The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
[Sidenote: BY-ENDS OF FAIR-SPEECH]
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.
CHRIS. "From Fair-speech! are there any that be good live there?"
BY. "Yes," said By-ends, "I hope."
CHRIS. Pray, sir, what may I call you?
BY. 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.
CHRIS. This town of Fair-speech, I have heard of it; and, as I remember,
they say it's a wealthy place.
BY. Yes, I will assure you that it is; and I have very many rich kindred
there.
CHRIS. Pray, who are your kindred there? if a man may be so bold.
BY. Almost the whole town; but in particular my Lord Turnabout, my Lord
Timeserver, my Lord Fair-speech, from whose ancestors that town first
took its name; also Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, Mr. Anything;
and the parson of our parish, Mr. Two-tongues, was my mother's own
brother by 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.
CHRIS. Are you a married man?
BY. 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. 'Tis
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 is well dressed and
goes in his silver slippers: we love much to walk with him in the
street if the sun shines and the people praise 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 half a guess of you. Is not your
name Mr. By-ends, of Fair-speech?"
BY. 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.
CHRIS. But did you never give an occasion to men to call you by this
name?
BY. 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 my chance was to
gain thereby. But if things are thus cast upon me, let me count them a
blessing; but let not the malicious load me therefore with reproach.
CHRIS. I thought, indeed, that you were the man that I heard of; and, to
tell you what I think, I fear this name belongs to you more properly
than you are willing we should think it doth.
BY. Well, if you will thus imagine, I cannot help it: you shall find me
a fair company-keeper if you still admit me your companion.
CHRIS. If you will go with us, you must go against wind and tide; the
which, I perceive, is against your opinion; you must also own Religion
in his rags, as well as when in his silver slippers; and stand by him,
too, when bound in irons, as well as when he walketh the streets with
applause.
BY. You must not impose or lord it over my faith; leave it to my
liberty, and let me go with you.
CHRIS. Not a step farther, unless you will do in what I declare as we
do.
BY. Then said By-ends, "I never desert my old principles, since they are
harmless and profitable. If I may not go with you, I must do as I did
before you overtook me, even go by myself, until some overtake me that
will be glad of my company."
[Sidenote: MONEY-LOVE'S PRINCIPLES]
Now, I saw in my dream that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept
their distance before him; but one of them, looking back, saw three men
following Mr. By-ends; and, behold, as they came up with him, he made
them a very low bow, and they also gave him a compliment. The men's
names were Mr. Hold-the-world, Mr. Money-love, and Mr. Save-all; men
that Mr. By-ends had been formerly acquainted with; for in their
boyhood they were schoolfellows, and taught by one Mr. Gripe-man a
schoolmaster in Love-gain, which is a market town in the county of
Coveting, in the North. This schoolmaster taught them the art of
getting, either by violence, cheating, flattery, lying, or by putting on
a pretence of religion; and these four gentlemen had learned much of the
art of their master, so that they could each of them have kept such a
school themselves.
Well, when they had, as I said, thus saluted each other, Mr. Money-love
said to Mr. By-ends, "Who are they upon the road before us?" for
Christian and Hopeful were yet within view.
BY. They are a couple of far countrymen, that, after their mode, are
going on pilgrimage.
MONEY. Alas! why did they not stay, that we might have had their good
company? for they, and we, and you, sir, I hope, are all going on
pilgrimage.
BY. We are so, indeed; but the men before us are so rigid, and love so
much their own notions, and do also so lightly esteem the opinions of
others, that, let a man be ever so godly, yet, if he agrees not with
them in all things, they thrust him quite out of their company.
SAVE. That is bad; but we read of some that are righteous overmuch, and
such men's rigidness makes them to judge and condemn all but themselves.
But I pray, what and how many were the things wherein you differed?
BY. Why, they, after their headstrong manner conclude that it is their
duty to rush on their journey all weathers; and I am for waiting for
wind and tide. They are for taking the risk of all for God at a clap;
and I am for taking all advantages to secure my life and property. They
are for holding their notions, though all other men be against them; but
I am for religion in what and so far as, the times and my safety will
bear it. They are for Religion when in rags and contempt; but I am for
him when he walks in his golden slippers, in the sunshine, and with
applause.
HOLD. Ay, and hold you there still, good Mr. By-ends; for, for my part,
I can count him but a fool, that, having the liberty to keep what he
has, shall be so unwise as to lose it. Let us be wise as serpents. It is
best to make hay while the sun shines. You see how the bee lieth still
all winter, and bestirs her only when she can have profit and pleasure.
God sends sometimes rain and sometimes sunshine; if they be such fools
to go through the rain, yet let us be content to take fair weather along
with us. For my part, I like that religion best that will stand with the
safety of God's good blessings unto us; for who can imagine, that is
ruled by his reason, since God has bestowed upon us the good things of
this life, but that He would have us keep them for His sake? Abraham and
Solomon grew rich in religion; and Job says that "a good man should lay
up gold as dust;" but he must not be such as the men before us, if they
be as you have described them.
SAVE. I think that we are all agreed in this matter, and therefore there
needs no more words about it.
MONEY. No, there needs no more words about this matter, indeed; for he
that believes neither Scripture nor reason (and you see we have both on
our side), neither knows his own liberty nor seeks his own safety.
And so these four men, Mr. By-ends, Mr. Money-love, Mr. Save-all, and
old Mr. Hold-the-world, walked on together, while Christian and Hopeful
were far in advance.
[Sidenote: CHRISTIAN AND HOPEFUL]
Then Christian and Hopeful went on till they came to a delicate plain,
called Ease, where they went with much content; but that plain was but
narrow, so they were quickly got over it. Now at the farther side of
that plain was a little hill, called Lucre,[4] and in that hill a silver
mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the
rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brink of
the pit, the ground, being deceitful under them, broke, and they were
slain; some also had been maimed there, and could not to their dying day
be their own men again.
[4] An old word meaning "money" or "riches."
Then I saw in my dream that a little off the road, over against the
silver mine, stood Demas (gentleman-like) to call to passengers to come
and see; who said to Christian and his fellow, "Ho! turn aside hither,
and I will show you a thing."
CHRIS. What thing so deserving as to turn us out of the way?
DEMAS. Here is a silver mine, and some digging in it for treasure; if
you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for
yourselves.
HOPE. Then said Hopeful, "Let us go see."
CHRIS. "Not I," said Christian. "I have heard of this place before now,
and how many have there been slain; and besides, that treasure is a
snare to those that seek it, for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage."
CHRIS. Then Christian called to Demas, saying, "Is not the place
dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage?"
DEMAS. Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless. But
withal, he blushed as he spake.
CHRIS. Then said Christian to Hopeful, "Let us not stir a step, but
still keep on our way."
HOPE. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he hath the same
invitation as we, he will turn in thither to see.
CHRIS. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way; and a
hundred to one but he dies there.
DEMAS. Then Demas called out again, saying, "But will you not come over
and see?"
CHRIS. Then Christian roundly answered, saying, "Demas, thou art an
enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and hast been already
condemned for thine own turning aside, by one of His Majesty's judges;
and why seekest thou to have us condemned also? Besides, if we at all
turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will
there put us to shame where we should stand with boldness before Him."
Demas cried again that he also was one of their company, a pilgrim like
themselves, and that, if they would tarry a little, he also himself
would walk with them.
CHRIS. Then said Christian, "What is thy name? Is it not the same by the
which I have called thee?"
DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham.
CHRIS. I know you: Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and Judas your
father, and you have trod in their steps. It is but a devilish prank
that thou usest: thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest
no better reward. Assure thyself that when we come to the King, we will
tell him of this thy behavior. Thus they went their way.
By this time By-ends and his companions were come again within sight,
and they at the first beck went over to Demas. Now, whether they fell
into the pit by looking over the brink thereof, or whether they went
down to dig, or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the damps
that commonly arise, of these things I am not certain; but this I
observed, that they never were seen again in the way. Then sang
Christian:
"By-ends and silver Demas both agree;
One calls; the other runs, that he may be
A sharer in his lucre; so these two
Take up in this world, and no farther go."