Gr.-h. Do they think they shall know themselves then, or that they shall rejoice to see themselves in that bliss? and if they think they shall know and do these, why not know others, and rejoice in their welfare also? Again, since relations are our second self, though that state will be dissolved, yet why may it not be rationally concluded that we shall be more glad to see them there, than to see they are wanting?

Val. Well, I perceive whereabouts you are as to this. Have you any more things to ask me about my beginning to come on pilgrimage?

Gr.-h. Yes: was your father and mother willing that you should become a pilgrim ?

Val. Oh no! they used all means imaginable to persuade me to stay at home.

Gr.-h. What could they say against it?

Val, They said, it was an idle life; and, if I myself were not inclined to sloth and laziness, I would never countenance a pilgrim's condition.

Gr.-h. And what did they say else?

Val. Why, they told me that it was a dangerous way; Yea, the most dangerous way in the world, say they, is that which the pilgrims go.

Gr.-h. Did they show

gerous?

you wherein this way is dan

Val. Yes; and that in many particulars.
Gr.-h. Name some of them.

Val. They told me of the slough of Despond, where Christian was well nigh smothered. They told me, that there were archers standing ready in Beelzebub Castle, to shoot them who should knock at the Wicket-gate for entrance. They told me also of the wood and dark mountains, of the hill Difficulty, of the lions: and also of the three giants Bloody-man, Maul, and Slay-good: they said moreover, that there was a foul fiend haunted the valley of Humiliation; and that Christian was by him almost bereft of life. Besides, said they, you must go over the valley of the Shadow of Death, where the hobgoblins are, where the light is darkness, where the way is full of snares, pits, traps, and gins.-They told me also of giant Despair, of Doubting Castle, and of the ruin that the pilgrims met

BB

with there. Further, they said I mustgo over the Enchanted Ground, which was dangerous. And that after all this I should find a river over which I should find no bridge; and that the river did lie betwixt me and the Celestial Country.

Gr.-h. And was this all?

Val. No: they also told me, that this way was full of deceivers; and of persons that lay in wait there, to turn good men out of their path.

Gr.-h. But how did they make that out?

Val. They told me that Mr. Worldly-wise-man did lie there in wait to deceive. They also said, that there was Formality and Hypocrisy continually on the road. They said also, that By-ends, Talkative, or Demas, would go near to gather me up: that the Flatterer would catch me in his net; or that, with green-headed Ignorance, I would presume to go on to the gate, from whence he was sent back to the hole, that was in the side of the hill, and made to go the by-way to hell.

Gr.-h. I promise you, this was enough to discourage thee. But did they make an end there ?

Val. No, stay. They told me also of many that tried that way of old, and that had gone a great way therein, to see if they could find something of the glory then, that so many had so much talked of from time to time; and how they came back again, and befooled themselves for setting a foot out of doors in that path,-to the satisfaction of the country. And they named several that did so, as Obstinate and Pliable, Mistrust and Timorous, Turn-away, and old Atheist, with several more; who, they said, had some of them gone far to see what they could find; but not one of them found so much advantage by going, as amounted to the weight of a feather.

Gr.-h. Said they any thing more to discourage you? Val. Yes; they told me of one Mr. Fearing, who was a pilgrim; and how he found his way so solitary, that he never had a comfortable hour therein also that Mr. Despondency had like to have been starved therein, yea, and also (which I had almost forgot), Christian himself, about whom there has been such a noise, after all his ventures for a celestial crown, was certainly drowned in

the black river, and never went a foot further, however it was smothered up.

Gr.-h. And did none of these things discourage you? Val. No; they seemed as so many nothings to me. Gr.-h. How came that about?

Val. Why, I still believed what Mr. Tell-truth had said, and that carried me beyond them all.

Gr.-h. Then this was your victory, even your faith? Val. It was so I believed, and therefore came out, got into the way, fought all that set themselves against me, and, by believing, am come to this place.

Who would true valour see,

Let him come hither;

One here will constant be,

Come wind, come weather;
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avow'd intent
To be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound,
His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright;
He'll with a giant fight,
But he will have a right
To be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit;
He knows, he at the end

Shall life inherit.

Then fancies fly away,

He'll not fear what men say,

He'll labour night and day

To be a pilgrim.'

}

By this time they were got to the Enchanted Ground, where the air naturally tended to make one drowsy: and that place was all grown over with briars and thorns, excepting here and there where was an enchanted arbour, upon which if a man sits, or in which if a man sleeps, 'tis a question, say some, whether ever he shall rise or wake again in this world. Over this forest therefore they went, 1 Part i. p. 123.

both one and another; and Mr. Great-heart went before, for that he was the guide, and Mr. Valiant-for-truth came behind, being rear-guard; for fear lest peradventure some fiend, or dragon, or giant, or thief, should fall upon their rear, and so do mischief. They went on here, each man with his sword drawn in his hand, for they knew it was a dangerous place. Also they cheered up one another, as well as they could; Feeble-mind, Mr. Great-heart commanded, should come up after him, and Mr. Despondency was under the eye of Mr. Valiant.

Now they had not gone far, but a great mist and darkness fell upon them all;, so that they could scarce, for a great while, one see the other; wherefore they were forced, for some time, to feel for one another by words, for they walked not by sight. But any one must think, that here was but sorry going for the best of them all; but how much the worse was it for the women and children, who but of feet and heart also were but tender !— Yet nevertheless so it was, that through the encouraging words of him that led in the front, and of him that brought them up behind, they made a pretty good shift to wag along.

The way was also here very wearisome, through dirt and slabbiness. Nor was there, on all this ground, so much as one inn or victualling-house, therein to refresh the feebler sort. Here therefore was grunting, and puffing, and sighing: while one tumbled over a bush, another sticks fast in the dirt; and the children, some of them lost their shoes in the mire: while one cries out, 'I am down;' and another, Ho, where are you?' And a third, The bushes have got such fast hold on me, I think I cannot get away from them.'

Then they came to an arbour, warm, and promising much refreshing to the pilgrims: for it was finely wrought above-head, beautified with greens, furnished with benches and settles. It had in it a soft couch, where the weary might lean. This, you must think, all things considered, was tempting; for the pilgrims already began to be foiled with the badness of the way; but there was not one of them that made so much as a motion to stop there. Yea, for ought I could perceive, they continu

ally gave so good heed to the advice of their guide, and he did so faithfully tell them of dangers, and of the nature of dangers, when they were at them, that usually when they were nearest to them, they did most pluck up their spirits, and hearten one another to deny the flesh.-Thè arbour was called the Slothful's Friend, on purpose to allure, if it might be, some of the pilgrims there to take up their rest when weary.

I saw then in my dream, that they went. on in this their solitary ground, till they came to a place at which a man is apt to lose his way. Now, though when it was light, their guide could well enough tell how to miss those ways that led wrong, yet in the dark he was put to a stand: but he had in his pocket a map of all ways leading to or from the Celestial City; wherefore he struck a light (for he never goes also without his tinder-box), and takes a view of his book or map, which bids him be careful, in that place, to turn to the right hand. And had he not here been careful to look in his map, they had in all probability been smothered in the mud; for just a little before them, and that at the end of the cleanest way too, was a pit, none knows how deep, full of nothing but mud, there made on purpose to destroy the pilgrims in.

Then thought I with myself, who, that goeth on pilgrimage, but would have one of these maps about him, that he may look when he is at a stand, which is the way he must take.

They went on, then, in this Enchanted Ground, till they came to where there was another arbour, and it was built by the high-way side. And in that arbour there lay two men, whose names were Heedless and Toobold. These two went thus far on pilgrimage; but here, being wearied with their journey, sat down to rest themselves, and so fell fast asleep. When the pilgrims saw them, they stood still, and shook their heads; for they knew that the sleepers were in a pitiful case. Then they consulted what to do, whether to go on and leave them in their sleep, or step to them and try to awake them.-So they concluded to go to them, and awake them; that is, if they could; but with this caution, namely, to take