The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
Now, I saw that just on the other side of the plain the pilgrims came to
a place where stood an old monument hard by the highway-side; at the
sight of which they were both concerned, because of the strangeness of
the form thereof; for it seemed to them as if it had been a woman
changed into the shape of a pillar. Here, therefore, they stood looking
and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what they should make
thereof. At last Hopeful espied written above, upon the head thereof, a
writing in an unusual hand; but he, being no scholar, called to
Christian (for he was learned,) to see if he could pick out the meaning;
so he came, and after a little laying of letters together, he found the
same to be this, "Remember Lot's wife." So he read it to his fellow;
after which, they both concluded that that was the pillar of salt into
which Lot's wife was turned, for her looking back with a covetous heart
when she was going from Sodom. Which sudden and amazing sight gave them
occasion for speaking thus:
CHRIS. Ah, my brother! this is a seasonable sight. It came just in time
to us after the invitation which Demas gave us to come over to view the
hill Lucre; and, had we gone over, as he desired us, and as thou wast
inclining to do, my brother, we had, for aught I know, been made
ourselves, like this woman, a spectacle for those that shall come after
to behold.
HOPE. I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that I am
not now as Lot's wife; for wherein was the difference betwixt her sin
and mine? She only looked back, and I had a desire to go see. Let God's
goodness be praised; and let me be ashamed that ever such a thing should
be in mine heart.
CHRIS. Let us take notice of what we see here, for our help for time to
come. This woman escaped one judgment, for she fell not by the
destruction of Sodom; yet she was destroyed by another, as we see: she
is turned into a pillar of salt.
HOPE. What a mercy is it that neither thou, but especially I, am not
made myself this example! This gives reason to us to thank God, to fear
before Him and always to remember Lot's wife.
[Sidenote: RIVER OF THE WATER OF LIFE]
I saw, then, that they went on their way to a pleasant river, which
David the King called "the river of God," but John, "the river of the
water of life." Now their way lay just upon the bank of this river;
here, therefore, Christian and his companion walked with great delight;
they drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant and
enlivening to their weary spirits. Besides, on the banks of this river
on either side were green trees that bore all manner of fruit; and the
leaves of the trees were good for medicine; with the fruit of these
trees they were also much delighted; and the leaves they ate to prevent
illness, especially such diseases that come to those that heat their
blood by travels. On either side of the river was also a meadow,
curiously beautified with lilies, and it was green all the year long. In
this meadow they lay down and slept, for here they might lie down
safely. When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the trees
and drank again of the water of the river, and they lay down again to
sleep. This they did several days and nights. Then they sang:
"Behold ye, how these crystal streams do glide,
To comfort pilgrims by the highway-side;
The meadows green, besides their fragrant smell,
Yield dainties for them; and he who can tell
What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield,
Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field."
So when they were disposed to go on (for they were not as yet at their
journey's end,) they ate and drank, and departed.
Now, I beheld in my dream that they had not journeyed far, but the river
and the way for a time parted, at which they were not a little sorry;
yet they durst not go out of the way. Now the way from the river was
rough, and their feet tender by reason of their travels; so the souls of
the pilgrims were much discouraged because of the way. Wherefore, still
as they went on they wished for a better way. Now, a little before them
there was, on the left hand of the road, a meadow, and a stile to go
over into it, and that meadow is called By-path Meadow. Then said
Christian to his fellow, "If this meadow lieth along by our wayside,
let's go over it." Then he went to the stile to see; and behold, a path
lay along by the way on the other side of the fence. "It is according to
my wish," said Christian; "here is the easiest going. Come, good
Hopeful, and let us go over."
HOPE. But how if this path should lead us out of the way?
[Sidenote: VAIN-CONFIDENCE]
CHRIS. "That is not likely," said the other. "Look, doth it not go along
by the wayside?" So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went after
him over the stile. When they were gone over, and were got into the
path, they found it very easy to their feet; and withal, they, looking
before them, espied a man walking as they did, and his name was
Vain-Confidence: so they called after him, and asked him whither that
way led. He said, "To the Celestial Gate." "Look," said Christian, "did
not I tell you so? By this you may see we are right." So they followed,
and he went before them. But, behold, the night came on, and it grew
very dark; so that they that were behind lost sight of him that went
before. He, therefore, that went before (Vain-Confidence by name) not
seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose
there made by the prince of those grounds to catch careless fools,
withal and was dashed in pieces with his fall.
Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called to know the
matter; but there was none to answer, only they heard a groaning. Then
said Hopeful, "Where are we now?" Then was his fellow silent, as
mistrusting that he had led him out of the way; and now it began to
rain, and thunder, and lighten in a most dreadful manner, and the water
rose amain.
Then Hopeful groaned in himself, saying, "Oh that I had kept on my way!"
CHRIS. Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of
the way?
HOPE. I was afraid on't at the very first, and therefore gave you that
gentle caution. I would have spoken plainer, but that you are older than
I.
CHRIS. Good brother, be not offended. I am very sorry I have brought
thee out of the way, and that I have put thee into such great danger.
Pray, my brother, forgive me: I did not do it of any evil intent.
HOPE. Be comforted, my brother, for I forgive thee, and believe, too,
that this shall be for our good.
CHRIS. I am glad I have with me a merciful brother; but we must not
stand still: let us try to go back again.
HOPE. But, good brother, let me go before.
CHRIS. No, if you please; let me go first, that, if there be any
danger, I may be first therein, because by my means we are both gone out
of the way.
HOPE. "No, you shall not go first; for your mind being troubled may lead
you out of the way again." Then for their encouragement they heard the
voice of one saying, "Let thine heart be towards the highway, even the
way that thou wentest; turn again." But by this time the waters were
greatly risen, by reason of which the way of going back was very
dangerous. (Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way when
we are in, than going in when we are out.) Yet they undertook to go
back; but it was so dark, and the flood so high, that, in their going
back, they had like to have been drowned nine or ten times.
[Sidenote: GIANT DESPAIR]
Neither could they, with all the skill they had, get again to the stile
that night. Wherefore, at last lighting under a little shelter, they sat
down there until daybreak; but, being weary, they fell asleep. Now,
there was, not far from the place where they lay, a castle, called
Doubting Castle the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his
grounds they now were sleeping; wherefore he, getting up in the morning
early, and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and
Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then, with a grim and surly voice, he bid
them awake, and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his
grounds. They told him they were pilgrims, and that they had lost their
way. Then said the giant, "You have this night trespassed on me by
trampling in and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along
with me." So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they.
They had also but little to say, for they knew themselves in fault. The
giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his castle,
into a very dark dungeon, nasty and smelling vilely to the spirits of
these two men. Here, then, they lay from Wednesday morning till Saturday
night, without one bit of bread or drop of drink, or light, or any to
ask how they did; they were, therefore, here in evil case, and were far
from friends and people whom they knew. Now, in this place Christian had
double sorrow, because it was through his thoughtless haste that they
were brought into this distress.
[Sidenote: THE PILGRIMS IN A DUNGEON]
Now, Giant Despair had a wife, and her name was Diffidence. So, when he
was gone to bed, he told his wife what he had done; to wit, that he had
taken a couple of prisoners and cast them into his dungeon for
trespassing on his grounds. Then he asked her also what he had best to
do further to them. So she asked him what they were, whence they came,
and whither they were bound; and he told her. Then she advised him, that
when he arose in the morning, he should beat them without any mercy. So,
when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crab-tree cudgel, and goes down
into the dungeon to them, and there first fell to abusing them as if
they were dogs, although they never gave him a word of distaste. Then he
falls upon them, and beats them fearfully, in such sort that they were
not able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done,
he withdraws and leaves them there to sorrow over their misery and to
mourn under their distress. So all that day they spent their time in
nothing but sighs and bitter grief. The next night she, talking with her
husband about them further, and understanding that they were yet alive,
did advise him to tell them to make away with themselves. So, when
morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner, as before and,
perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given them
the day before, he told them that, since they were never like to come
out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of
themselves, either with knife, halter, or poison: "For why," said he,
"should you choose life, seeing it is attended with so much bitterness?"
But they desired him to let them go. With that, he looked ugly upon
them, and rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them himself,
but that he fell into one of his fits (for he sometimes, in sunshiny
weather, fell into fits), and lost for a time the use of his hands,
wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before to consider what to do.
Then did the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it was best
to take his advice or no; and thus they began to discourse:
CHRIS. "Brother," said Christian, "what shall we do? The life we now
live is miserable. For my part, I know not whether is best, to live
thus, or to die out of hand. My soul chooseth strangling rather than
life, and the grave is more easy for me than this dungeon. Shall we be
ruled by the giant?"
[Sidenote: HOPEFUL CHEERS CHRISTIAN]
HOPE. Indeed, our present condition is dreadful; and death would be far
more welcome to me than thus for ever to abide. But yet, let us think:
the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, "Thou shalt do