Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

prisoner at the bar; and what they had to say for their lora the king against him?

Then stood forth Envy, and said to this effect: "My lord, I have known this man a long time, and will attest upon my oath before this honorable bench, that he is " Judge. Hold-Give him his oath.

So they sware him: then he said, "My lord, this man, notwithstanding his plausible name, is one of the vilest men in our country: he neither regardeth prince nor people, law nor custom; but doth all that he can to possess all men with certain of his disloyal notions, which he in the general calls principles of faith and holiness: and in particular, I heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity, were diametrically opposite, and could not be reconciled. By which saying, my lord, he doth, at once, not only condemn all our laudable doings, but us in the doing of them."

Judge. Hast thou any more to say?

Envy. My lord, I could say much more, only I would not be tedious to the court. Yet, if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence, rather than any thing shall be wanting that will despatch him, I will enlarge my testimony against him.

So he was bidden to stand by.

Then they called Superstition, and bade him look upon the prisoner; they also asked, what he could say for their lord the king against him? Then they sware him: so he began:

Superstition. My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I desire to have further knowledge of him however, this I know, that he is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse that the other day I had with him in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say, that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means please God.' Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned: and this is that which I have to say.

Then was Pickthank sworn, and bidden to say what he knew in behalf of their lord the king, against the prisoner at the bar.

Pickthank. My lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow I have known of a long time, and have heard him speak things that ought not to be spoke; for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoke contemptibly of his honorable friends, whose names are, the lord Old Man,

the lord Carnal Delight, the lord Luxurious, the lord Desire of Vain-Glory, my old lord Lechery, sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of our nobility; and he hath said moreover, that if all men were of his mind, if possible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge; calling you an ungodly villain; with many other such like vilifying terms, with which he hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town.

66

When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to the prisoner at the bar, saying, “ Thou renegade, heretic, and traitor, hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee?"

Faithful. May I speak a few words in my own defence? Judge. Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be slain immediately upon the place; yet, that all men may see our gentleness towards thee, let us hear what thou hast to say.

[ocr errors]

Faithful. 1. I say then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never said aught but this, that what rule or laws, or custom, or people, were flat against the Word of God, are diametrically opposite to Christianity.' If I have said amiss in this, convince me of my error, and I am ready here before you to make my recantation.-2. As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against me, I said only this; That in the worship of God, there is required a divine faith: but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God: therefore, whatever is thrust into the worship of God, that is not agreeable to divine revelation, can be done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal life.'-3. As to what Mr. Pickthank hath said, I said, (avoiding terms, as that I am said to rail, and the like,) That the prince of this town, with all the rabblement his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit for being in hell, than in this town and country.' And so the Lord have mercy upon me!

Then the judge called to the jury, (who all this while stood to hear and observe:)" Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man, about whom so great an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you have heard his reply and confession: it lieth now in your breasts to hang him or save his life; but yet I think meet to instruct you into our law. There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the Great, servant to our prince, that, lest those

of a contrary religion should multiply and grow too strong for him, their males should be thrown into the river.* There was also an act made in the days of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, another of his servants, that whoever would not fall down and worship his golden image, would be thrown into a fiery furnace. There was also an act made in the days of Darius, that whoso for some time called upon any God but him, should be cast into the lion's den. Now the substance of these laws this rebel has broken, not only in thought (which is not to be borne,) but also in word and deed; which must therefore needs be intolerable.-For that of Pharaoh, his law was made upon a supposition to prevent mischief, no crime being yet apparent: but here is a crime apparent. For the second and third, you see he disputeth against our religion and for the treason he hath confessed, he deserveth to die the death."

Then went the jury out; whose names were Mr. Blindman, Mr. No-good, Mr. Malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Liveloose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hate-light, and Mr. Implacable; who every one gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and afterwards unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. And first among themselves, Mr. Blindman the foreman said, 'I see clearly, that this man is a heretic.'-Then said Mr. No-good, Away with such a fellow from the earth.'-Ay, (said Mr. Malice,) for I hate the very looks of him.'-Then said Mr. Love-lust, 'I could never endure him.' 'Nor I, (said Mr. Live-loose,) for he would always be condemning my way.'-' Hang him, hang him,' said Mr. Heady.-A sorry scrub,' said Mr. High-mind.'- My heart riseth against him,' said Mr. Enmity. He is a rogue,' said Mr. Liar.- Hanging is too good for him,' said Mr. Cruelty. Let us despatch him out of the way,' said Mr. Hate-light.-Then said Mr. Implacable, 'Might I have all the world given me, I could not be reconciled to him; therefore let us forthwith bring him in guilty of death.' And so they did: therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the place where he was, to the place from whence he came, and there to be put to the most cruel death that could be invented.

They therefore brought him out, to do with him according to their law. And first they scourged him, then they buffeted him, then they lanced his flesh with knives; after that, they stoned him with stones, then pricked him with their swords; and, last of all, they burnt him to ashes at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end.

*Exod. i. 16.

† Dan. iii. 6.

+ Dan. vi. 7.

Now I saw, that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses waiting for Faithful; who (so soon as the adversaries had despatched him) was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the Celestial Gate.

But as for Christian, he had some respite, and was remanded back to prison: so he there remained for a space: But He that overrules all things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so brought it about, that Christian for that time escaped them; and went his way. And as he went, he sung; saying:

Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest

Unto thy Lord; with whom thou shalt be blest,
When faithless ones, with all their vain delights,
Are crying out under their hellish plights.
Sing, Faithful, sing; and let thy name survive:
For though they kill thee, thou art yet alive.

Now I saw in my dream, that Christian went not forth alone; for there was one whose name was Hopeful, (being so made by the beholding of Christian and Faithful in their words and behaviour, in their sufferings at the Fair,) who joined himself unto him, and, entering into a brotherly covenant, told him he would be his companion. Thus one died to bear testimony to the Truth; and another rises out of his ashes, to be a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage. This Hopeful also told Christian, That there were many more of the men in the Fair, that would take their time, and follow after.'

So I saw, that quickly after they were got out of the Fair, they overtook one that was going before them, whose name was By-ends; so they said to him, "What countryman, sir? and how far go you this way?" He told them, 'That he came from the town of Fair-speech; and he was going to the Celestial city;* but told them not his name. "From Fair-speech! (said Christian :) is there any good that lives there?"

"Yes, (said By-ends,) I hope."..

Christian. Pray, sir, what may I call you?

By-ends. I am a stranger to you, and you to me: if you be going this way, I shall be glad of your company; if not, I must be content.

Christian. This town of Fair-speech I have heard of; and as I remember, they say it is a wealthy place.

*Prov. xxvi. 25.

By-ends. Yes, I will assure you that it is; and I have very many rich kindred there.

Christian. Pray who are your kindred there, if a man may be so bold?

thereb at ther

refore

heard o

By-ends. Almost the whole town; and in particular, my Christi Lord Turn-about; my lord Time-server; my lord Fairspeech; (from whose ancestors that town first took its name;) also Mr. Smooth-man; Mr. Facing-both-ways; Mr. Any-thing; and the parson of our parish, Mr. Two-tongues, Bywas my mother's own brother by my father's side: and, to tell you the truth, I am become a gentleman of good quality: yet my great-grandfather was but a waterman, (looking one way and rowing another:) and I got most of my estate by the same occupation.

Christian. Are you a married man?

By-ends. Yes; and my wife is a very virtuous woman, the daughter of a virtuous woman: she was my lady Feigning's daughter; therefore she came of a very honorable family, and is arrived to such a pitch of breeding, that she knows how to carry it to all, even to prince and peasant. It is true, we somewhat differ in religion from those of the stricter sort; yet but in two small points; first,' We never strive against wind and tide:' secondly, 'We are always most zealous when Religion goes in silver slippers; we love much to walk with him in the street, if the sun shines and the people applaud him.'

Then Christian stepped a little aside to his fellow Hopeful; saying, "It runs in my mind that this is one By-ends, of Fair-speech: and if it be he, we have as very a knave in our company as dwelleth in all these parts." Then said Hopeful, "Ask him; methinks he should not be ashamed of his name."

So Christian came up with him again, and said; "Sir, you talk as if you knew something more than all the world doth; and, if I take not my mark amiss, I deem I have a guess of you. Is not your name Mr. By-ends, of Fairspeech."

By-ends. This is not my name, but indeed it is a nickname that is given me by some that cannot abide me; and I must be content to bear it as a reproach, as other good men have borne theirs before me.

Christian. But did you never give an occasion to men to call you by this name?

By-ends. Never, never! The worst that ever I did to give them an occasion to give me this name was that I had always the luck to jump in my judgment with the present way of the times, whatever it was; and by chance was to

[ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »