The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
garments for others, and would bestow them upon them that had need. And
Mr. Brisk, not knowing where or how she disposed of what she made,
seemed to be greatly taken, for that he found her never idle. "I will
warrant her a good housewife," quoth he to himself.
Mercy then told the matter to the maidens that were of the house, and
inquired of them concerning him; for they did know him better than she.
So they told her that he was a very busy young man, and one who
pretended to serve the Lord, but was, as they feared, a stranger to the
power of that which is good.
"Nay, then," said Mercy, "I will look no more on him; for I purpose
never to have a clog to my soul."
Prudence then replied that "There needed no great matter of
discouragement to be given to him; her continuing so as she had begun to
do for the poor would quickly cool his courage."
So, the next time he comes, he finds her at her old work, a-making of
things for the poor. Then said he, "What! always at it?"
"Yes," said she, "either for myself or for others."
"And what canst thou earn a day?" quoth he.
"I do these things," said she, "that I may be rich in good works, laying
up in store for myself a good foundation against the time to come, that
I may lay hold on eternal life."
"Why, prithee, what doest thou with them?" said he.
"Clothe the naked," said she.
With that, his countenance fell. So he forbore to come at her again. And
when he was asked the reason why, he said that "Mercy was a pretty lass,
but troubled with too much working for others."
[Sidenote: MERCY REJECTS THE SUITOR]
When he had left her, Prudence said, "Did I not tell thee that Mr. Brisk
would soon forsake thee? yea, he will raise up an ill report of thee;
for, notwithstanding his pretence to serve bad and his seeming love to
Mercy, yet Mercy and he are of tempers so different, that I believe they
will never come together."
MER. I might have had husbands afore now, though I spake not of it to
any; but they were such as did not like my ways, though never did any of
them find fault with my person. So they and I could not agree.
PRUD. Mercy in our days is little set by, any further than as to its
name: the practice, which is set forth by thy works, there are but few
that can abide.
MER. "Well," said Mercy, "if nobody will have me, I will die a maid, or
my works shall be to me as a husband; for I cannot change my nature; and
to have one that lies cross to me in this, that I purpose never to admit
of as long as I live. I had a sister, named Bountiful, that was married
to one of these selfish people; but he and she could never agree; but,
because my sister was resolved to do as she had begun, that is, to show
kindness to the poor, therefore her husband first cried her down in
public, and then turned her out of his doors."
PRUD. And yet he was a church-member, I warrant you?
MER. Yes, such a one as he was; and of such as he the world is now
full; but I am for none of them at all.
[Sidenote: MATTHEW FALLS SICK]
Now Matthew, the eldest son of Christiana, fell sick, and his sickness
was sore upon him for he was much pained in his bowels; so that he was
with it, at times, pulled as it were both ends together.
There dwelt also not far from thence one Mr. Skill, an ancient and
well-approved physician. So Christiana desired it and they sent for him,
and he came. When he was entered the room, and had a little observed the
boy, he concluded that he was sick of the gripes. Then he said to his
mother, "What diet has Matthew of late fed upon?"
"Diet!" said Christiana, "nothing but that which is wholesome."
The physician answered, "This boy has been tampering with something that
lies in his stomach undigested, and that will not away without means.
And I tell you he must be purged, or else he will die."
SAM. Then said Samuel, "Mother, what was that which my brother did
gather up and eat, so soon as we were come from the gate that is at the
head of this way? You know that there was an orchard on the left hand,
on the other side of the wall, and some of the trees hung over the wall,
and my brother did pull down the branches and did eat."
CHR. "True, my child," said Christiana, "he did take thereof and did
eat; naughty boy as he was, I did chide him, and yet he would eat
thereof."
SKILL. I knew he had eaten something that was not wholesome food; and
that food, to wit, that fruit, is even the most hurtful of all. It is
the fruit of Beelzebub's orchard. I do marvel that none did warn you of
it: many have died thereof.
CHR. Then Christiana began to cry, and she said, "Oh, naughty boy! and
oh, careless mother! What shall I do for my son?"
SKILL. Come, do not be too much dejected; the boy may do well again, but
he must purge and vomit.
CHR. Pray, sir, try the utmost of your skill with him, whatever it
costs.
SKILL. Nay, I hope I shall be reasonable.
[Sidenote: DOCTOR SKILL PRESCRIBES]
So he made him a purge, but it was too weak; it was said, it was made of
the blood of a goat, the ashes of an heifer, and with some of the juice
of hyssop, etc. When Mr. Skill had seen that that purge was too weak, he
made him one to the purpose. It was made [the name was written in Latin]
_ex carne et sanguine Christi_;[8] (you know physicians give strange
medicines to their patients)--and it was made up into pills, with a
promise or two, and a proportionable quantity of salt. Now, he was to
take them three at a time, fasting, in half a quarter of a pint of the
tears of sorrow.
[8] That is, "of the body and blood of Christ."
When this potion was prepared and brought to the boy, he was loth to
take it, though torn with the gripes as if he should be pulled in
pieces.
"Come, come," said the physician, "you must take it."
"It goes against my stomach," said the boy.
"I must have you take it," said his mother.
"I shall vomit it up again," said the boy.
"Pray, sir," said Christiana to Mr. Skill, "how does it taste?"
"It has no ill taste," said the doctor; and with that she touched one of
the pills with the tip of her tongue.
"O Matthew," said she, "this potion is sweeter than honey. If thou
lovest thy mother, if thou lovest thy brothers, if thou lovest Mercy, if
thou lovest thy life, take it."
So, with much ado, after a short prayer for the blessing of God upon it,
he took it, and it wrought kindly with him. It caused him to purge, it
caused him to sleep and rest quietly; it put him into a fine heat and
breathing sweat, and did quite rid him of his gripes. So, in a little
time he got up, and walked about with a staff, and would go from room to
room, and talk with Prudence, Piety, and Charity, of his sickness, and
how he was healed.
So, when the boy was healed, Christiana asked Mr. Skill, saying, "Sir,
what will content you for your pains and care to and of my child?"
And he said, "You must pay the Master of the College of Physicians,
according to the rules made in that case and provided."
CHR. "But, sir," said she, "what is this pill good for else?"
SKILL. It is an universal pill: it is good against all the diseases that
pilgrims are troubled with; and when it is well prepared, it will keep
good time out of mind.
CHR. Pray, sir, make me up twelve boxes of them; for if I can get these,
I will never take other physic.
SKILL. These pills are good to prevent diseases, as well as to cure when
one is sick. Yea, I dare say it, and stand to it, that if a man will but
use this physic as he should, it will make him live for ever. But, good
Christiana, thou must give these pills no other way than as I have
prescribed; for if you do, they will do no good. So he gave unto
Christiana physic for herself and her boys, and for Mercy; and bid
Matthew take heed how he ate any more green plums; and kissed them and
went his way.
It was told you before, that Prudence bid the boys, if at any time they
would, they should ask her some questions that might be profitable, and
she would say something to them.
MATT. Then Matthew, who had been sick, asked her, "Why, for the most
part, physic should be bitter to our palates?"
PRUD. To show how unwelcome the Word of God, and the effects thereof,
are to a sinful heart.
MATT. Why does physic, if it does good, purge and cause that we vomit?
PRUD. To show that the Word, when it works effectually, cleanseth the
heart and mind. For look, what the one doth to the body, the other doth
to the soul.
MATT. What should we learn by seeing the flame of our fire go upwards,
and by seeing the beams and sweet influences of the sun strike
downwards?
PRUD. By the going up of the fire, we are taught to ascend to heaven by
fervent and hot desires. And by the sun's sending his heat, beams, and
sweet influences downwards, we are taught that the Saviour of the world,
though high reaches down with His grace and love to us below.
MATT. Where have the clouds their water?
PRUD. Out of the sea.
MATT. What may we learn from that?
PRUD. That ministers should fetch their teaching from God.
MATT. Why do they empty themselves upon the earth?
PRUD. To show that ministers should give out what they know of God to
the world.
MATT. Why is the rainbow caused by the sun?
PRUD. To show that the promise of God's grace is made sure to us in
Christ.
MATT. Why do the springs come from the sea to us through the earth?
PRUD. To show that the grace of God comes to us through the body of
Christ.
MATT. Why do some of the springs rise out of the tops of high hills?
PRUD. To show that the spirit of grace shall spring up in some that are
great and mighty, as well as in many that are poor and low.
MATT. Why doth the fire fasten upon the candle-wick?
PRUD. To show that, unless grace doth kindle upon the heart, there will
be no true light of life in us.
MATT. Why is the wick, and tallow, and all, spent to maintain the light
of the candle?
PRUD. To show that body, and soul, and all, should be at the service of,
and spend themselves to maintain in good condition, that grace of God
that is in us.
MATT. Why doth the pelican pierce her own breast with her bill?
PRUD. To nourish her young ones with her blood, and thereby to show that
Christ the Blessed so loveth His young (His people), as to save them
from death by His blood.
MATT. What may one learn by hearing the cock to crow?
PRUD. Learn to remember Peter's sin and Peter's sorrow. The cock's
crowing shows also that day is coming on: let, then, the crowing of the
cock put thee in mind of that last and terrible day of judgment.
Now, about this time, their month was out; wherefore they signified to
those of the house that it was convenient for them to be up and going.
Then said Joseph to his mother, "It is convenient that you forget not to
send to the house of Mr. Interpreter, to pray him to grant that Mr.
Great-heart should be sent unto us, that he may be our conductor the
rest of our way."
"Good boy," said she, "I had almost forgot." So she drew up a petition,
and prayed Mr. Watchful the Porter to send it by some fit man to her
good friend Mr. Interpreter, who, when it was come, and he had seen the
contents of the petition, said to the messenger, "Go, tell them that I
will send him."
When the family where Christiana was saw that they had a purpose to go
forward, they called the whole house together, to give thanks to their
King for sending of them such profitable guests as these. Which done,
they said unto Christiana, "And shall we not show thee something,
according, as our custom is to do to pilgrims, on which thou mayest
meditate when thou art upon the way?"
[Sidenote: THE PILGRIMS VIEW CURIOSITIES]
So they took Christiana, her children, and Mercy, into the closet, and