moderate. I think the blood of Faithful lieth as a load upon them till now: for since they burned him, they have been ashamed to burn any more; in those days we were afraid to walk the streets, but now we can show our heads: Then the name of a professor was odious; now, especially in some parts of our town, (for you know our town is large,) religion is counted honorable. Pray, how fareth it with you in your pilgrimage? How stands the country affected towards you? Honest. It happens to us, as it happens to wayfaring men; sometimes our way is clean, sometimes foul; sometimes up hill, sometimes down hill; we are seldom at a certainty: the wind is not always on our backs, nor is every one a friend that we meet with in the way. We have met with some notable rubs already; and what are yet behind, we know not; but for the most part we find it true, that has been talked of old:-A good man must suffer trouble. Contrite. You talk of rubs; what rubs have you met withal? Honest. Nay, ask Mr. Great-Heart, our guide; for he can give the best account of that. Great-Heart. We have been beset three or four times already. First, Christiana and her children were beset with two ruffians, that they feared would take away their lives. We were beset with Giant Bloody-man, Giant Maul, and Giant Slay-good. Indeed we did rather beset the last, than were beset of him: and thus it was:- -After we had been some time at the house of Gaius, mine host, and of the whole church,* we were minded upon a time to take our weapons with us, and so go see if we could light upon any of those that were enemies to pilgrims; (for we heard that there was a notable one thereabouts.) Now Gaius knew his haunt better than I, because he dwelt thereabouts: so we looked and looked, till at last we discerned the mouth of his cave: then were we glad, and plucked up our spirits. So we approached up to his den; and lo, when we came there, he had dragged, by mere force, into his net, this poor man, Mr. Feeble-Mind, and was about to bring him to his end: but when he saw us, supposing, as we thought, he had another prey, he left the poor man in his house, and came out. So we fell to it full sore, and he lustily laid about him; but in conclusion, he was brought down to the ground, and his head cut off, and set up by the way-side, for a terror to such as should after practise such ungodliness. That I tell *See Romans xvi. 23, you the truth, here is the man himself to affirm it, who was as a lamb taken out of the mouth of a lion. Then said Mr. Feeble-Mind; "I found this true, to my cost and comfort;-to my cost, when the Giant threatened to pick my bones every moment; and to my comfort, when I saw Mr. Great-Heart and his friends, with their weapons, approach so near for my deliverance." Then said Mr. Holy-Man; "There are two things that they have need to be possessed with that go on pilgrimage; courage, and an unspotted life. If they have not courage, they can never hold on their way; and if their lives be loose, they will make the very name of a pilgrim stink." Then said Mr. Love-Saint; "I hope this caution is not needful among you; but truly there are many that go upon the road, that rather declare themselves strangers to pilgrimage, than strangers and pilgrims in the earth." Then said Mr. Dare-not-lie; "It is true, they neither have the pilgrim's weed, nor the pilgrim's courage; they go not uprightly, but all awry with their feet; one shoe goeth inward, another outward; and their hosen out behind; here a rag, and there a rent, to the disparagement of their Lord." "These things (said Mr. Penitent) they ought to be troubled for: nor are the pilgrims like to have that grace upon them and their Pilgrim's Progress, as they desire, until the way is cleared of such spots and blemishes." Thus they sat talking and spending the time, until supper was set upon the table; unto which they went and refreshed their weary bodies; and so they went to rest. Now, they stayed to the fair a great while, at the house of Mr. Mnason: who, in process of time, gave his daughter Grace unto Samuel, Christiana's son, to wife; and his daughter Martha to Joseph. The time, as I said, that they lay here was long; (for it was not now as in former times;) wherefore the pilgrims grew acquainted with many of the good people of the town, and did them what service they could. Mercy, as she was wont, labored much for the poor; wherefore their bellies and backs blessed her, and she was there an ornament to her profession. And, to say the truth for Grace, Phebe, and Martha; they were all of a very good nature, and did much good in their places. They were also all of them very fruitful: so that Christiana's name (as was said before) was like to live in the world. While they lay here, there came a monster out of the See page 180. woods, and slew many of the people of the town: it would also carry away their children, and teach them to suck its whelps. Now, no man in the town durst so much as face this Monster; but all men fled when they heard of the noise of his coming. The Monster was like unto no one beast upon the earth: its body was like a dragon, and it had seven heads and ten horns: it made great havoc of children, and it was governed by a woman. This Monster propounded conditions to men; and such men as loved their lives more than their souls, accepted of those conditions.* Now Mr. Great-Heart, together with those who came to visit the pilgrims at Mr. Mnason's house, entered into a Covenant to go and engage this Beast: if perhaps they might deliver the people of this town from the paws and mouth of this so devouring a serpent. Then did Mr. Great-Heart, Mr. Contrite, Mr. HolyMan, Mr. Dare-not-lie, and Mr. Penitent, with their weapons, go forth to meet him. Now the Monster at first was very rampant, and looked upon these enemies with great disdain: but they so belabored him, (being sturdy men at arms,) that they made him make a retreat: so they came home to Mr. Mnason's house again. The Monster, you must know, had his certain seasons to come out in, and to make his attempts upon the children of the people of the town: also, these seasons, did these valiant worthies watch him in, and did continually assault him: insomuch that, in process of time, he became not only wounded, but lame: also he had not made the havoc of the townsmen's children, as formerly he had done: and it is verily believed by some, that this Beast will certainly die of his wounds. This, therefore, made Mr. Great-Heart and his fellows of great fame in this town; so that many of the people that wanted their taste of things, yet had a reverent esteem and respect for them. Upon this account therefore it was, that these pilgrims got not much hurt here. True, there were some of the baser sort, that could see no more than a mole, nor understand no more than a beast; these had no reverence for these men, nor took they notice of their valor and adventures. Well, the time grew on that the pilgrims must go on their way; wherefore they prepared for their journey; they sent for their friends; they conferred with them; they had some time set apart wherein to commit each other to the *See Rev. xiii. protection of their prince. There were again, that brought them of such things as they had, that were fit for the weak and the strong, for the women and the men; and so laded them with such things as were necessary.* Then they set forward on their way; and their friends accompanying them so far as was convenient, they again committed each other to the protection of their King, and departed. They therefore that were of the pilgrims' company went on; and Mr. Great-Heart went before them; now, the women and children being weakly, they were forced to go as they could bear; by this means Mr. Ready-to-halt, and Mr. Feeble-mind, had more to sympathize with their condition. When they were gone from the townsmen, and when their friends had bidden them farewell; they quickly came to the place where Faithful was put to death: therefore they made a stand, and thanked Him that had enabled them to bear his cross so well; and the rather because they now found that they had a benefit by such a man's sufferings as he was. They went on therefore after this, a good way further; talking of Christian and Faithful, and how Hopeful joined himself to Christian, after that Faithful was dead.† Now they were come up with the hill Lucre, where the Silver-Mine was, which took Demas off from his pilgrimage, and into which (as some think) By-ends fell and perished: Wherefore they considered that. But when they were come to the old monument that stood over against the hill Lucre, to wit, to the Pillar of Salt, that stood also within view of Sodom and its stinking Lake; they marvelled, as did Christian before, that men of that knowledge and ripeness of wit as they were, should be so blind as to turn aside here. Only they considered again, that nature is not affected with the harms that others have met with, especially if that thing upon which they look, has an attracting virtue upon the foolish eye. I saw now, that they went on till they came to the River, that was on this side of the Delectable Mountains; to the River where the fine trees grow on both sides; and whose leaves, if taken inwardly, are good against surfeits: where the meadows are green all the year long, and where they might lie down safely.|| By this river side in the meadows, there were cotes and Acts xxviii. 10. † See Part I. p. 68. || Psalm xxiii. See Part I. p. 76. folds for sheep, a house built for the nourishing and bringing up of those lambs, the babes of those women that go on pilgrimage. Also there was here One that was intrusted with them, who could have compassion;** and that 'could gather these lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom; and that could gently lead those that were with young. Now to the care of this Man, Christiana admonished her four daughters to commit their little ones; that by these waters they might be housed, harbored, succored, and nourished; and that none of them might be lacking in time to come. This Man, if any of them go astray, or be lost; he will bring them again :' He will also bind up that which is broken, and will strengthen them that are sick. Here they will never want meat, drink, and clothing: here they will be kept from thieves and robbers; for this Man will die, before one of those committed to his trust shall be lost. Besides, here they shall be sure to have good nurture and admonition and shall be taught to walk in right paths; and that, you know, is a favor of no small account. Also here, as you see, are delicate waters, pleasant meadows, dainty flowers, variety of trees, and such as bear wholesome fruit; fruit not like that which Matthew did eat of, that fell over the wall, out of Beelzebub's garden; but fruit that procureth health, where there is none, and that continueth and increaseth where it is. : So they were content to commit their little ones to Him: and that which was also an encouragement to them so to do, was, for that all this was to be at the charge of the King; and so was an hospital to young children and orphans. Now they went on; and when they were come to Bypath Meadow, to the stile over which Christian went with his fellow Hopeful, when they were taken by Giant Despair, and put into Doubting Castle; they sat down, and consulted what was best to be done: to wit, (now they were so strong, and had got such a man as Mr. Great-Heart for their conductor,) whether they had not best to make an attempt upon the Giant, demolish his castle, and, if there were any pilgrims in it, to set them at liberty, before they went any farther. So one said one thing, and another said to the contrary. One questioned, "If it was lawful to go upon unconsecrated ground?" another said, "They might, provided their end was good." but Mr. Great-Heart said, Though that assertion offered last, cannot be universally true; yet I have a commandment to resist sin, to overcome evil, to fight the good fight of faith: and, I pray, with whom * Heb. v. 2. † Isaiah xl. 11. + Jer. xxiv. 6. Isaiah Ixi. 1. |