

At that Christiana and Mercy wept, and said, Ah, yes, it is too true!

Interpreter then took them to a room where were a hen and her chicks, and bade them look well at them for a while. So one of the chicks wentto the trough to drink, and each time she drank would she lift up herhead and her eyes to the sky. 

See, said he, what this bird does, and learn of her to know whence allgood comes, and to give to the Lord who dwells on high, the praise andthanks for it. Look once more, and see all the ways that the hen haswith her young brood. There is her call that goes on all day long; andthere is her call that comes but now and then; she has a third callto shield them with her wings; and her fourth is a loud cry, which shegives when she spies a foe. Now, said he, set her ways by the side ofyour King's, and the ways of these chicks by the side of those who loveto do His will, and then you will see what I mean. For He has a way towalk in with His saints. By the call that comes all day He gives nought;by a call that is rare He is sure to have some good to give; then thereis a call, too, for those that would come to His wings, which He spreadsout to shield them; and He has a cry to warn men from those who mighthurt their souls. I choose scenes from real life, as they are not toohard for you to grasp, when I fit them to your own case; and it is thelove I have for your souls that prompts me to show you these things. 

Christiana:--Pray let us see some more. 

Interpreter then took them to his field, which was sown with wheat andcorn; but when they came to look, the ears were cut off, and there wasnought but the straw left. 

Interpreter:--What shall we do with the crop?

Christiana:--Burn some, and use the rest to dress the ground with. 

Interpreter:--Fruit, you see, is the thing you look for, and for want ofthat you cast off the whole crop. Take heed that in this you do not sealyour own doom; for by fruit I mean works. 

Now when they came back to the house the meal was not yet spread, so didChristiana beg of Interpreter to show or tell them some more things. 

Interpreter:--So much the more strong a man's health is, so much themore prone is he to sin. The more fat the sow is, the more she lovesthe mire. It is not so hard to sit up a night or two, as to watch for awhole year; just as it is not so hard to start well as it is to holdout to the end. One leak will sink a ship, and one sin will kill a man'ssoul. If a man would live well, let him keep his last day in mind. 

Now when Christiana, Mercy and the boys bad all had a good night's rest, they rose with the sun, and made a move to leave; but Interpreter toldthem to wait a while. For, said he, you must go hence in due form, suchis the rule of the house. 

Then he told Innocent to take them to the bath, and there wash thedust from them. This done, they came forth fresh and strong, and asInterpreter said, Fair as the moon. 

Next he told those near him to bring the seal, and when it was broughthe set his mark on them that they might be known in each place wherethey went. 

Then said Interpreter: Bring vests for them. And they were clad in robesas white as snow, so that it made each start to see the rest shine withso bright a light. 

Interpreter then sent for one of his men whose name was Great-heart, andbade that he should be clad in a coat of mail, with sword and shield, and that he should take them to a house, the name of which wasBeautiful, where they would rest. 

Then Interpreter took his leave of them, with a good wish for each. Sothey went on their way, and thus they sang:--

"O move me, Lord, to watch and pray, From sin my heart to clear; To takemy cross up day by day, And serve the Lord with fear. "

They next came to the place where Christian's load had been lost in thetomb. Here they made a pause, and gave thanks to Him who laid down Hislife to save theirs. So now they went up the hill, which was so steepthat the toil made Christiana pant for breath. 

How can we doubt, said she, that they who love rest more than theirsouls would choose some way on which they could go with more ease thanthis?

Then Mercy said, Come what may, I must rest for a while. 

And James, who was the least of the boys, gave way to tears. 

Come, Come! said Great-heart, sit not down here; for there is a seatnear us put there by the Prince. With this he took the young child bythe hand, and led him to it; and they were all glad to sit down, and tobe out of the heat of the sun's rays. 

Then said Mercy: How sweet is rest to them that work! And how good isthe Prince to place this seat here that such as we may rest! Of thisspot I have heard much, but let us take heed that we sleep not, for thatonce cost poor Christian dear. 

Then said Mr. Great-heart: Well, my brave boys, how do you do? Whatthink you of this hill?

Sir, said James, this hill beats me out of heart! And I see now thatwhat I have been told is true; the land of bliss is up steps; but still, Sir, it is worse to go down hill to death than up hill to life. 

You are a good boy, said Great-heart. 

At this Mercy could but smile, and it made James blush. 

Christiana:--Come, will you not drink of this flask, and eat some fruit, while we sit here to rest? For Mr. Interpreter put these in my hand as Icame out of his door. 

Now when they had sat there a while, their guide said to them: The dayruns on, and if you think well of it, let us now go on our way. 

So they all set out, the boys first, then the rest; but they had notgone far when Christiana found she had left the flask, so she sent Jamesback to fetch it. 

Mercy:--I think this is the place where Christian lost his scroll. Howwas this, Sir?

Great-heart:--We may trace it to two things; one is sleep, and one isthat you cease to think of that which you cease to want; and when youlose sight of a boon you lose sight of Him who grants it, and the joy ofit will end in tears. 

By and by they came to a small mound with a post on it, where thesewords were cut, Let him who sees this post take heed of his heart andhis tongue that they be not false. Then they went on till they came upto two large beasts of prey. 

Now Great-heart was a strong man, so he had no fear; but their fiercelooks made the boys start, and they all clung round Great-heart. 

How now, my boys! You march on first, as brave as can be, when there isno cause for fear; but when a test of your strength comes, you shrink. 

Now when Great-heart drew his sword to force a way, there came up oneGiant Grim, who said in a gruff voice, What right have you to come here?

Great-heart:--These folk are on their way to The Celestial City, andthis is the road they shall go, in spite of thee and the wild beasts. 

Grim:--This is not their way, nor shall they go on it. I am come forthto stop them, and to that end will back the wild beasts. 

Now, to say the truth, so fierce were these beasts, and so grim thelooks of them that the road was grown with weeds and grass from want ofuse. And still Grim bade them turn, For, said he, you shall not pass. 

But their guide came up, and struck so hard at him with his sword as toforce him to fall back. 

Giant Grim:--Will you slay me on my own ground?

Great-heart:--It is the King's high way on which we stand, and in Hisway it is that you have put these beasts. But these, who are in mycharge, though weak, shall hold on in spite of all. And with that hedealt him a blow that brought him to the ground; so Giant Grim wasslain. 

Then Great-heart said, Come now with me, and you shall take no harm fromthe two beasts. So they went by, but shook from head to foot at the meresight of their teeth and claws. 

At length they came in sight of the lodge, to which they soon went up, but made the more haste to get there as it grew dusk. So when they werecome to the gate the guide gave a knock, and the man at the lodge saidin a loud voice, Who is there?

Great-heart:--It is I

Mr. Watchful:--How now, Mr. Great-heart? What has brought you here atso late an hour? Then Great-heart told him that he had come with somefriends on their way to Zion. 

Mr. Watchful:--Will you go in and stay till the day dawns?

Great-heart:--No, I will go back to my Lord to night. 

Christiana:--Ah, Sir, I know not how we can part with you, for it is toyour stout heart that we owe our lives. You have fought for us, youhave taught us what is right, and your faith and your love have known nobounds. 

Mercy:--O that we could have you for our guide all the rest of the way!For how can such weak folk as we are hold out in a path fraught withtoils and snares, if we have no friends to take us?

James:--Pray, Sir, keep with us and help us, when the way we go is sohard to find. 

Great-heart:--As my Lord wills, so must I do; if He send me to join youonce more, I shall be glad to wait on you. But it was here that you werein fault at first, for when He bade me come thus far with you, if youhad said, We beg of you to let him go quite through with us, He wouldhave let me do so. But now I must go back; and so good Christiana, Mercyand my dear boys, fare ye all well. 

Then did Watchful, who kept the lodge, ask Christiana whence she hadcome and who her friends were. 

Christiana:--I come from The City of Destruction, and I was the wife ofone Christian, who is dead. 

Then Watchful rang the hell, as at such times he is wont, and there cameto the door a maid, to whom he said: Go, make it known that Christiana, the wife of Christian, and her four boys are come on their way to TheCelestial City. . 

So she went in and told all this. And, oh, what shouts of joy were sentforth when those words fell from her mouth! So all came with haste toWatchful; for Christiana still stood at the door. 

Some of the most grave said to her, Christiana, come in, thou wife ofthat good man, come in, thou blest one, come in, with all that are withthee. 

So she went in, and the rest with her. They then bade them sit down ina large room, where the chief of the house came to see them and to cheerhis guests. Then he gave each of them a kiss. But as it was late, andChristiana and the rest were faint with the great fright they had had, they would fain have gone to rest. 

Nay, said those of the house, take first some meat; for as Watchful hadheard that they were on their way, a lamb had been slain for them Whenthe meal had come to an end, and they had sung a psalm, Christiana said, If we may be so bold as to choose, let us be in that room which wasChristian's when he was here. 

So they took them there, but ere she went to sleep, Christiana said, Idid not think when my poor Christian set off with his load on his backthat I should do the same thing. 

Mercy:--No, nor did you think then that you should rest in the same roomas he had done. 

Christiana:--And less still to see his dear face once more who was deadand gone, and to praise the Lord the King with him; and yet now I thinkI shall. 

Mercy:--Do you not hear a noise?

Christiana:--Hark! as far as I can make out, the sounds we hear comefrom the lute, the pipe, and the horn. 

Mercy:--Sweet sounds in the house, sweet sounds in the air, sweet soundsin the heart, for joy that we are here. 

Thus did Christiana and Mercy chat, and they, then slept. 

Now at dawn when they woke up, Christiana said to Mercy: What was itthat made you laugh in your sleep last night? Were you in a dream?

Mercy:--Yes, and a sweet dream it was. But are you sure that I didlaugh?

Christiana:--Yes, you gave a laugh as if from your heart of hearts. Dopray, Mercy, tell it to me. 

Mercy:--I dreamt that I lay in some lone wood to weep and wail, for thatmy heart should be so hard a one. Now I had not been there long when Ithought there were some who had come to hear me speak in my sleep; but Iwent on with my moans. At this they said with a laugh that I was a fool. Then I saw a Bright One with wings come up to me, who said, Mercy, whatails you? And when he heard the cause Of my grief, he said, Peace be tothee. He then came up to wipe off my tears and had me clad in robes ofgold, and put a chain on my neck, and a crown on my head. Then he tookme by the hand and said, Mercy, come this way. So he went up with metill we came to a gate, at which he gave a knock and then he took meto a throne on which one sat. The place was as bright as the stars, naymore like the sun. And I thought that I saw Christian there. So I wokefrom my dream. But did I laugh?

Christiana:--Laugh! Yes, and so you might, to see how well off you were!For you must give me leave to tell you, that as you find the first parttrue, so you will find true the last. 

Mercy:--Well, I am glad of my dream, for I hope ere long to see it cometo pass, so as to make me laugh once more. 

Christiana:--I think it is now high time to rise, and to know what wemust do. 

Mercy:--Pray, if they should ask us to stay, let us by all means do so;for I should much like to know more of these maids. I think Prudence, Piety, and Charity have, each of them, a most choice mien. 

Christiana:--We shall see what they will do. 

So they came down. 

Then Prudence and Piety: If you will stay, here you shall have what thehouse will yield. 

Charity:--Yes, and that with a good will. 

So they were there some time, much to their good. 

Prudence:--Christiana, I give you all praise, for you have brought yourboys up well. With James I have had a long chat; he is a good boy, andhas learnt much that will bring peace to his mind, while he lives onthis earth, and in the world to come it will cause him to see the faceof Him who sits on the throne. For my own part, I will teach all yoursons. At the same time, said she to them: You must still give heed toall that Christiana can teach you, but more than all, you must read theBook of God's Word, which sent your dear sire on his way to the land ofbliss. 

By the time that Christiana and the rest had been in this place a week, a man, Mr. Brisk by name, came to woo Mercy, with the wish to wed her. Now Mercy was fair to look on and her mind was at all times set on workand the care of those round her. She would knit hose for the poor, andgive to all those things of which they stood in need. 

She will make me a good house wife, thought Brisk. 

Mercy one day said to those of the house: Will you tell me what youthink of Mr. Brisk?

They then told her that the young man would seem to have a great senseof the love of God, but that they had fears it did not reach his soul, which they thought did cleave too much to this world. 

Nay then, said Mercy, I will look no more on him, for I will not have aclog to my soul. 

Prudence:--If you go on as you have set out, and work so hard for thepoor, he will soon cool. 

So the next time he came, he found her at her work. 

What, still at it? said he. 

Mercy:--Yes. 

Mr. Brisk:--How much can you earn in the day. 

Mercy:--I work at these things for the good of those for whom I do them;and more than this, to do the will of Him who was slain on the cross forme. 

With that his face fell, and he came no more to see her. 

Prudence:--Did I not tell you that Mr. Brisk would soon flee from you?Yea, he may seem to love Mercy, but Mercy and he should not tread thesame road of life side by side. 

Now Matthew, the son of Christiana, fell sick, so they sent to Mr. Skillto cure him. Then said he: Tell me what he eats. 

Christiana:--Well, there is no food here but what is good. 

Mr. Skill:--This boy has in him a crude mass of food, which if I do notuse the means to get rid of, he will die. 

Samuel said to Christiana, What was it that you saw Matthew pick up andeat when we came from the gate which is at the head of this way?

Christiana:--It was some of the fruit that grows there; I chid him forit. 

Skill:--I felt sure that it was some bad food; now that fruit hurts morethan all, for it is the fruit from Beelzebub's grounds. Did no one warnyou of it? Some fall down dead when they eat it. 

Then Christiana wept and said, What shall I do for my son? Pray, Sir, try your best to cure him, let it cost what it may. 

Then Skill gave strange drugs to him, which he would not take. SoChristiana put one of them to the tip of her tongue. Oh, Matthew, saidshe, it is sweet, sweet as balm; if you love me, if you love Mercy, ifyou love your life, do take it!

So in time he did, and felt grief for his sin. He quite lost the pain, so that with a staff he could walk, and went from room to room to talkwith Mercy, Prudence, Piety and Charity. 

Christiana:--Pray, Sir, what else are these Pills good for?

Skill:--They are good for all those that go on their way to TheCelestial City. 

Christiana:--I pray of you to make me up a large box full of them, forif I can get these, I will take none else. 

Skill:--I make no doubt that if a man will but use them as he should, hecould not die. But good Christiana, these pills will be of no use if youdo not give them as I have done, and that is, in a glass of grief forthe sins of those who take them. So he gave some to Christiana and therest of her boys, and to Mercy; he bade Matthew, too, keep a good lookout that he ate no more green plums; then he gave them a kiss, and wenthis way. 

Now, as they had spent some time here, they made a move to go. ThenJoseph, who was Christiana's third, son, said to her: You were to sendto the house of Mr. Interpreter to beg him to grant that Mr. Great-heartshould go with us as our guide. 

Good boy! said Christiana, I had not thought of it. 

So she wrote a note, and Interpreter said to the man who brought it: Go, tell them that I will send him. 

Great-heart soon came, and he said to Christiana and Mercy, My Lord hassent you some wine and burnt corn, and to the boys figs and dry grapes. 

They then set off, and Prudence and Piety went with them. But firstChristiana took leave of Watchful, who kept the gate, and put a smallcoin in his hand while she gave him her thanks for all that he had donefor her and her dear boys. She then said to him, Have you seen men go bysince we have been here?

Watchful:--Yes, I have, and there has been a great theft on this highway; but the thieves were caught. 

Then Christiana and Mercy said they felt great fear to go on that road. 

Matthew:--Fear not, as long as we have Mr. Great-heart with us to guideus. 

I now saw in my dream that they went on till they came to the brow ofthe hill, when Piety said: O, I must go back to fetch that which I meantto give to Christiana and Mercy, and it was a list of all those thingswhich they had seen at the house where we live. On these, said she, Ibeg of you to look from time to time, and call them to mind for yourgood. 

They now went down the hill to the Vale of Humiliation. It was a steephill, and their feet slid as they went on; but they took great care, andwhen they had got to the foot of it, Piety said to Christiana: Thisis the vale where Christian met with Apollyon and where they had thatfierce fight which I know you must have heard of. But be of good cheer, as long as we have Mr. Great-heart to guide us, there is nought herethat will hurt us, save those sights that spring from our own fears. Andas to Apollyon, the good folk of the town, who tell us that such a thingfell out in such a place, to the hurt of such a one, think that somefoul fiend haunts that place, when lo! it is from the fruit of theirown ill deeds that such things do fall on them. For they that make slipsmust look for frights. And hence it is that this vale has so bad a name. 

James:--See, there is a post with words on it, I will go and read them. 

So he went, and found that these words were cut on it: Let the slipswhich Christian met with ere he came here, and the fights he had in thisplace, warn all those who come to the Vale of Humiliation. 

Mr. Great-heart:--It is not so hard to go up as down this hill, andthat can be said of but few hills in this part of the world. But we willleave the good man, he is at rest, and he had a brave fight with thefoe; let Him who dwells on high grant that we fare no worse when ourstrength comes to be put to the test. This vale brings forth much fruit. 

Now, as they went on, they met a boy who was clad in mean clothes andkept watch on some sheep. He had a fine fresh face, and as he sat on thebank he sang a song. 

Hark, said Great-heart, to the words of that boy's song. 

So they gave ear to it. 

"He that is down need fear no fall, He that is low, no pride, He that ismeek at all times shall Have God to be his guide. "

Then said Great-heart: Do you hear him? I dare say this boy leads as gaya life as he that is clad in silk, and that he wears more of that plantwhich they call heart's ease. 

Samuel:--Ask Great-heart in what part of this vale it was that Apollyoncame to fight Christian?

Great-heart:--The fight took place at that part of the plain which hasthe name of Forgetful Green. And if those who go on their way, meet witha shock, it is when they lose sight of the good which they have at thehand of Him who dwells on high. 

Mercy:--I think I feel as well in this place as I have done in all therest of our way. This vale has a sweet grace, and just suits my mind;for I love to be in such a spot as this, where there are no coach wheelsto make a din. Here one may think a while what he is, whence he came, and for what the King has made him; here one may muse and pray. 

Just then they thought that the ground they trod on shook. But the guidebade them be of good cheer, and look well to their feet, lest by chancethey should meet with some snare. 

Then James felt sick, but I think the cause of it was fear, andChristiana gave him some of the wine which Mr. Interpreter had put inher hands, and three of the pills which Mr. Skill had made up, and theboy soon got well. 

They then went on a while, and Christiana said, What is that thing onthe road? A thing of such a shape I have not seen in all my life!

Joseph said, What is it?

A vile thing, child, a vile thing! said she. 

Joseph:--But what is it like?

Christiana:--It is like--I can't tell what. Just then it was far off, now it is nigh. 

Great-heart:--Well, let them that have the most fear keep close to me. 

Then it went out of sight of all of them. 

But they had not gone far when Mercy cast a look back, and saw a greatbeast come fast up to them with a loud roar. 

This noise made them all quail with fright save their guide, who fellback and put the rest in front of him. But when the brute saw thatGreat-heart meant to fight him, he drew back and was seen no more. 

Now they had not left the spot long when a great mist fell on them, sothat they could not see. 

What shall we do? said they. 

Their guide told them not to fear, but to stand still, and see what anend he would put to this too. 

Then said Christiana to Mercy: Now I see what my poor dear Christianwent through; I have heard much of this place. Poor man, he went herein the dead of the night, and no one with him; but who can tell what theValley of the Shadow of Death should mean, till they come to see it? Tobe here fills my breast with awe!

Great-heart: It seems now as if the earth and its bars were round us. Iwould not boast, but I trust we shall still make our way. Come, let uspray for light to Him that can give it. 

So did they weep and pray. And as the path was now more smooth, theywent straight on. 

Mercy:--To be here is not so sweet as it was at The Gate, or at Mr. Interpreter's, or at the good house where we were last. 

Oh, said one of the boys, it is not so bad to go through this place asit is to dwell here for all time; for aught I know we have to go thisway that our last home may seem to us the more blest. 

Great-heart:--Well said, Samuel; thou dost now speak like a man. 

Samuel:--Why, if I do in truth get out of this place, I think I shallprize that which is light and good more than I have done all my life. 

Great-heart:--We shall be out by and by. 

So on they went. 

Joseph:--Can we not see to the end of this vale yet?

Great-heart:--Look to your feet, for you will soon be where the snaresare. 

So they took good heed. 

Great-heart:--Men come here and bring no guide with them; hence it isthey die from the snares they meet with in the way. Poor Christian! itis strange he should have got out of this place, and been safe. ButGod dwelt in his soul, and he had a stout heart, of his own, or else hecould not have done it. 

Christiana:--I wish that there were some inn here where we could alltake rest. 

I Well, said Mr. Honest--one whom they had just met--there is such aplace not far off. 

So there they went, and the host, whose name was Gaius, said: Come in, for my house was built for none but such as you. 

Great-heart:--Good Gaius, let us sup. What have you for us to eat? Wehave gone through great toils, and stand much in want of food. 

Gaius:--It is too late for us to go out and seek food; but of such as wehave you shall eat. 

The meal was then spread, and near the end of the feast all sat roundthe board to crack nuts, when old Honest said to Gaius, Tell me whatthis verse means:

A man there was, and some did count him mad; The more that this man gavethe more he had. 

Then all the youths gave a guess as to what Gaius would say to it; so hesat still a while, and then said:

He that gives his goods to the poor, Shall have as much and ten timesmore. 

Joseph:--I did not think, Sir, that you would have found it out. 

Gaius:--Ah! I have learnt of my Lord to be kind, and I find I gain byit. 

Then Samuel said in a low tone to Christiana, This is a good man'shouse; let us make a long stay, and why should not Matthew wed Mercyhere?

When Gaius heard him say this, quoth he: With all my heart. And he gaveMercy to Matthew to wife. 

By this time Christiana's son James had come of age, and Gaius gavePhebe (who was his child) to be his wife. They spent ten days at thehouse of Gaius, and then took their leave. But on the last day he madethem a feast, of which they all ate and drank. 

Great-heart:--Now, Gaius, the hour has come that we must be gone; sotell me what I owe you for this long stay at your inn, for we have beenhere some years. 

Gaius:--At my house no one pays; for the good Samaritan told me that Iwas to look to him for all the cost I was put to. They now took leave ofhim and went on their way, when they met with all kinds of frights andfears, till they came to a place which bore the name of Vanity Fair. There they went to the house of Mr. Mnason, who said to his guests: Ifthere be a thing that you stand in need of, do but say so, and we willdo what we can to get it for you. 

Well, then, said they, we should like much to see some of the good folkin this town. 

So Mnason gave a stamp with his foot, at which Grace came up, and hesent her to fetch some of his friends who were in the house, and theyall sat down to a meal. 

Then said Mr. Mnason, as he held out his hand to point to Christiana: Myfriends, I have guests here who are on their way to Zion. But who doyou think this is? This is the wife of Christian whom (with his friendFaithful) the men of this town did treat so ill. 

Well, said they, go who would have thought to meet Christiana at thisplace! May The King whom you love and serve bring you where He is, inpeace!

They then told her that the blood of Faithful had lain like a load ontheir hearts; and that since, they had burnt him no more men had beensent to the Stake at Vanity Fair. In those days, said they, good mencould not walk the streets, but now they can show their heads. 

Christiana and her sons and Mercy made this place their home for someyears, and in course of time Mr. Mnason, who had a wife and two girls, gave his first born, whose name was Grace, to Samuel to wife, and Marthato Joseph. 

Now, one day, a huge snake came out of the woods and slew some of thefolk of the town. None of these were so bold as to dare to face him, butall fled when they heard that he came near, for he took off the babes byscores. 

But Great-heart and the rest of the men who were at Mr. Mnason's house, made up their minds to kill this snake, and so rid the town of him. Sothey went forth to meet him, and at first the snake did not seem to heedthem; but as they were strong men at arms, they drove him back. Thenthey lay in wait for him, and fell on him, till at last they knew hemust die of his wounds. By this deed Mr. Great-heart and the rest wonthe good will of the whole town. 

The time now drew near for them to go on their way. Mr. Great-heart wentfirst as their guide; and I saw in my dream that they came to the streamon this side of The Delectable Mountains, where fine trees grew on eachbank, the leaves of which were good for the health, and the fields weregreen all the year round; and here they might lie down and be safe. Here, too, there were folds for sheep, and a house was built in which torear the lambs, and there was One who kept watch on them, who would takethem in His arms and lay them in His breast. 

Now Christiana bade the four young wives place their babes by the sideof this stream, so that they might lack nought in time to come. For, said she, if they should stray or be lost, He will bring them back;He will give strength, to the sick, and here they shall not want meat, drink, or clothes. So they left their young ones to Him. 

When they went to By-Path Meadow they sat on the stile to whichChristian had gone with Hopeful, when Giant Despair shut the two up inDoubting Castle. They sat down to think what would be the best thingto do, now that they were so strong a force, and had such a man as Mr. Great-heart to guide them; to wit, if it would not be well to pull downDoubting Castle, and should there be poor souls shut up there who wereon their way to The Celestial City, to set them free. One said thisthing and one said that; at last quoth Mr. Great-heart: We are toldin the book of God's Word, that we are to fight the good fight. And, Ipray, with whom should we fight if not with Giant Despair? So who willgo with me?

Christiana's four sons said: We will; for they were young and strong; sothey left their wives and went. 

When they gave their knock at the gate, Giant Despair and his wifeDiffidence, came to them. 

Giant Despair:--Who and what is he that is so bold as to come to thegate of Giant Despair?

Great-heart:--It is I, a guide to those who are on their way to Zion. And I charge thee to throw wide thy gates and stand forth, for I am cometo slay thee and pull down thy house. 

Giant Despair:--What, shall such as Great-heart make me fear? No!

So he put a cap of steel on his head, and with a breast plate of fire, and a club in his hand, he came out to fight his foes. 

Then these six men made up to him, and they fought for their lives, tillDespair was brought to the ground and put to death by Great-heart. Nextthey fell on his house, but it took six days to pull it down. They foundthere Mr. Despondency and one Much-afraid, his child, and set them free. 

Then they all went onto The Delectable Mountains. They made friends withthe men that kept watch on their flocks, who were as kind to them asthey had been to Christian and Hopeful. 

You have brought a good train with you, said they. Pray, where did youfind them?

So their guide told them how it had come to pass. 

By and by they got to The Enchanted Ground, where the air makes mensleep. Now they had not gone far, when a thick mist fell on them, sothat for a while they could not see; and as they could not walk bysight, they kept near their guide by the help of words. But one fell ina bush, while one stuck fast in the mud, and some of the young ones losttheir shoes in the mire. Oh, I am down! said one. Where are you? criedthe next; while a third said, I am held fast in the bush!

Then they came to a bench, Slothful's Friend by name, which had shrubsand plants round it, to screen those who sat there from the sun. ButChristiana and the rest gave such good heed to what their guide toldthem, that though they were worn out with toil, yet there was not oneof them that had so much as a wish to stop there; for they knew that itwould be death to sleep but for a short time on The Enchanted Ground. 

Now as it was still dark, their guide struck a light that he might lookat his map (the book of God's Word); and had he not done so, they wouldall have been lost, for just at the end of the road was a pit, full ofmud, and no one can tell how deep. 

Then thought I: Who is there but would have one of these maps or booksin which he may look when he is in doubt, and knows not which way heshould take?

They soon came to a bench, on which sat two men, Heedless and Too-bold;and Christiana and the rest shook their heads for they saw that thesemen were in a bad case. They knew not what they ought to do: to go onand leave them in their sleep, or to try to wake them. Now the guidespoke to them by name; but not a sound could he hear from their lips. SoGreat-heart at last shook them, and did all he could to wake them. 

One of the two, whose name was Heedless, said, Nay: I will pay you whenI get in my debts. 

At this the guide shook his head. 

Then Too-bold spoke out: I will fight as long as I can hold my sword. 

When he had said this all who stood round gave a laugh. 

Christiana:--'What does this mean?

Great-heart:--They talk in their sleep. If you strike or shake them, they will still talk in the same way, for their sleep is like that ofthe man on the mast of a ship, when the waves of the sea beat on him. 

Then did Christiana, Mercy and their train go on with fear, and theysought from their guide a light for the rest of the way. 

But as the poor babes' cries were loud for want of rest, all fell ontheir knees to pray for help. And, by the time that they had gone buta short way, a wind sprang up which drove off the fog; so, now that theair was clear, they made their way. 

Then they came to the land of Beulah, where the sun shines night andday. Here they took some rest, and ate of the fruit that hung from theboughs round them. But all the sleep that they could wish for in sucha land as this was but for a short space of time; for the bells rang tosuch sweet tunes, and such a blaze of lights burst on their eyes, thatthey soon rose to walk to and fro on this bright way, where no base feetdare to tread. 

And now they heard shouts rise up, for there was a noise in the townthat a post was come from The Celestial City with words of great joy forChristiana, the wife of Christian. So search was made for her, and thehouse was found in which she was. 

Then the post put a note in her hands, the words of which were: Hail, good Christiana! I bring thee word that the Lord calls for thee, tostand near His throne in robes of white, in ten days' time. 

When he who brought the note had read it to her, he gave her a sign thatthey were words of truth and love, and said he had come to bid her makehaste to be gone. The sign was a shaft with a sharp point, which was totell her, that at the time the note spoke of, she must die. 

Christiana heard with joy that her toils would so soon he at an end, andthat she should once more live with her dear Christian. 

She then sent for her sons and their wives to come to her. To these shegave words of good cheer. She told them how glad she was to have themnear her at such a time. She sought, too, to make her own death, nowclose at hand, of use to them, from this time up to the hour when theyshould each of them have to quit this world. Her hope was that it mighthelp guide them on their path; that the Faith which she had taught themto cling to, would have sunk deep in their hearts; and that all theirworks should spring from love to God. She could but pray that they wouldbear these words in mind, and put their whole trust in Him who had bornetheir sins on the Cross, and had been slain to save them. 

When the day came that she must go forth to the world of love and truth, the road was full of those who would fain see her start on her way; andthe last words that she was heard to say were: I come, Lord, to be withThee. 

THE END.