The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
a word. So they told the King; but He would not come down to see him,
but commanded the two Shining Ones that conducted Christian and Hopeful
to the City, to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot,
and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the
air to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in
there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of
heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction!
* * * * *
So I awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
CONCLUSION.
Now, reader, I have told my dream to thee,
See if thou canst interpret it to me,
Or to thyself or neighbor; but take heed
Of misinterpreting; for that, instead
Of doing good, will but thyself abuse:
By misinterpreting, evil ensues.
Take heed also that thou be not extreme
In playing with the outside of my dream;
Nor let my figure or similitude
Put thee into a laughter or a feud.
Leave this for boys and fools; but as for thee,
Do thou the substance of my matter see.
Put by the curtains, look within my veil;
Turn up my metaphors, and do not fail,
There, if thou seekest them, such things to find
As will be helpful to an honest mind.
What of my dross thou findest there, be bold
To throw away; but yet preserve the gold.
What if my gold be wrapped up in ore?--
None throws away the apple for the core.
But if thou shalt cast all away as vain,
I know not but t'will make me dream again.
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.
PART II.
CHAPTER I.
COURTEOUS COMPANIONS,--
Some time since, to tell you my dream that I had of Christian the
Pilgrim, and of his dangerous journey towards the Celestial Country, was
pleasant to me and profitable to you. I told you then, also, what I saw
concerning his wife and children, and how unwilling they were to go with
him on pilgrimage, insomuch that he was forced to go on his progress
without them; for he durst not run the danger of that destruction which
he feared would come by staying with them in the City of Destruction;
wherefore, as I then showed you, he left them and departed.
Now, it hath so happened, through the abundance of business, that I have
been much hindered and kept back from my wonted travels into those parts
whence he went, and so could not, till now, obtain an opportunity to
make further inquiry after those whom he left behind, that I might give
you an account of them. But, having had some concerns that way of late,
I went down again thitherward. Now, having taken up my lodgings in a
wood about a mile off the place, as I slept I dreamed again.
[Sidenote: THE AUTHOR AND MR. SAGACITY]
And as I was in my dream, behold, an aged gentleman came by where I lay;
and, because he was to go some part of the way that I was travelling,
methought I got up and went with him. So, as we walked, and as travelers
usually do, I was as if we fell into discourse; and our talk happened to
be about Christian and his travels; for thus I began with the old man:
"Sir," said I, "what town is that there below, that lieth on the left
hand of our way?"
Then said Mr. Sagacity (for that was his name), "It is the City of
Destruction; a populous place, but possessed with a very ill-conditioned
and idle sort of people."
"I thought that was that city," quoth I: "I went once myself through
that town, and therefore know that this report you give of it is true."
SAG. Too true! I wish I could speak truth in speaking better of them
that dwell therein.
"Well, sir," quoth I, "then I perceive you to be a well-meaning man, and
so one that takes pleasure to hear and tell of that which is good. Pray,
did you never hear what happened to a man some time ago of this town
(whose name was Christian), that went on pilgrimage up towards the
higher regions?"
SAG. Hear of him! Ay, and I also heard of the difficulties, troubles,
wars, captivities, cries, groans, frights and fears that he met with and
had in his journey. Besides, I must tell you all our country rings of
him: there are but few houses that have heard of him and his doings but
have sought after and got the record of his pilgrimage. Yea, I think I
may say that his hazardous journey has got many wellwishers to his ways;
for though, when he was here, he was a fool in every man's mouth, yet
now he is gone he is highly commended of all. For 'tis said he lives
bravely where he is: yea, many of them that are resolved never to run
his risks yet have their mouths water at his gains.
"They may," quoth I, "well think, if they think anything that is true,
that he liveth well where he is; for he now lives at and in the Fountain
of Life, and has what he has without labor and sorrow; for there is no
grief mixed therewith. But, pray, what talk have the people about him?"
SAG. Talk! the people talk strangely about him: some say that he now
walks in white; that he has a chain of gold about his neck; that he has
a crown of gold beset with pearls upon his head. Others say that the
Shining Ones, that sometimes showed themselves unto him in his journey,
are become his companions, and that he is as familiar with them in the
place where he is, as here one neighbor is with another. Besides, it is
confidently spoken concerning him, that the King of the place where he
is has bestowed upon him already a very rich and pleasant dwelling at
court, and that he every day eateth and drinketh and walketh with Him,
and receiveth of the smiles and favors of Him that is judge of all
there. Moreover, it is expected of some, that his Prince, the Lord of
that country, will shortly come into these parts, and will know the
reason, if they can give any, why his neighbors set so little by him,
and had him so much in derision, when they perceived that he would be a
Pilgrim. For they say, now he is so in the affections of his Prince, and
that his Sovereign is so much concerned with the wrongs that were cast
upon Christian when he became a Pilgrim, that He will look upon all as
if done unto Himself; and no marvel, for it was for the love that he had
to his Prince that he ventured as he did.
[Sidenote: SAGACITY TELLS OF CHRISTIANA]
"I daresay," quoth I; "I am glad on't; I am glad for the poor man's
sake, for that he now has rest from his labor, and for that he reapeth
the benefit of his tears with joy, and for that he has got beyond
gunshot of his enemies, and is out of the reach of them that hate him. I
also am glad for that a rumor of these things is noised abroad in this
country: who can tell but that it may work some good effect on some that
are left behind? But pray, sir, while it is fresh in my mind, do you
hear anything of his wife and children? Poor hearts! I wonder in my mind
what they do."
SAG. Who? Christiana and her sons? They are like to do as well as did
Christian himself; for, though they all played the fool at first, and
would by no means be persuaded by either the tears or entreaties of
Christian, yet, second thoughts have wrought wonderfully with them, so
they have packed up, and are also gone after him.
"Better and better," quoth I: "but, what! wife and children and all?"
SAG. It is true: I can give you an account of the matter, for I was upon
the spot at the instant, and was thoroughly acquainted with the whole
affair.
"Then," said I, "a man, it seems, may report it for a truth?"
SAG. You need not fear to declare it. I mean, that they are all gone on
pilgrimage, both the good woman and her four boys. And, since (we are,
as I perceive) going some considerable way together, I will give you an
account of the whole matter.
This Christiana (for that was her name from the day that she, with her
children betook themselves to a pilgrim's life) after her husband had
gone over the river, and she could hear of him no more, her thoughts
began to work in her mind. First, for that she had lost her husband, and
of that the loving bond of that relation was utterly broken betwixt
them. For you know (said he to me) it is only natural that the living
should have many sad thoughts, in the remembrance of the loss of loving
relations. This, therefore, of her husband, did cost her many a tear.
But this was not all; for Christiana did also begin to consider with
herself, whether unbecoming behavior towards her husband was not one
cause that she saw him no more, and that in such sort he was taken away
from her. And, upon this, came into her mind, by swarms, all her unkind,
unnatural, and ungodly treatment of her dear friend; which also troubled
her conscience, and did load her with guilt. She was, moreover, much
broken with recalling to remembrance the restless groans, brinish tears,
and self-bemoanings of her husband, and how she did harden her heart
against all his entreaties and loving persuasions of her and her sons to
go with him; yea, there was not anything that Christian either said to
her or did before her, all the while that his burden did hang on his
back, but it returned upon her like a flash of lightning, and rent her
heart in sunder. Specially that bitter outcry of his, "What shall I do
to be saved?" did ring in her ears most dolefully.
Then said she to her children, "Sons, we are all undone. I have sinned
away your father, and he is gone; he would have had us with him, but I
would not go myself; I also have hindered you of life."
With that, the boys fell all into tears, and cried out to go after their
father.
"Oh," said Christiana, "that it had been but our lot to go with him!
then had it fared well with us, beyond what it is like to do now. For
though I formerly foolishly imagined, concerning the troubles of your
father, that they came from a foolish fancy that he had, or for that he
was overrun with melancholy humors; yet now it will not out of my mind
but that they sprang from another cause; and it was this, that the light
of life was given him, by the help of which, as I perceive, he has
escaped the snares of death."
[Sidenote: OF CHRISTIANA'S DREAM]
Then they all wept again, and cried out, "Oh, woe worth the day!"
The next night Christiana had a dream; and, behold, she saw as if a
broad parchment were opened before her, in which were recorded the sum
of her ways; and the times, as she thought, looked very black upon her.
Then she cried out aloud in her sleep, "Lord, have mercy upon me a
sinner!" and the little children heard her.
After this, she thought she saw two very ill-favored ones standing by
her bed-side, and saying, "What shall we do with this woman? for she
cries out for mercy waking and sleeping: if she be suffered to go on as
she begins, we shall lose her as we have lost her husband. Wherefore we
must, by one way or other, seek to take her off from the thoughts of
what shall be hereafter; else, all the world cannot help but she will
become a pilgrim."
Now she awoke in a great sweat; also a trembling was upon her; but after
a while, she fell to sleeping again. And then she thought she saw
Christian her husband in a place of bliss, among many immortals, with a
harp in his hand, standing and playing upon it before One that sat upon
a throne, with a rainbow about His head.
She saw, also, as if he bowed his head with his face to the paved work
that was under the Prince's feet, saying, "I heartily thank my Lord and
King for bringing of me into this place." Then shouted a company of them
that stood round about, and harped with their harps; but no man living
could tell what they said, but Christian and his companions.
Next morning, when she was up, and had prayed to God and talked with her
children a while, one knocked hard at the door; to whom she spake out,
saying, "If thou comest in God's name, come in." So he said, "Amen," and