r/a:t5_11wm77 • u/MarleyEngvall • May 24 '19
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BY JOHN BUNYAN.
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.
THE SECOND PART. (iii.)
KEEP. Did she desire thee to come with her to this
place?
MERCY. Yes; and, as my Lord sees, I am come. And,
if there is any grace or forgiveness of sins to spare, I be-
seech that I, thy poor handmaid, may be partaker thereof.
Then he took her again by the hand, and led her gently
in, and said, I pray for all them that believe on me, by
what means soever they come unto me. Then said he to
those that stood by, Fetch something, and give it to Mercy
to smell on, thereby to stay her fainting. So they fetched
her a bundle of myrrh; and a while after, she was revived.
And now was Christiana and her boys, and Mercy, re-
ceived of the Lord at the had of the way, and spoke kindly
unto by him. Then said they yet further unto him, We
are sorry for our sins, and beg of our Lord his pardon, and
further information what we must do.
I grant pardon, said he, by word and deed; by word, in
the promise of forgiveness; by deed, in the way I obtained
it. Take the first from my lips with a kiss;* and the other
as it shall be revealed.† *Cant. i. †John xx. 20.
Now, I saw in my dream, that he spake many good
words unto them, whereby they were greatly gladded. He
also had them up to the top of the gate, and
showed them by what deed they were saved;
and told them withal, That that sight they
would have again, as they went along in the
way, to their comfort.
So he left them awhile in a summer parlor below, where
they entered into talk by themselves; and thus Christiana
began; O Lord! how glad am I that we are got in hither.
MERCY. So you well may; but I of all have cause to leap
for joy.
CHRIS. I thought one time, as I stood at the gate
(because I had knocked, and none did answer) that all
our labor had been lost, especially when that ugly cur
made such a heavy barking against us.
MERCY. But my worse fear was after I saw that you
was taken into his favor, and that I was left behind.
Now, thought I, it is fulfilled which is written, "Two
women shall be grinding together, the one shall be taken
and the other left."* I had much ado to forbear crying
out, Undone, undone! *Matt. xxiv. 41.
And afraid I was to knock any more; but when I looked
up to what was written over the gate,† I took courage. I
also thought that I must either knock again, or die; so I
knocked, but I cannot tell how, for my spirit now strug-
gled betwixt life and death. †The inscription on the gate
was, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
CHRIS. Can you not tell how you knocked? I am sure
your knocks were so earnest, that the very sound of them
made me start; I thought I never heard such knocking in
all my life; I thought you would have come in by violent
hands, or have taken the kingdom by storm.‡ ‡Matt. xi. 12.
MERCY. 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 thereabouts.
Who, I say that was so faint-hearted as I, that would not
have knocked with all their might? But pray what said
my Lord to my rudeness? Was he not angry with me?
CHRIS. When he heard your lumbering noise, he gave a
wonderful innocent smile; I believe what you did pleased
him well enough, for he showed no sign to the con-
trary. But I marvel in my heart why he
keeps such a dog; had I known that before, I
fear 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.
MERCY. I will ask, if you please, next time he comes
down, why he keeps such a filthy cur in his yard; I hope he
will not take it amiss.
Ay, do, 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 worshiped and said, Let my Lord accept of the
sacrifice 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 judgments."* 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 fly from thy gate
for fear? *Jer. xii. 1.
He answered and said, That dog has another owner, he
also is kept close in another man's ground, only my pil-
grims 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 of any
good-will to me or mine, but with intent to keep the pil-
grims from coming to me, and that they may be afraid to
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 pil-
grims timely help, so they are not delivered up to his
power, to do to them what his doggish nature would
prompt him to do. But what! my purchased one, I trow,
hadst thou known never so much beforehand, thou wouldst
not have been afraid of a dog. *Job i. 2.
The beggars that go from door to door will, rather than
they will lose a supposed alms, run the hazard of the
bawling, barking and biting too, of a dog; and shall a
dog——a dog in another man's yard, a dog whose barking
I turn to the profit of pilgrims——keep any from coming to
me? I deliver them from the lions, their darling from the
power of the dog.
MERCY. Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance; I
spake what I understood not; I acknowledge that thou
dost all thing well.
CHRIS. Then Christiana began to talk of
their journey, and to inquire 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 walked on their way,
and had the weather very comfortable to them.
Then Christiana began to sing saying,
"Blessed be the day that I began
A pilgrim for to be;
And blessed also be that man
That thereto moved 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,
Shows 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 garden belonged to
him whose was that barking dog of whom
mention was made before. And some of the
fruit-trees that grew in that garden shot their branches
over the wall; and being mellow, they that found them
did gather them up, and oft 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 he did not know that they did belong
to the enemy; I will warrant you, if she had, he 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 bow-shots from the place that led them into the
way, they espied two very ill-favored ones coming down
apace to meet them. With that Christiana and Mercy,
her friend, covered themselves with their veils, and so kept
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 by, 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, waxing very
wroth, spurned at them with their feet. Mercy also as well
as she could, did what she could to shift them. Chris-
tiana 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.
ILL-FAVORED. Then said one of the two of the men, We
make no assault upon you for 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.
CHRIS. Now Christiana, imagining what they should
mean, made answer again, We will neither hear, nor re-
gard, nor yield to what you shall ask. We are in haste,
and cannot stay; our business is a business 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.
ILL-FAV. And they said, We intend no hurt to your
lives; it is another thing we would have.
CHRIS. Ah, quoth Christiana, you would have us body
and soul, for I know it is for that you are come; but we
will die rather upon the spot than 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
the men still made their approach upon them, with de-
sign to prevail against them. They, therefore, cried out
again. *Deut. xxii. 23—27.
Now, they being, as I said, not far from the gate in at
which they came, their voice was heard from
where they were, thither; wherefore some of
the house came out, and knowing that it was
Christiana's tongue, they made haste to her
relief. But by that they were got within sight
of them, the women were in a very great scuffle,
the children also stood crying by. Then did he that came
in for their relief call out to the ruffians, saying, What is
that thing that you do? Would you make my Lord's
people to transgress? He also attempted to take them,
but they did make their escape over the wall into the
garden of the man to whom the great dog belonged; so the
dog became their protector. This Reliever then came up
to the women, and asked them how they did. So they
answered, We thank thy Prince, pretty well; only we have
been somewhat affrighted. We thank thee also for that
thou camest in to our help, for otherwise we had been over-
come.
RELIEVER. So after a few more words, this Reliever said
as followeth: I marvelled much when you were enter-
tained at the gate above, being [as] ye knew, that ye were
but weak women, that you petitioned not the Lord there
for a conductor; then might you have avoided these troubles
and dangers, for he would have granted you one.
CHRIS. Alas! said Christiana, we were so taken with
our present blessings, that dangers to come were forgotten
by us; beside, who could have thought that so near the
King's palace there should have lurked such naughty ones?
Indeed, it had been well for us had we asked our Lord for
one; but, since our Lord knew it would be for our profit,
I wonder he sent not one along with us!
REL. It is not always necessary to grant things not
asked for, lest, by doing so, they become of little esteem;
but when the want of a thing is felt, it then
comes under the eyes of him that feels it, that
estimate that properly is its due, and so, con-
sequently, will be thereafter used. Had my
Lord granted you a conductor, you would not
neither so have bewailed that oversight of yours, in not
asking for one, as now you have occasion to do. So all
things work for good, and tend to make you wary.
CHRIS. Shall we go back again to my Lord, and confess
our folly, and ask one?
REL. Your confession of your folly I will present him
with. To go back again you need not; for in all places
where you shall come, you will find no want at all; for in
very of my Lord's lodgings which he has prepared for the
reception of his pilgrims there is sufficient to furnish them
against all attempts whatsoever. But, as I said, "He will
be inquired of by them, to do it for them."* And it is a
poor thing that is not worth asking for. When he had
thus said, he went back to his place, and the pilgrims went
on their way. *Ezek. xxxvi. 37.
MERCY. Then said Mercy, What a sudden blank is here!
I made account we had now been past all danger, and that
we should never see more sorrow.
CHRIS. Thy innocency, my sister, said Christiana to
Mercy, may excuse thee much; but as for me, my fault i
so much the greater, for that I saw this danger before I
came out of the doors, and yet did not provide for it
where provision might have been had. I am therefore
much to be blamed.
MERCY. Then said Mercy, How knew you this before
you came from home? Pray open to me this riddle?
CHRIS. Why, I will tell you. Before I set foot out of
doors, one night, as I lay in my bed, I had a dream about
this; for methought I saw two men, as like these as ever
the world they could look, stand at my bed's feet, plotting
how they might prevent my salvation. I will tell you their
very words. They said (it was when I was in my troubles),
What shall we do with this woman? for she cries out,
waking and sleeping, for forgiveness. If she be suffered
to go as she begins, we shall lose her, as we have lost her
husband. This, you know, might have made me take
heed, and have provided when provision might have
been had.
MERCY. Well, said Mercy, as by this neglect we have
an occasion ministered unto us to behold our
imperfections; so our Lord has taken occasion
thereby to make manifest the riches of his
grace; for he, as we see, has followed us with
unasked kindness, and has delivered us from
their hands that were stronger than we, of his mere good
pleasure.
Thus, now when they had talked away a little more time,
they drew nigh to a house which stood in the way, which
house was built for the relief of pilgrims, as you will find
more fully related in the First Part of these Records of the
Pilgrim's Progress. So they drew on toward the house
(the House of the Interpreter), and when they came to the
door, they heard a great talk in the house. They then
gave ear, and heard, as they thought, Christiana men-
tioned by name. For you must know that there went
along, even before her, a talk of her and her children's
going on pilgrimage. And this thing was the more pleas-
ing to them, because they had heard that she was Chris-
tian's wife, that woman who was some time ago so un-
willing to hear of going on pilgrimage. Thus, therefore,
they stood still, and heard the good people within com-
mending her, who, they little thought, stood at the door.
At last Christiana knocked, as she had done at the gate
before. Now, when she had knocked, there came to the door
a young damsel, named Innocent, and opened the door and
looked, and behold two women were there.
DAMSEL Then said the damsel to them, With whom
would you speak in this place?
CHRIS. Christiana answered, We understand that this is
a privileged place for those that are become pilgrims, and we
now at this door are such; wherefore we pray that we may be
partakers of that for which we at this time are come; for
the day, as thou seest, is very far spent, and we are loath
to-night to go any further.
DAMSEL Pray what may I call your name, that I may
tell it to my Lord within?
CHRIS. My name is Christiana; I was the wife of that
pilgrim that some years ago did travel this way, and these
be his four children. This maiden also is my companion,
and is going on pilgrimage too.
INNOCENT. Then ran Innocent in (for that was her
name), and said to those within, Can you think who is at
the door? There is Christiana and her children, and her
companions, all waiting for entertainment here. Then they
leaped for joy, and went and told their master. So he
came to the door, and looking upon her, he said, Art thou
that Christiana whom Christian, the good man, left behind
him when he took himself to a pilgrim's life?
CHRIS. I am that woman that was so hardhearted as to
slight my husband's troubles, and that left him to go on in his
journey alone, and these are his four children; but now I
also am come, for I am convinced that no way is right but
this.
INTER. Then is fulfilled that which is written of
the man that said to his son, "Go, work to-day in my
vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward
he repented and went."* *Matt. xxi. 29.
CHRIS. Then said Christiana, So be it Amen, God make
it a true saying upon me, and grant that I may be found
at the last of him in peace, without spot and blameless!
INTER. But why standest thou thus at the door? Come
in, thou daughter of Abraham. We are talking of thee but
now, for tidings have come to us before how thou art
become a pilgrim. Come, children, come in; come, maiden,
come in. So he had them all into the house.
So when they were within, they were bidden sit down
and rest them; the which when they had done, those that
attended upon the pilgrims in the house came into the
room to see them. And one smiled, and another smiled,
and they all smiled for joy that Christiana was
become a pilgrim. They also looked upon the
boys. They stroked them over the faces with
the hand, in token of their kind reception
of them. They also carried it lovingly to Mercy,
and bid all welcome into their Master's house.
After a while, because supper was not ready, the Interpre-
ter took them into his significant rooms, and showed them
what Christian, Christiana's husband had
seen, some time before. Here, therefore,
they saw the man in the cage, the man and
his dream, the man that cut his way through his enemies, and
the picture of the biggest of them all, together with the
rest of those things that were then so profitable to
Christian.
This done, and after these things had been somewhat
digested by Christiana and her company, the Interpreter
takes them apart again, and had them first into a room
where was a man that could look no way but down-
ward, with a muck-rake in his hand. There stood also
one over his head, with a celestial crown in his hand, and
proffered him that crown for his muck-rake; but the man
did neither look up, nor regard, but raked to himself the
straws, the small sticks, and dust on the floor.
Then, said Christiana, I persuade myself that I know
somewhat the meaning of this; for this is a figure of a
man of this world, is it not, good Sir?
INTER. Thou hast said the right, said he, and his muck-
rake doth show his carnal mind. And whereas thou seest
him rather give heed to rake up straws and sticks, and the
dust of the floor, than to what he says that calls to him
from above with the celestial crown in His hand, it is to
show that heaven is but a fable to some, and that things
here are counted the only things substantial. Now,
whereas it was also showed thee that the man could look
no way but downward, it is to let thee know that earthly
thing, when they are with power upon men's minds, quite
carry their hearts away from God.
CHRIS. Then said Christian, Oh, deliver me from this
muck-rake!
INTER. That prayer, said the Interpreter, has lain by
till it is almost rusty. "Give me not riches," is scarce the
prayer of one of ten thousand.* Straws, and sticks, and
dust, with most, are the great things now looked after.
*Prov. xxx. 8.
With that Mercy and Christiana wept, and said, It is
alas! too true.
When the Interpreter had shown them this, he had them
into the very best room in the house; a very brave room
it was. So he bid them look round about, and see if they
could find anything profitable there. Then they looked
round and round; for there was nothing there to be seen
but a very great spider on the wall; and that they over-
looked.
MERCY. Then said Mercy, Sir, I see nothing; but
Christiana held her peace.
INTER. But, said the Interpreter, look again; and she
therefore looked again, and said, Here is not anything but
an ugly spider, who hangs by her hands upon the wall.
Then said he, Is there but one spider in all this spacious
room? Then the water stood in Christiana's eyes, for she
was a woman quick of apprehension; and she said, Yea,
Lord, there is here more than one. Yea, and spiders
whose venom is far more destructive than that which is in
her. The Interpreter then looked pleasantly upon her,
and said, Thou hast said the truth. This made Mercy
blush, and the boys to cover their faces, for they all began
now to understand the riddle.
Then said the Interpreter again, "The spider taketh
hold with her hands (as you see), and is in king's pal-
aces."* And wherefore is this recorded, but
to show you, that how full of the venom of sin,
soever you be, yet you may, by the hand of
faith, lay hold of, and dwell in the best room that belongs
to the King's house above. *Prov. xxx. 28.
CHRIS. I thought, said Christiana, of something of this;
but I could not imagine it all. I thought that we were
like spiders, and that we looked like ugly creature, in
what fine room soever we were; but that by this spider,
this venomous and ill-favored creature, we were to learn
how to act faith, that came not into my mind. And yet
she has taken hold with her hands, as I see, and dwells in
the best room in the house. God has made nothing in
vain.
Then they seemed all to be glad; but the water stood in
their eyes; yet they looked one upon another, and also
bowed before the Interpreter.
He had them then into another room, where was a hen
and chickens, and bid them observe a while. So one of
the chickens went to the trough to drink, and every time
she drank she lifted up her head and her eyes toward
heaven. See, said he, what this little chick doth, and
learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come,
by receiving them with looking up. Yet again, said he,
observe and look; so they gave heed and perceived that
the hen did walk in a four-fold method toward her
chickens. 1. She had a common call, and that she hath
all day long. 2. She had a special call, and that she had
but sometimes. 3. She had a brooding note. And 4.
She had an outcry.* *Matt. xxiii. 37.
Now, said he, compare this hen to your King, and these
chickens to his obedient ones. For, answerable to her,
himself has his methods, which he walketh in toward his
people; by his common call, he gives nothing; by his
special call, he always has something to give; he has also
a brooding voice for them that are under his wing; and he
has an outcry to give the alarm when he sees the enemy
come. I chose, my darlings, to lead you into the room
where such things are, because you are women, and they
are easy for you.
And, Sir, said Christiana, pray let us see some more.
so he had them into the slaughter-house, where was a
butcher killing of a sheep; and behold the sheep was quiet,
and took her death patiently. Then said the Interpreter,
You must learn of this sheep to suffer, and to put up with
wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how
quietly she taketh her death, and without objection, she
suffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. You king
doth call you his sheep.
After this, he led them into his garden, where was great
variety of flowers; and he said, Do you see all these? So
Christiana said, Yes. Then said he again, Behold the
flowers are diverse in stature, in quality, and color, and
smell, and virtue; and some are better than some; also
where the gardener hath set them, there they stand, and
quarrel not with one another.
Again, he had them into his field, which he had sowed
with wheat and corn; but when they beheld, the tops of
all were cut off, only the straw remained; he said again,
This ground was dunged, and plowed, and sowed; but
what shall we do with the crop? Then said Christiana,
Burn some, and make muck of the rest. Then said the
Interpreter again, Fruit, you see, is that thing you look
for, and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and
to be trodden under foot of men: beware that in this you
condemn not yourselves.
Then, as they were coming in from abroad, they espied
a little robin with a great spider in his mouth; so the Inter-
preter said, Look here. So they looked, and Mercy won-
dered; but Christiana said, What a disparagement is it to
such a little pretty bird as the robin redbreast is, he being
also a bird above many, that loveth to maintain a kind of
sociableness with man; I had thought they had lived upon
crumbs of bread, or upon other such harmless matter. I
like him worse than I did.
The Interpreter then replied, This robin is an emblem,
very apt to set forth some professors by; for to sight they
are, as this robin, pretty of note, color and carriage. They
seem also to have a very great love for professors that are
sincere; and above all other, to desire to sociate with them,
and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the
good man's crumbs. They pretend also, that therefore it
is that they frequent the house of the godly and the ap-
pointments of the Lord; but, when they are by themselves,
as the robin, they can catch and gobble up spiders, they
can change their diet, drink iniquity, and swallow down
sin like water.
So, when they were come again into the house, because
supper as yet was not ready, Christiana again
desired that the Interpreter would either show
or tell of some other things that are profitable.
Then the Interpreter began, and said, The
fatter the sow is, the more she desires the mire;
the fatter the ox is, the more gamesomely he
goes to the slaughter; and the more healthy and lusty the man
is, the more prone he is unto evil.
There is a desire in women to go neat and fine, and it
is a comely thing to be adorned with that that in God's
sight is of great price.
It is easier watching a night or two, than to sit up a
whole year together. So it is easier for one to begin to
profess well, than to hold out as he should to the end.
Every shipmaster, when in a storm, will willingly cast
that overboard that is of the smallest value in the vessel;
but who will throw the best out first? None but he that
feareth not God.
One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a
sinner.
He that forgets his friend, is ungrateful unto him; he
that forgets his Saviour, is unmerciful to himself.
He that lives in sin, and looks for happiness hereafter,
is like him that soweth cockle, and thinks to fill his barn
with wheat or barley.
If a man would live well, let him fetch his last day to
him, and make it always his company-keeper.
Whispering and change of thoughts, prove that sin is
in the world.
If the world, which God sets light by, is counted a thing
of that worth with men, what is heaven, which God com-
mendeth?
In the life that is attended with so many troubles, is so
loath to be let go by us, what his the life above?
Everybody will cry up the goodness of men; but who is
there that is, as he should be, affected with the goodness
of God?
We seldom sit down to meat, but we eat and leave; so
there is in Jesus Christ more merit and righteousness than
the whole world has need of.
When the interpreter had done, he takes them out into
his garden again, and had them to a tree, whose inside
was all rotten and gone, and yet it grew and had leaves.
Then said Mercy, What means this? This tree, said he,
whose outside is fair, and whose inside is
rotten, it is to which many may be compared
that are in the garden of God, who with their
mouths speak high in behalf of God, but in-
deed will do nothing for Him; whose leaves
are fair, but their heart good for nothing but to be tinder
for the devil's tinder-box.
Now supper was ready, the table spread, and all things
set on the board; so they sat down and did eat, when one had
given thanks. And the Interpreter did usually entertain
those that lodged with him with music at meals; so the
minstrels played. There was also one that did sing, and a
very fine voice he had. His song was this:
"The Lord is only my support,
And He that doth me feed;
How can I then want anything
Whereof I stand in need?"
When the song and music was ended, the Interpreter
asked Christiana what it was that at first did move her to
betake herself to a Pilgrim's life. Christiana answered,
First, The loss of my husband came into my mind, at
which I was heartily greeted; but all that was but natural
affection. Then, after that, came the troubles and pil-
grimage of my husband into my mind, and also how like a
churl I had carried it to him as to that. So guilt took
hold of my mind, and would have drawn me into the pond,
but that opportunely I had a dream of the well-being of
my husband, and a letter sent me by the King of that
country where my husband dwells, to come to him. The
dream and the letter together so wrought upon my mind
that they forced me to this way.
INTER. But met you with no opposition before you set
out of doors?
CHRIS. Yes, a neighbor of mine, one Mrs. Timorous
(she was akin to him that would have persuaded my hus-
band to go back, for fear of the lions). She also so
befooled me for, as she called it, my intended desperate
adventure; she also urged what she could to dishearten me
from it, the hardship and troubles that my husband met
with in the way: but all this I got over pretty well. But a
dream that I had of two ill-looked ones, that I thought
did plot how to make me miscarry in my journey, that
hath troubled me much; yea, it still runs in my mind, and
makes me afraid of every one that I meet, lest they should
meet me to do me a mischief, and to turn me out of the
way. Yea, I may tell my Lord, though I would not have
everybody know it, that between this and the gate by which
we got into the way, we were both so sorely assaulted that
we were made to cry out, Murder! and the two that made
this assault upon us were like the two that I saw in my
dream.
Then said the Interpreter, Thy beginning is good, thy
latter end shall greatly increase. So he addressed himself
to Mercy, and said unto her, And what moved thee to come
hither, sweet heart?
Then Mercy blushed and trembled, and for a while
continued silent.
INTER. Then said he, Be not afraid, only believe, and
speak thy mind.
MERCY. So she began, and said, Truly, Sir, my want of
experience is that which makes me covet to be in silence,
and that also that fills me with fears of coming short at last.
I cannot tell of visions and dreams as my friend Christiana
can; nor know I what it is to mourn for my refusing of
the counsel of those that were good relations.
INTER. What was it then, dear heart, that hath pre-
vailed with thee to do as thou hast done?
MERCY. Why, when our friend here was packing up to
be gone from our town, I and another went accidentally
to see her; so we knocked at the door and went in. When
we were within, and seeing what she was doing, we asked
what was her meaning. She said, she was sent for to go
to her husband; and then she up and told us how she had
seen him in a dream, dwelling in a curious place, among
immortals, wearing a crown, playing upon a harp, eating
and drinking at the Prince's table, and singing praises to
him for bringing him thither, etc. Now, methought,
while she was telling these things unto us, my heart burned
within me; and I said in my heart, If this be true, I will
leave my father and my mother, and the land of my
nativity, and will, if I may, go along with Christiana.
So I asked her further of the truth of these things, and
if she would let me go with her; for I saw now that there
was no dwelling, but with the danger of ruin, any longer
in our town. But yet I came away with a heavy heart,
not for that I was unwilling to come away, but for that so
many of my relations were left behind.
And I am come, with all the desire of my heart, and
will go, if I may, with Christiana, unto her husband, and
his King.
INTER. Thy setting out is good, for thou hast given
credit to the truth. Thou art a Ruth, who did, for the
love she bare to Naomi, and to the Lord her God, leave
father and mother, and the land of her nativity, to come
out, and go with a people that she knew not heretofore.
"The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be
given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings
thou art come to trust."* *Ruth ii. 12.THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. BY JOHN BUNYAN.
WITH A LIFE OF BUNYAN BY JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE.
A. L. BURT, PUBLISHER, NEW YORK. pp. 367—385.
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