MERCY asks concerning the dog.

MER. Alas, to be in my case who that so was could but have done so? You saw that the door was shut upon me, and that there was a most cruel dog thereabout. Who, I say, that was so faint-hearted as I, would not have knocked with all their might? --But pray, What said my LORD unto my rudeness? Was he not angry with me?

CHR. When he heard your lambering noise, he gave a wonderful innocent smile: I believe what you did pleased him well, for he shewed no sign to the contrary. But I marvel in my heart why he keeps such a dog: had I known that before, I should not have had heart enough to have ventured myself in this manner. But now we are in, we are in, and I am glad with all my heart..

MER. I will ask, if you please, the next time he comes down, why he keeps such a filthy cur in his yard; I hope he will not take it amiss.

Do so, said the children, and persuade him to hang him, for we are afraid he will bite us when we go hence.

So at last he came down to them again, and MERCY fell to the ground on her face before him, and worshipped and said, Let my LORD accept the sa'crifice of praise which I now offer unto him, with 'the calves of my lips.'

So he said unto her,

Peace be to thee: stand up.' But she continued upon her face, and said, Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with "thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judg

GOODWILI.'s answer.

ments" Jer. xii. 1, 2. Wherefore dost thou keep 'so cruel a dog in thy yard, at the sight of which such women and children as we are ready to flee 'from the Gate for fear?'

He answered and said,

That dog has another ' owner; he also is kept close in another man's

ground, only my Pilgrims hear his barking: he belongs to the Castle which you see there at a 'distance, but can come up to the walls of this place. He has frighted many an honest pilgrim 'from worse to better, by the great voice of his roaring. Indeed he that owneth him doth not keep 'him out of any good-will to me or mine, but with 'intent to keep the Pilgrims from coming to me, and 'that they may be afraid to come and knock at this 'Gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken 'out, and has worried some that I loved; but I take all at present patiently. I also give my Pilgrims timely help, so that they are not deliver'ed up to his power, to do them what his doggish nature would prompt him to. But what, my 'purchased one, I trow, hadst thou known never

so much before-hand, thou wouldst not have 'been afraid of a dog. The beggars that go from 'door to door, will, rather than they will lose a sup→

posed alms, run the hazard of the bawling, bark

ing, and biting too, of a dog: and shall a dog "in another man's yard, a dog whose barking I turn to the profit of pilgrims, keep any from com

CHRISTIANA departs.

ing to me?" I deliver them from the lions, and my darling from the power of the dog."

Then said MERCY, I confess my ignorance: I speak what I understand not: I acknowledge that thou doest all things well.

Then CHRISTIANA began to talk of their journey and to enquire after the way." So he fed them and washed their feet, and set them in the way of his steps, according as he had dealt with her husband before.

So I saw in my dream that they went on their way and the weather was comfortable to them.

Then CHRISTIANA began to sing, saying,

'Bless'd be the day that I began

A pilgrim for to be;
And blessed also be that man

That thereunto mov'd me.
'Tis true, 'twas long ere I began
To seek to live for ever;*
But now I run fast as I can :

"Tis better late than never.

Our tears to joy, our fears to faith,

Are turned as we see ;

That our beginning, (as one saith)

Shews what our end will be.'

Now there was on the other side of the wall, that fenced in the way, up which CHRISTIANA and her companions were to go, a garden, and that belonged

* Part i. p.
30.

↑ So the first shall be last, and the last first: for many are called

but few chosen. Matt. xx. 16.

The boys eat the enemy's fruit.

to him, whose was that barking dog of whom mention was made before. And some of the fruit-trees, that grew in the garden, shot their branches over the wall; and being mellow, they that found them did gather them up and eat of them to their hurt. So CHRISTIANA'S boys, (as boys are apt to do ;) being pleased with the trees, and with the fruit that did hang thereon, did pluck them, and began to eat. Their mother did also chide them for so doing, but still the boys went on.

'Well,' said she, my sons, you transgress, for 'that fruit is none of ours:' but she did not know that they did belong to the enemy: I'll warrant you, if she had, she would have been ready to die for fear. But that passed, and they went on their way. -Now, by that they were gone about two bows' shot from the place that led them into the way, they espied two very ill-favoured ones coming down apace to meet them. With that CHRISTIANA and MERCY her friend covered themselves with their veils and kept also on their journey: the children also went on before: so that at last they met together. Then they that came down to meet them, came just up to the women, as if they would embrace them : but CHRISTIANA said, Stand back, or go peaceably as you should.' Yet these two, as men that are deaf, regarded not CHRISTIANA's words, but began to lay hands upon them: at that CHRISTIANA waxed very wroth, and spurned at them with he feet. MERCY also, as well as she could, did wha. (9.)

M m

The women are assaulted by two men.

she could to shift them, CHRISTIANA again said to them, 'Stand back, and begone, for we have no money to lose, being Pilgrims, as you see, and such 'too as live upon the charity of our friends.'

Then said one of the two men, ' We make no as'sault upon your money, but are come out to tell 'you, that if you will but grant one small request which we shall ask, we will make women of you ' for ever.'

Now CHRISTIANA, imagining what they should mean, made answer again, We will neither hear nor regard, nor yield to what you shall ask. We ' are in haste and cannot stay: our business is of life and death.' So again she and her companions made a fresh essay to go past them: but they letted them in their way.

And they said, 'We intend no hurt to your lives; ''tis another thing we would have.'

'Ay,' quoth CHRISTIANA, 'you would have us body and soul, for I know 'tis for that you are come; but we will die rather upon the spot, than 'to suffer ourselves to be brought into such snares ' as shall hazard our well-being hereafter.' And with that they both shrieked out, and cried Murder! Murder! and so put themselves under those laws that are provided for the protection of women.*

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the inan force her, and lie with her then the man only that lie with her shall die: but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel y sin worthy of death: for as when a man risetu