The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
opened the door, and saluted her with "Peace be to this house!" The
which, when he had done, he said, "Christiana, knowest thou wherefore I
am come?" Then she blushed and trembled, also her heart began to wax
warm with desires to know from whence he came, and what was his errand
to her. So he said unto her, "My name is Secret: I dwell with those that
are on high. It is talked of where I dwell, as if thou hadst a desire to
go thither; also there is a report that thou art aware of the evil thou
hast formerly done to thy husband, in hardening thy heart against his
way, and in keeping of these thy babes in their ignorance. Christiana,
the Merciful One hath sent me to tell thee, that He is a God ready to
forgive, and that He taketh delight to pardon offences. He also would
have thee know that He inviteth thee to come into His presence, to His
table, and that He will feed thee with the fat of His house, and with
the heritage of Jacob thy father.
"There is Christian, thy husband that was, with legions more, his
companions, ever behold that face that doth minister life to beholders;
and they will be glad when they shall hear the sound of thy feet step
over thy Father's threshold."
[Sidenote: CHRISTIANA IS SENT FOR]
Christiana at this was greatly abashed in herself, and bowed her head to
the ground.
This visitor proceeded, and said, "Christiana, here is also a letter for
thee, which I have brought from thy husband's King." So she took it, and
opened it; but it smelt after the manner of the best perfume; also it
was written in letters of gold. The contents of the letter were these:
"That the King would have her to do as Christian her husband; for that
was the way to come to His City, and to dwell in His presence with joy
for ever."
At this the good woman was quite overcome; so she cried out to her
visitor, "Sir, will you carry me and my children with you, that we also
may worship this King?"
Then said the visitor, "Christiana, the bitter is before the sweet. Thou
must through troubles, as did he that went before thee, enter the
Celestial City. Wherefore I advise thee to do as did Christian thy
husband: go to the wicket-gate yonder over the plain, for that stands in
the head of the way up which you must go; and I wish thee all good
speed. Also I advise that thou put this letter in thy bosom, that thou
read therein to thyself, and to thy children, until you have got it by
rote of heart: for it is one of the songs that thou must sing while thou
art in this house of thy pilgrimage. Also this thou must deliver in at
the farther gate."
Now, I saw in my dream, that this old gentleman, as he told me the
story, did himself seem to be greatly affected therewith. He moreover
went on, and said:
So Christiana called her sons together, and began thus to address
herself unto them: "My sons, I have, as you may perceive, been of late
under much trouble in my soul about the death of your father: not for
that I doubt at all of his happiness, for I am satisfied now that he is
well. I have also been much affected with the thoughts of mine own state
and yours, which I verily believe is by nature miserable. My treatment
also of your father in his distress is a great load to my conscience,
for I hardened both mine own heart and yours against him, and refused to
go with him on pilgrimage.
"The thoughts of these things would now kill me outright, but for a
dream which I had last night, and but for the encouragement that this
stranger has given me this morning. Come, my children, let us pack up,
and be gone to the gate that leads to the Celestial Country, that we may
see your father, and be with him and his companions in peace, according
to the laws of that land."
Then did her children burst out into tears, for joy that the heart of
their mother was so inclined. So their visitor bade them farewell; and
they began to prepare to set out for their journey.
[Sidenote: MRS. TIMOROUS AND CHRISTIANA]
But while they were thus about to be gone, two of the women that were
Christiana's neighbors came up to the house, and knocked at the door.
To whom she said as before, "if you come in God's name, come in." At
this the women were stunned; for this kind of language they used not to
hear, or to perceive to drop from the lips of Christiana. Yet they came
in; but, behold they found the good woman preparing to be gone from her
house.
So they began, and said, "Neighbor, pray what is your meaning by this?"
Christiana answered and said to the eldest of them, whose name was Mrs.
Timorous, "I am preparing for a journey."
This Timorous was daughter to him that met Christian upon the Hill
Difficulty, and would have had him go back for fear of the lions.
TIM. For what journey, I pray you?
CHR. Even to go after my good husband. And with that she fell a weeping.
TIM. I hope not so, good neighbor. Pray, for your poor children's sake,
do not so unwomanly cast away yourself.
CHR. Nay, my children shall go with me; not one of them is willing to
stay behind.
TIM. I wonder in my very heart what or who has brought you into this
mind!
CHR. Oh, neighbor, knew you but as much as I do, I doubt not but that
you would go with me.
TIM. Prithee, what new knowledge hast thou got that so worketh off thy
mind from thy friends, and that tempteth thee to go nobody knows where?
CHR. Then Christiana replied, "I have been sorely afflicted since my
husband's departure from me, but especially since he went over the
river. But that which troubleth me most is my unkind treatment of him
when he was under his distress. Besides, I am now as he was then:
nothing will serve me but going on pilgrimage. I was a-dreaming last
night that I saw him. Oh that my soul was with him! He dwelleth in the
presence of the King of the country; he sits and eats with Him at His
table; he has become a companion of immortals, and has a house now given
him to dwell in, to which the best palaces on earth, if compared, seem
to me but as a dunghill. The Prince of the place has also sent for me,
with promises of entertainment if I shall come to Him; His messenger was
here even now, and has brought me a letter which invites me to come."
And with that she plucked out the letter, and read it, and said to them,
"What now will you say to this?"
[Sidenote: MERCY ALSO DESIRES TO GO]
TIM. Oh, the madness that hath possessed thee and thy husband, to run
yourselves upon such difficulties! You have heard, I am sure, what your
husband did meet with, even in a manner at the first step that he took
on his way, as our neighbor Obstinate can yet testify, for he went along
with them, yea, and Pliable too; until they, like wise men, were afraid
to go any farther. We also heard, over and above, how he met with the
lions, Apollyon, the Shadow of Death, and many other things. Nor is the
danger he met with at Vanity Fair to be forgotten by thee. For if he,
though a man, was so hard put to it, what canst thou, being but a poor
woman, do? Consider also that these four sweet babes are thy children,
thy flesh and thy bones. Wherefore, though thou shouldest be so rash as
to cast away thyself, yet, for the sake of thy children, keep thou at
home.
But Christiana said unto her, "Tempt me not, my neighbor. I have now a
price put into my hands to get gain, and I should be a fool of the
greatest size if I should have no heart to strike in with the
opportunity. And for that you tell me of all these troubles which I am
like to meet with in the way, they are so far off from being to me a
discouragement, that they show I am in the right. The bitter must come
before the sweet, and that also will make the sweet the sweeter.
Wherefore, since you came not to my house in God's name, as I said, I
pray you to be gone, and not to disquiet me further."
Then Timorous reviled her, and said to her fellow, "Come, neighbor
Mercy, let us leave her in her own hands, since she scorns our counsel
and company." But Mercy was at a stand, and could not so readily comply
with her neighbor, and that for a twofold reason. 1. Her heart yearned
over Christiana; so she said within herself, "If my neighbor will needs
be gone, I will go a little way with her, and help her." 2. Her heart
yearned over her own soul; for what Christiana had said had taken hold
upon her mind. Wherefore she said within herself again, "I will yet have
more talk with this Christiana, and if I find truth and life in what she
shall say, myself, with my heart, shall also go with her." Wherefore
Mercy began thus to reply to her neighbor Timorous:
MER. Neighbor, I did indeed come with you to see Christiana this
morning; and since she is, as you see, taking her last farewell of her
country, I think to walk this sunshiny morning a little with her, to
help her on her way.
But she told her not of the second reason, but kept that to herself.
TIM. Well, I see you have a mind to go a-fooling too; but take heed in
time, and be wise. While we are out of danger, we are out; but when we
are in, we are in.
So Mrs. Timorous returned to her house, and Christiana betook herself to
her journey. But when Timorous was got home to her house, she sends for
some of her neighbors; to wit, Mrs. Bat's-eyes, Mrs. Inconsiderate, Mrs.
Light-mind, and Mrs. Know-nothing. So, when they were come to her house,
she falls to telling of the story of Christiana and of her intended
journey. And thus she began her tale:
[Sidenote: MRS. TIMOROUS' NEIGHBORS]
TIM. Neighbors, having had little to do this morning, I went to give
Christiana a visit; and when I came at the door, I knocked, as you know
it is our custom; and she answered, "If you come in God's name come in."
So in I went, thinking all was well; but when I came in I found her
preparing herself to depart the town, she and also her children. So I
asked her what was her meaning by that. And she told me, in short, that
she was now of a mind to go on pilgrimage, as did her husband. She told
me also a dream that she had, and how the King of the country where her
husband was had sent her an inviting letter to come thither.
Then said Mrs. Know-nothing, "And, what! do you think she will go?"
TIM. Ay, go she will, whatever comes on't; and methinks I know it by
this: for that which was my great reason in persuading her to stay at
home (that is, the troubles she was like to meet with in the way) is one
great reason with her to put her forward on her journey. For she told
me, in so many words, "The bitter goes before the sweet; yea, and
forasmuch as it so doth, it makes the sweet the sweeter."
MRS. BAT'S-EYES. "Oh, this blind and foolish woman!" said she; "will she
not take warning by her husband's trials? For my part, I see, if he were
here again, he would rest him content in a whole skin, and never run so
many dangers for nothing."
Mrs. Inconsiderate also replied, saying, "Away with such fantastical
fools from the town! a good riddance, for my part, I say, of her! Should
she stay where she dwells, and retain this her mind, who could live
quietly by her? for she will either be dumpish, or unneighborly, or
talk of such matters as no wise body can abide. Wherefore, for my part,
I shall never be sorry for her departure: let her go, and let better
come in her room. It was never a good world since these whimsical fools
dwelt in it."
Then Mrs. Light-mind added as followeth: "Come, put this kind of talk
away. I was yesterday at Madam Wanton's, where we were as merry as the
maids. For who do you think should be there, but I and Mrs.
Love-the-Flesh, and three or four more, with Mr. Lechery, Mrs. Filth,
and some others. So there we had music and dancing, and what else was
meet to fill up the pleasure. And, I dare say, my lady herself is an
admirable well-bred gentlewoman, and Mr. Lechery is as pretty a
fellow."