WORLDIY-WISEMAN continues to tempt CHRISTIAN. wilt never be settled in thy mind till then; nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessings which God hath bestowed upon thee till then. CHR. That is that which I seek for, even to be rid of this heavy burden: but get it off myself I cannot : nor is there any man in our country that can take it off my shoulders: therefore am I going this way, as I told you, that I may be rid of my burden. WORLD. Who bid thee go this way to be rid of thy burden? CHR. A man that appeared to me to be a very great and honourable person; his name, as I re member, is EVANGELIST. WORLD. I beshrew him for his counsel; there is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than is that unto which he hath directed thee; and that thou shalt find if thou wilt be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something as I perceive already for I see the dirt of the Slough of DESPOND is upon thee; but that Slough is the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go on in that way. Hear me, I am older than thou; thou art like to meet with on the way which thou goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death, and what not! These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And why should a man so carelessly cast away himself by giving heed to a stranger? CHR. Why, sir, this burden on my back is more CHRISTIAN directed to Mr. LEGALITY. terrible to me than are all these things which you have mentioned; nay, methinks I care not what I meet with in the way, so be I can also meet with deliverance from my burden. WORLD. How camest thou by thy burden at first? CHR. By reading this book in my hand. WORLD. I thought so; and it happened unto thee as to other weak men, who meddling with things too high for them, do suddenly fall into thy distractions; which distractions do not only unman men, (as thine I perceive have done thee,) but they run them upon desperate ventures to obtain they know not what. CHR. I know what I would obtain; it is ease for my heavy burden. WORLD. But why wilt thou seek for ease this way, seeing so many dangers attend it? Especially since, hadst thou patience to hear me, I could direct thee to the obtaining of what thou desirest, without the dangers that thou in this way will run thyself into. Yea, and the remedy is at hand. Besides, I will add, that, instead of these dangers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content. CHR. Pray, Sir, open this secret to me. WORLD. Why in yonder village, (the village is named MORALITY) there dwells a gentleman, whose name is LEGALITY, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that hath skill to help men off with such burdens as thine are from their shoulders; yea, to my knowledge he hath done a great deal of CHRISTIAN turns to Mr. LEGALITY'S. good this way aye, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. To him, as I said, thou mayest go and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile from this place; and if he should not be at home himself, he hath a pretty young man to his son, whose name is CIVILITY, that can do it (to speak on) as well as the old gentleman himself. There, I say, thou mayest be eased of thy burden: and if thou art not minded to go back to thy former habitation, as indeed I would not wish thee, thou mayest send for thy wife and children to thee to this village; where there are houses now stand empty, one of which thou mayest have at reasonable rates. Provision is there also cheap and good and that which will make thy life more happy, is, to be sure there thou shalt live by honest neighbours in credit and good fashion. Now was CHRISTIAN somewhat at a stand; but presently he concluded, If this be true which this gentleman has said, my wisest course is to take his advice and with that he thus further spoke. CHR. Sir, which is my way to the honest man's house? WORLD. Do you see yonder hill ? WORLD. By that hill you must go and the first you come at is his. So CHRISTIAN turned out of his way to go to CHRISTIAN stopped on his way to Mr. LEGALITY'S. But behold when Mr. LEGALITY's house for help. he was got now hard by the hill, it seemed so high, and also that side of it that was next the way side did hang so much over, that CHRISTIAN was afraid to venture further, lest the hill should fall on his head; wherefore there he stood still and he wot not what to do. Also his burden now seemed heavier to him than while he was in his way. There came also flashes of fire out of the hill, that made CHRISTIAN afraid that he should be burned ;* here therefore he did sweat and quake for fear. And now he began to be sorry he had taken Mr. WORLDLY-WISEMAN'S counsel. And with that he saw EVANGELIST coming to meet him at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So EVANGELIST drew nearer and nearer and coming up to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, and thus began to reason with CHRISTIAN. 'What doest thou here?' said he. At which word CHRISTIAN knew not what to answer; wherefore at present he stood speechless before him. Then * And it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunders, and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud: so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God: and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Exod. xix. 16-18. And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. Heb. xii. 21. : Meets EVANGELIST the second time. said EVANGELIST further, Art thou not the man 'that I found crying without the walls of the City ' of DESTRUCTION?' CHR. Yes, dear Sir, I am the man. EVAN. Did not I direct thee the way to the little WICKET-GATE? Yes, dear Sir, said CHRISTIAN. EVAN. How is it then that thou art so quickly turned aside? for thou art now out of the way. CHR. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the Slough of DESPOND, who persuaded me that I might, in the village before me, find a man that could take off my burden. EVAN. What was he? CHR. He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me at last to yield; so I came hither but when I beheld this hill, and how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand lest it should fall on my head. EVAN. What said that gentleman to you ? CHR. Why he asked me whither I was going: and I told him. EVAN. And what said he then? CHR. He asked me if I had a family, and I told him but, said I, I that is on my back, them as formerly. am so loaden with the burden that I cannot take pleasure in EVAN. And what said he then CHR. He bid me with speed get rid of my bur den, and I told him 'twas ease that I sought; and |