The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
Turn-away, who carried with him the character of his rebellion at his
back. And this I have to say concerning this man: he would hearken to no
counsel, but, once falling, persuasion could not stop him. When he came
to the place where the Cross and the sepulchre were, he did meet with
one that bid him look there; but he gnashed with his teeth, and stamped,
and said he was resolved to go back to his own town. Before he came to
the gate, he met with Evangelist, who offered to lay hands on him, to
turn him into the way again. But this Turn-away resisted him; and having
done much harm unto him, he got away over the wall, and so escaped his
hand."
[Sidenote: MEET VALIANT FOR TRUTH]
Then they went on; and just at the place where Little-Faith formerly was
robbed, there stood a man with his sword drawn, and his face all bloody.
Then said Mr. Great-heart, "Who art thou?" The man made answer, saying,
"I am one whose name is Valiant-for-truth. I am a pilgrim, and am going
to the Celestial City. Now, as I was in my way, there were three men did
beset me, and propounded unto me these three things: 1. Whether I would
become one of them? 2. Or go back to the place from whence I came? 3. Or
die upon the place? To the first I answered, I had been a true man a
long season, and therefore it could not be expected that I should now
cast in my lot with thieves. Then they demanded what I should say to the
second. So I told them that the place from whence I came, had I not
found it unsatisfactory I had not forsaken at all; but, finding it
altogether unsuitable to me, and very unprofitable for me, I forsook it
for this way. Then they asked me what I said to the third. And I told
them my life cost more dear far than that I should lightly give it away.
Besides you have nothing to do thus to put things to my choice,
wherefore at your peril be it if you meddle. Then these three, to wit,
Wild-head, Inconsiderate, and Pragmatic, drew their weapons upon me, and
I also drew upon them. So we fell to it, one against three, for the
space of above three hours. They have left upon me, as you see, some of
the marks of their valor, and have also carried away with them some of
mine. They are but just now gone: I suppose they might, as the saying
is, hear your horse dash, and so they betook them to flight."
GREAT. But here was great odds, three against one.
[Sidenote: HOW VALIANT BORE HIMSELF]
VALIANT. 'Tis true; but little or more are nothing to him that has the
truth on his side. "Though an host should encamp against me," said one,
"my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this
will I be confident. Besides," said he, "I have read in some records
that one man has fought an army; and how many did Samson slay with the
jaw-bone of an ass?"
GREAT. Then said the guide, "Why did you not cry out, that some might
have come in for your succor?"
VALIANT. So I did, to my King, who, I knew, could hear me, and afford
invisible help; and that was sufficient for me.
GREAT. Then said Great-heart to Mr. Valiant-for-truth, "Thou hast
worthily behaved thyself. Let me see thy sword." So he showed it him.
When he had taken it in his hand, and looked thereon a while, he said,
"Ha! it is a right Jerusalem blade."
VALIANT. It is so. Let a man have one of these blades, with a hand to
wield it and skill to use it, and he may venture upon an angel with it.
He need not fear its holding, if he can but tell how to lay on. Its
edges will never blunt. It will cut flesh and bones, and soul and
spirit, and all.
GREAT. But you fought a great while. I wonder you were not weary.
VALIANT. I fought till my sword did cleave to my hand; and when they
were joined together, as if a sword grew out of my arm, and when the
blood ran through my fingers, then I fought with most courage.
GREAT. Thou hast done well; thou hast resisted unto blood, striving
against sin. Thou shalt abide by us, come in and go out with us, for we
are thy companions.
Then they took him, washed his wounds, and gave him of what they had, to
refresh him; and so they went on together.
Now, as they went on, because Mr. Great-heart was delighted in him (for
he loved one greatly that he found to be a man of his own sort), and
because there were in company them that were feeble and weak, therefore
he questioned with him about many things; as, first, what countryman he
was.
VALIANT. I am of Dark-land; for there I was born, and there my father
and mother are still.
GREAT. "Dark-land!" said the guide; "doth not that lie upon the same
coast with the City of Destruction?"
VALIANT. Yes, it doth. Now, that which caused me to come on pilgrimage
was this. We had one Mr. Tell-true come into our parts, and he told it
about what Christian had done, that went from the City of Destruction;
namely, how he had forsaken his wife and children, and had betaken
himself to a pilgrim's life. It was also reported, and believed, how he
had killed a serpent that did come out to resist him in his journey; and
how he got through to whither he intended. It was also told what welcome
he had at all his Lord's lodgings, specially when he came to the gates
of the Celestial City; "For there," said the man, "he was received with
sound of trumpet by a company of Shining Ones." He told also how all the
bells in the City did ring for joy at his entering in, and what golden
garments he was clothed with; with many other things that now I shall
forbear to relate. In a word, that man so told the story of Christian
and his travels, that my heart fell into a burning haste to be gone
after him; nor could father or mother stay me. So I got from them, and
am come thus far on my way.
GREAT. You came in at the gate, did you not?
VALIANT. Yes, yes; for the same man also told us, that all would be
nothing if we did not begin to enter this way at the gate.
GREAT. "Look you," said the guide to Christiana, "the pilgrimage of your
husband, with what he has gotten thereby, is spread abroad far and
near."
VALIANT. Why, is this Christian's wife?
GREAT. Yes, that it is, and these also are his four sons.
VALIANT. What! and going on pilgrimage too?
GREAT. Yes, verily, they are following after.
VALIANT. It glads me at heart. Good man, how joyful will he be when he
shall see them that would not go with him, yet to enter after him in at
the gates into the City!
GREAT. Without doubt it will be a comfort to him; for, next to the joy
of seeing himself there, it will be a joy to meet there his wife and
children.
VALIANT. But, now you are upon that, pray let me hear your opinion about
it. Some make a question whether we shall know one another when we are
there.
[Sidenote: VALIANT'S OBSTACLES]
GREAT. Do they think they shall know themselves, then? or that they
shall rejoice to see themselves in that happiness? And if they think
they shall know and do this, why not know others, and rejoice in their
welfare also? Again, since relations are our second self, though that
state will cease there, yet why may it not be wisely concluded that we
shall be more glad to see them there than to see they are wanting?
VALIANT. Well, I perceive whereabouts you are as to this. Have you any
more things to ask me about my beginning to come on pilgrimage?
GREAT. Yes. Were your father and mother willing that you should become a
pilgrim?
VALIANT. Oh, no; they used all means imaginable to persuade me to stay
at home.
GREAT. Why, what could they say against it?
VALIANT. They said it was an idle life; and, if I myself were not
inclined to sloth and laziness, I would never favor a pilgrim's
condition.
GREAT. And what did they say else?
VALIANT. Why, they told me that it was a dangerous way: "Yea, the most
dangerous way in the world," said they, "is that which the pilgrims go."
GREAT. Did they show you wherein this way is so dangerous?
VALIANT. Yes; and that in many particulars.
GREAT. Name some of them.
[Sidenote: VALIANT'S DISCOURAGEMENTS]
VALIANT. They told me of the Slough of Despond, where Christian was
well-nigh smothered. They told me that there were archers standing ready
in Beelzebub's castle to shoot them who should knock at the wicket-gate
for entrance. They told me also of the wood and dark mountains of the
Hill Difficulty; of the lions; and also of the three giants, Bloody-man,
Maul, and Slay-good. They said moreover that there was a foul fiend
haunted the Valley of Humiliation, and that Christian was by him almost
bereft of life. "Besides," said they, "you must go over the Valley of
the Shadow of Death, where the hobgoblins are, where the light is
darkness, where the way is full of snares, pits, traps, and gins." They
told me also of Giant Despair, of Doubting Castle, and of the ruin that
the pilgrims met with there. Further, they said I must go over the
Enchanted Ground, which was dangerous; and that, after all this, I
should find a river, over which I should find no bridge, and that that
river did lie betwixt me and the Celestial Country.
GREAT. And was this all?
VALIANT. No. They also told me that this way was full of deceivers, and
of persons that laid wait there to turn good men out of the path.
GREAT. But how did they make that out?
VALIANT. They told me that Mr. Worldly Wiseman did there lie in wait to
deceive. They also said that there were Formality and Hypocrisy
continually on the road. They said also that By-ends, Talkative, or
Demas would go near to gather me up; that the Flatterer would catch me
in his net; or that, with green-headed Ignorance, I would presume to go
on to the gate, from whence he was sent back to the hole that was in the
side of the hill, and made to go the by-way to hell.
GREAT. I promise you, this was enough to discourage you; but did they
make an end here?
VALIANT. No stay. They told me also of many that had tried that way of
old, and that had gone a great way therein, to see if they could find
something of the glory there that so many had so much talked of from
time to time; and how they came back again, and befooled themselves for
setting a foot out of doors in that path, to the satisfaction of all the
country. And they named several that did so, as Obstinate and Pliable,
Mistrust and Timorous, Turn-away and old Atheist; with several more,
who, they said, had some of them gone far to see what they could find,
but not one of them found so much advantage by going as amounted to the
weight of a feather.
GREAT. Said they anything more to discourage you?
VALIANT. Yes; they told me of one Mr. Fearing, who was a pilgrim, and
how he found this way so solitary, that he never had a comfortable hour
therein; also that Mr. Despondency had like to have been starved
therein; yea, and also (which I had almost forgot) that Christian
himself, about whom there had been such a noise, after all his ventures
for a celestial crown, was certainly drowned in the Black River, and
never went a foot farther, however it was smothered up.
GREAT. And did none of these things discourage you?
VALIANT. No; they seemed but as so many nothings to me.
GREAT. How came that about?
VALIANT. Why, I still believed what Mr. Tell-true had said; and that
carried me beyond them all.
GREAT. Then this was your victory, even your faith.
VALIANT. It was so. I believed, and therefore came out, got into the
way, fought all that set themselves against me, and, by believing, am
come to this place.
"Who would true valor see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather;
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.
"Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound--
His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright;