The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
Christiana gave him some of her bottle of spirits for present relief,
and then prepared him something to eat; and in a little time the old
gentleman came to himself, and began to be finely revived.
Now, I saw in my dream, when all these things were finished, Mr.
Great-heart took the head of Giant Despair, and set it upon a pole by
the highway-side, right over against the pillar that Christian erected
for a caution to pilgrims that came after to take heed of entering into
his grounds. Then he writ under it, upon a marble stone, these verses
following:
"This is the head of him whose name only
In former times did pilgrims terrify;
His castle's down, and Diffidence his wife
Brave Mr. Great-heart has bereft of life.
Despondency, his daughter Much-afraid,
Great-heart for them also the man has played.
Who hereof doubts, if he'll but cast his eye
Up hither, may his scruples satisfy.
This head also, when doubting cripples dance,
Doth show from fears they have deliverance."
[Sidenote: THE DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS]
When these men had thus bravely showed themselves against Doubting
Castle, and had slain Giant Despair, they went forward, and went on till
they came to the Delectable Mountains, where Christian and Hopeful
refreshed themselves with the varieties of the place. They also
acquainted themselves with the shepherds there, who welcomed them, as
they had done Christian before, unto the Delectable Mountains.
Now, the shepherds seeing so great a train follow Mr. Great-heart (for
with him they were well acquainted), they said unto him, "Good sir, you
have got a goodly company here; pray, where did you find all these?"
Then Mr. Great-heart replied:
"First, here is Christiana and her train,
Her sons, and her sons' wives, who, like the wain,
Keep by the pole, and do by compass steer
From sin to grace; else they had not been here.
Next, here's old Honest come on pilgrimage,
Ready-to-halt too, who I dare engage
True-hearted is, and so is Feeble-mind,
Who willing was not to be left behind.
Despondency, good man, is coming after
And so also is Much-afraid his daughter.
May we have entertainment here, or must
We farther go? Let's know whereon to trust."
[Sidenote: THE SHEPHERDS ENTERTAIN]
Then said the shepherds, "This is a comfortable company. You are welcome
to us, for we have care for the feeble, as well as for the strong. Our
Prince has an eye to what is done, to the least of these; therefore
weakness must not be a block to our entertainment." So they had them to
the palace door, and then said unto them, "Come in, Mr. Feeble-mind;
come in, Mr. Ready-to-halt; come in, Mr. Despondency and Mrs.
Much-afraid, his daughter. These, Mr. Great-heart," said the shepherds
to the guide, "we call in by name, for that they are most subject to
draw back; but as for you and the rest that are strong, we leave you to
your wonted liberty."
Then said Mr. Great-heart, "This day I see that grace doth shine in your
faces, and that you are my Lord's shepherds indeed; for that you have
not pushed these helpless ones neither with side nor shoulder, but have
rather strewed their way into the palace with flowers, as you should."
So the feeble and weak went in, and Mr. Great-heart and the rest did
follow. When they were also sat down, the shepherds said to those of the
weaker sort, "What is it that you would have? for," said they, "all
things must be managed here for the supporting of the weak, as well as
the warning of the unruly." So they made them a feast of things easy of
digestion, and that were pleasant to the palate, and nourishing; the
which when they had received, they went to their rest, each one
separately unto his proper place.
When morning was come, because the mountains were nigh and the day
clear, and because it was the custom of the shepherds to show the
pilgrims before their departure some rarities; therefore, after they
were ready and had refreshed themselves, the shepherds took them out
into the fields, and showed them first what they had showed to Christian
before.
Then they had them to some new places. The first was to Mount Marvel,
where they looked, and beheld a man at a distance that tumbled the hills
about with words. Then they asked the shepherds what that should mean.
So they told them that that man was the son of Mr. Great-grace of whom
you read in the first part of the records of the Pilgrim's Progress; and
he is set down there to teach the pilgrims how to believe, or to tumble
out of their ways what difficulties they should meet with, by faith.
Then said Mr. Great-heart, "I know him; he is a man above many."
Then they had them to another place, called Mount Innocent; and there
they saw a man clothed all in white, and two men, Prejudice and
Ill-will, continually casting dirt upon them. Now, behold, the dirt,
whatsoever they cast at him, would in a little time fall off again, and
his garment would look as clear as if no dirt had been cast thereat.
Then said the pilgrims, "What means this?"
The shepherds answered, "This man is named Godly-man, and this garment
is to show the innocency of his life. Now, those that throw dirt at him
are such as hate his well-doing; but, as you see, the dirt will not
stick upon his clothes: so it shall be with him that liveth truly
innocently in the world. Whoever they be that would make such men dirty,
they labor all in vain; for God, by that a little time is spent, will
cause that their innocence shall break forth as the light, and their
righteousness as the noon-day."
Then they took them, and had them to Mount Charity, where they showed
them a man that had a bundle of cloth lying before him, out of which he
cut coats and garments for the poor that stood about him; yet his bundle
or roll of cloth was never the less.
Then said they, "What should this be?"
"This is," said the shepherds, "to show you that he who has a heart to
give of his labor to the poor, shall never want wherewithal. He that
watereth shall be watered himself. And the cake that the widow gave to
the prophet did not cause that she had ever the less in her barrel."
They had them also to a place where they saw one Fool, and one Want-wit,
washing of an Ethiopian, with intention to make him white; but the more
they washed him the blacker he was. Then they asked the shepherds what
that should mean. So they told them, saying, "Thus shall it be with the
vile person: all means used to get such an one a good name, shall, in
the end tend but to make him more abominable. Thus it was with the
Pharisees, and so shall it be with all pretenders to religion."
Then said Mercy, the wife of Matthew, to Christiana her mother, "Mother,
I would, if it might be, see the hole in the hill, or that commonly
called the By-way to Hell." So her mother brake her mind to the
shepherds. Then they went to the door: it was in the side of a hill; and
they opened it, and bid Mercy hearken awhile. So she hearkened, and
heard one saying, "Cursed be my father for holding of my feet back from
the way of peace and life." And another said, "Oh that I had been torn
in pieces before I had, to save my life, lost my soul!" And another
said, "If I were to live again, how would I deny myself rather than come
to this place!" Then there was as if the very earth groaned and quaked
under the feet of this young woman for fear; so she looked white, and
came trembling away, saying, "Blessed be he and she that are delivered
from this place."
[Sidenote: THE GREAT GLASS]
Now, when the shepherds had shown them all these things, then they had
them back to the palace, and entertained them with what the house would
afford. But Mercy longed for something that she saw there, but was
ashamed to ask. Her mother-in-law then asked her what she ailed, for she
looked as one not well. Then said Mercy, "There is a looking-glass hangs
up in the dining-room, off of which I cannot take my mind; if,
therefore, I have it not, I think I shall be unhappy." Then said her
mother, "I will mention thy wants to the shepherds, and they will not
deny it thee." But she said, "I am ashamed that these men should know
that I longed." "Nay, my daughter," said she, "it is no shame, but a
virtue, to long for such a thing as that." So Mercy said, "Then, mother,
if you please, ask the shepherds if they are willing to sell it."
Now, the glass was one of a thousand. It would present a man, one way,
with his own features exactly; and, turn it but another way, and it
would show one the very face and likeness of the Prince of pilgrims
Himself. Yea, I have talked with them that can tell, and they have said
that they have seen the very crown of thorns upon His head, by looking
in that glass; they have therein also seen the holes in His hands, in
His feet, and in His side. Yea, such an excellency is there in this
glass, that it will show Him to one where they have a mind to see Him,
whether living or dead, whether in earth or in heaven, whether in a
state of lowliness or in His kingliness, whether coming to suffer or
coming to reign.
Christiana, therefore went to the shepherds apart--(now, the names of
the shepherds were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere),--and
said unto them, "There is one of my daughters, that I think doth long
for something that she hath seen in this house, and she thinks that she
shall be unhappy if she should by you be denied."
EXPERIENCE. Call her, call her; she shall assuredly have what we can
help her to. So they called her, and said to her, "Mercy, what is that
thing thou wouldst have?" Then she blushed, and said, "The great glass
that hangs up in the dining-room." So Sincere ran and fetched it; and
with a joyful consent it was given her. Then she bowed her head, and
gave thanks, and said, "By this I know that I have obtained favor in
your eyes."
They also gave to the other young women such things as they desired, and
to their husbands great praise for that they joined with Great-heart to
the slaying of Giant Despair and the destroying of Doubting Castle.
About Christiana's neck the shepherds put a necklace, and so they did
about the necks of her four daughters; also they put ear-rings in their
ears, and jewels on their foreheads.
[Sidenote: THEY LEAVE THE SHEPHERDS]
When they were minded to go hence, they let them go in peace, but gave
not to them those certain cautions which before were given to Christian
and his companion. The reason was, for that these had Great-heart to be
their guide, who was one that was well acquainted with things, and so
could give them their cautions more seasonably; that is, even then when
the danger was nigh the approaching. What cautions Christian and his
companion had received of the shepherds, they had also lost by that the
time was come that they had need to put them in practice. Wherefore,
here was the advantage that this company had over the other.
From hence they went on singing, and they said:
"Behold, how fitly are the stages set,
For their relief that pilgrims are become,
And how they us receive without one let[11]
That make the other life our mark and home!
"What novelties they have, to us they give,
That we, though pilgrims, joyful lives may live;
They do upon us, too, such things bestow,
That show we pilgrims are, where'er we go."
[11] The word "let" here means "hindrance."
When they were gone from the shepherds, they quickly came to the place
where Christian met with one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of
Apostasy. Wherefore of him Mr. Great-heart, their guide, did now put
them in mind, saying, "This is the place where Christian met with one