The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
and that makes going on pilgrimage of so little esteem as it is.
GREAT. You have said the truth, and it is to be lamented; but he that
feareth the King of Paradise shall come out of them all.
CHR. There are strange opinions in the world. I know one that said it
was time enough to turn from sin when they come to die.
GREAT. Such are not overwise. That man would have been loth, might he
have had a week to run twenty miles in for his life, to have deferred
that journey to the last hour of that week.
HON. You say right; and yet the most of them who count themselves
pilgrims do indeed do thus. I am, as you see, an old man, and have been
a traveller in this road many a day, and I have taken notice of many
things. I have seen some that have set out as if they would drive all
the world afore them, who yet have, in a few days, died as they in the
wilderness, and so never got sight of the promised land. I have seen
some that have promised nothing at first, setting out to be pilgrims,
and that one would have thought could not have lived a day, that have
yet proved very good pilgrims. I have seen some that have run hastily
forward, that again have, after a little time, run just as fast back
again. I have seen some who have spoken very well of a pilgrim's life at
first, that, after a while, have spoken as much against it. I have heard
some, when they first set out for Paradise, say positively there is such
a place, who, when they have been almost there, have come back again,
and said there is none. I have heard some boast what they would do in
case they should be opposed, that have, even at a false alarm, fled
faith, the pilgrim's way, and all.
Now, as they were thus in their way, there came one running to meet
them, and said, "Gentlemen, and you of the weaker sort, if you love
life, shift for yourselves, for the robbers are before you."
GREAT. "They be the three that set upon Little-Faith heretofore. Well,"
said he, "we are ready for them."
[Sidenote: THE PILGRIMS PROCEED]
So they went on their way. Now they looked at every turning when they
should have met with the villains; but whether they heard of Mr.
Great-heart, or whether they had some other game, they came not up to
the pilgrims.
CHAPTER VII.
ENTERTAINED BY GAIUS.
Christiana then wished for an inn for herself and her children, because
they were weary.
Then said Mr. Honest, "There is one a little before us, where a very
honorable disciple, one Gaius, dwells." So they all concluded to turn in
thither, and the rather because the old gentleman gave him so good a
report. When they came to the door, they went in, not knocking, for
folks use not to knock at the door of an inn. Then they called for the
master of the house, and he came to them; so they asked if they might
lie there that night.
GAIUS. Yes, gentlemen, if you be true men, for my house is for none but
pilgrims.
Then were Christiana, Mercy, and the boys the more glad, for that the
Innkeeper was a lover of pilgrims. So they called for rooms, and he
showed them one for Christiana, and her children, and Mercy, and another
for Mr. Great-heart and the old gentleman.
GREAT. "Good Gaius, what hast thou for supper? for these pilgrims have
come far to-day, and are weary."
GAIUS. "It is late, so we cannot conveniently go out to seek food; but
such as we have you shall be welcome to, if that will content."
GREAT. We will be content with what thou hast in the house; forasmuch as
I have proved thee, thou art never without that which is suitable.
Then he went down and spake to the cook, whose name was
Taste-that-which-is-good, to get ready supper for so many pilgrims. This
done, he came up again, saying, "Come, my good friends, you are welcome
to me, and I am glad that I have a house to entertain you in; and, while
supper is making ready, if you please, let us entertain one another with
some good talking together."
So they all said, "Content."
GAIUS. "Whose wife is this aged matron? and whose daughter is this young
damsel?"
GREAT. The woman is the wife of one Christian, a pilgrim of former
times; and these are his four children. The maid is one of her
acquaintance, one that she hath persuaded to come with her on
pilgrimage. The boys take all after their father, and wish to tread in
his steps; yea, if they do but see any place where the old pilgrim hath
lain, or any print of his foot, it bringeth joy to their hearts, and
they are eager to lie or tread in the same.
[Sidenote: FAMILY OF THE CHRISTIANS]
GAIUS. "Is this Christian's wife, and are these Christian's children? I
knew your husband's father; yea, also his father's father. Many have
been good of this stock; their ancestors dwelt first at Antioch.
Christian's ancestors, the early fathers from whom he came (I suppose
you have heard your husband talk of them) were very worthy men. They
have, above any that I know, showed themselves men of great virtue and
courage, for the Lord of pilgrims, His ways, and them that loved Him. I
have heard of many of your husband's relations that have stood all
trials for the sake of the truth. Stephen, who was one of the first of
the family from whence your husband sprang, was knocked on the head with
stones. James, another of this generation, was slain with the edge of
the sword. To say nothing of Paul and Peter, men anciently of the family
from whence your husband came; there was Ignatius, who was cast to the
lions; Romanus, whose flesh was cut by pieces from his bones; and
Polycarp, that played the man in the fire; there was he that was hanged
up in a basket in the sun for the wasps to eat; and he whom they put
into a sack, and cast him into the sea to be drowned. It would be
utterly impossible to count up all of that family who have suffered
injuries and death for the love of a pilgrim's life. Nor can I but be
glad to see that thy husband has left behind him four such boys as
these. I hope they will bear out their father's name, and tread in their
father's steps, and come to their father's end."
GREAT. Indeed, sir, they are likely lads; they seem to choose heartily
their father's ways.
GAIUS. That is it that I said; wherefore Christian's family is like
still to spread abroad upon the face of the ground, and yet to be
numerous upon the face of the earth. Wherefore let Christiana look out
some damsels for her sons, to whom they may be married, etc., that the
name of their father and the house of his family may never be forgotten
in the world.
HON. 'Tis pity this family should fall and die out of the world.
GAIUS. Fall it cannot, but be diminished it may; but let Christiana take
my advice, and that is the way to uphold it. "And Christiana," said this
Innkeeper, "I am glad to see thee and thy friend Mercy together here, a
lovely couple. And may I advise, take Mercy into a nearer relation to
thee; if she will, let her be given to Matthew, thy eldest son. It is
the way to give you a family in the earth."
So this match was arranged, and in process of time they were married;
but more of that hereafter.
Gaius also proceeded, and said, "I will now speak on the behalf of
women, to take away their reproach. For as death and the curse came into
the world by a woman, so also did life and health: 'God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman.' I will say again, that when the Saviour was come,
women rejoiced in Him before either man or angel. I read not that man
ever gave unto Christ so much as one penny; but the women followed Him,
and ministered to Him of their substance. 'Twas a woman that washed His
feet with tears, and a woman that anointed His body to the burial. They
were women that wept when He was going to the cross, and women that
followed Him from the cross; and that sat over against the sepulchre
when He was buried. They were women that were first with Him at His
resurrection-morn, and women that brought tidings first to His disciples
that He was risen from the dead. Women, therefore, are highly favored,
and show by these things that they are sharers with us in the grace of
life."
[Sidenote: THE SUPPER AT GAIUS'S HOUSE]
Now the cook sent up to signify that supper was almost ready, and sent
one to lay the cloth, the dishes, and to set the salt and bread in
order.
Then said Matthew, "The sight of this cloth, and of this forerunner of
the supper, awaketh in me a greater appetite to my food than I had
before."
GAIUS. So let all teaching truth to thee in this life awaken in thee a
greater desire to sit at the supper of the great King in His kingdom;
for all preaching, books, and services here, are but as the laying of
the dishes, and as setting of salt upon the board, when compared with
the feast which our Lord will make for us when we come to His house.
So supper came up. And first a heave-shoulder and a wave-breast were set
on the table before them, to show that they must begin their meal with
prayer and praise to God. The heave-shoulder David lifted up his heart
to God with; and with the wave-breast, where his heart lay, he used to
lean upon his harp when he played. These two dishes were very fresh and
good, and they all ate heartily well thereof.
The next they brought up was a bottle of wine, red as blood. So Gaius
said to them, "Drink freely: this is the true juice of the vine, that
makes glad the heart of God and man." So they drank and were merry. The
next was a dish of milk, well crumbed; but Gaius said, "Let the boys
have that, that they may grow thereby."
Then they brought up in course of dish of butter and honey. Then said
Gaius, "Eat freely of this, for this is good to cheer up and strengthen
your judgments and understandings. This was our Lord's dish when He was
a child: 'Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the
evil and choose the good.'"
Then they brought them up a dish of apples, and they were very good
tasted fruit. Then said Matthew, "May we eat apples, since they were
such by and with which the serpent deceived our first mother Eve?"
Then said Gaius:
"Apples were they with which we were beguiled;
Yet sin, not apples, hath our souls defiled.
Apples forbid, if ate, corrupt the blood;
To eat such, when commanded, does us good.
Drink of His flagons, then, thou Church, His dove,
And eat His apples who are sick of love."
Then said Matthew, "I made the objection, because I, a while since, was
sick with eating of fruit."
GAIUS. Forbidden fruit will make you sick; but not what our Lord has
allowed.
While they were thus talking, they were presented with another dish, and
it was a dish of nuts. Then said some at the table, "Nuts spoil tender
teeth, specially the teeth of children;" which, when Gaius heared, he
said;
"Hard texts are nuts (I will not call them cheaters),
Whose shells do keep their kernels from the eaters;
Ope then the shells, and you shall have the meat:
They here are brought for you to crack and eat."
Then were they very merry, and sat at the table a long time, talking of
many things. Then said the old gentleman, "My good landlord, while we
are cracking your nuts, if you please, do you open this riddle;
"A man there was, though some did count him mad,
The more he cast away, the more he had."
Then they all gave good heed, wondering what good Gaius would say: so he
sat still awhile, and then thus replied:
"He that bestows his goods upon the poor
Shall have as much again, and ten times more."
Then said Joseph, "I dare say, sir, I did not think you could have found
it out."
"Oh!" said Gaius, "I have been trained up in this way a great while:
nothing teaches like experience, I have learned of my Lord to be kind,
and have found by experience that I have gained thereby. 'There is that