but rightly consider what a state and condition my poor relations are in, that yet remain in our sinful town. And that which makes my grief the more heavy, is because they have no instructor, nor any to tell them what is to come.

Christ. Bowels become pilgrims; and thou dost for thy friends, as my good Christian did for me when he left me ; he mourned for that I would not heed nor regard him, but his Lord and ours did gather up his tears, and put them into his bottle; and now both I and thou, and these my sweet babes, are reaping the fruit and benefit of them. I hope, Mercy, these tears of thine will not be lost; for the Truth hath said, that "they that sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing. And he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6). Then said Mercy,

Let the Most Blessed be my guide,

If't be his blessed will,

Unto his gate, into his fold,

Up to his holy hill.

And let him never suffer me

To swerve, or turn aside

From his free grace and holy ways,
Whate'er shall me betide.

And let him gather them of mine,

That I have left behind;

Lord, make them pray they may be thine,
With all their heart and mind.

Now my old friend proceeded and said: 'But when Christiana came to the Slough of Despond, she began to be at a stand; for, said she, this is the place in which my dear husband had like to have been smothered with mud (Part I., pp. 17, 18). She perceived, also, that notwithstanding the command of the King to make this place for pilgrims good, yet it was rather worse than formerly. So I asked if that was true. Yes, said the old gentleman, too true; for many

there be that pretend to be the King's labourers, and say they are for mending the King's highway, that bring dirt and dung instead of stones, and so mar instead of mending. Here Christiana, therefore, with her boys, did make a stand. But said Mercy, Come, let us venture; only let us be wary. Then they looked well to the steps, and made a shift to get staggeringly over.

Yet Christiana had like to have been in, and that not once nor twice. Now they had no sooner got over, but they thought they heard words, that said unto them, "Blessed is she that believeth; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke i. 45).

Then they went on again, and said Mercy to Christiana, Had I as good ground to hope for a laving reception at the wicket gate as you, I think no Slough of Despond would discourage me.

Well, said the other, you know your sore, and I know mine; and, good friend, we shall all have enough evil before we come to our journey's end. For, can it be imagined that the people that design to attain such excellent glories as we do, and that are so desirous of happiness as we are, but that we shall meet with what fears and scares, with what troubles and afflictions they can possibly assault us with that hate us?

And now Mr. Sagacity left me to dream out my dream by myself. Wherefore, methought I saw Christiana and Mercy and the boys go all of them up to the gate; to which when they were come, they betook themselves to a short debate, about how they must manage their calling at the gate, and what should be said to him that did open to them. So it was concluded, since Christiana was the eldest, that she should knock for entrance, and that she should speak to him that did open for the rest. So Christiana began to knock, and, as her poor husband did (Part I., p. 28), she knocked, and knocked again. But, instead of any that answered, they all thought that they heard as if a dog came barking

upon them-a dog, and a great one too; and this made the women and children afraid, nor durst they for a while to knock any more, for fear the mastiff should fly upon them. Now, therefore, they were greatly tumbled up and down in their minds, and knew not what to do: knock they durst not, for fear of the dog; go back they durst not, for fear that the keeper of that gate should espy them as they so went, and should be offended with them. At last they thought of knocking again, and knocking more vehemently than they did at the first. Then said the keeper of the gate, Who is there? So the dog left off to bark, and he opened unto them.

Then Christiana made low obeisance, and said, Let not our Lord be offended with his handmaidens, for that we have knocked at his princely gate. Then said the keeper, Whence come ye? and what is it that you would have?

Christiana answered, We are come from whence Christian did come, and upon the same errand as he to wit, to be, if it shall please you, graciously admitted, by this gate, into the way that leads to the celestial city: and I answer, my Lord, in the next place, that I am Christiana, once the wife of Christian, that now is gotten above.

With that the keeper of the gate did marvel, saying, What, is she become now a pilgrim, that but a while ago abhorred that life? Then she bowed her head, and said, Yes, and so are these my sweet babes also.

Then he took her by the hand and let her in, and said also, Suffer the little children to come unto me; and with that he shut up the gate. This done, he called to a trumpeter that was above, over the gate, to entertain Christiana with shouting and sound of trumpet, for joy. So he obeyed. and sounded, and filled the air with his melodious notes (Luke xv. 7).

Now all this while poor Mercy did stand without, trembling and crying, for fear that she was rejected. But when

Christiana had gotten admittance for herself and her boys, then she began to make intercession for Mercy.

Christ. And she said, My Lord, I have a companion of mine that stands yet without, that is come hither upon the same account as myself-one that is much dejected in her mind, for that she comes, as she thinks, without sending for; whereas I was sent to by my husband's King to come.

Now Mercy began to be very impatient, for each minute was as long to her as an hour; wherefore, she prevented Christiana from a fuller interceding for her, by knocking at the gate herself. And she knocked then so loud, that she made Christiana to start. Then said the keeper of the gate, Who is there? And Christiana said, It is my friend.

So he opened the gate and looked out, but Mercy was fallen down without in a swoon; for she fainted, and was afraid that no gate would be opened to her.

Then he took her by the hand, and said, Damsel, I bid thee arise.

Oh, sir, said she, I am faint; there is scarce life left in me. But he answered, that one once said, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple" (Jonah ii. 7). Fear not, but stand upon thy feet, and tell me wherefore thou art come.

Mercy. I am come for that unto which I was never invited, as my friend Christiana was. Hers was from the King, and mine was but from her: wherefore, I fear I presume.

Did she desire thee to come with her to this place? Mercy. Yes; and as my Lord sees, I am come. And if there is any grace and forgiveness of sins to spare, I beseech that I, thy poor handmaid, may be partaker thereof.

Then he took her again by the hand and led her gently in, and said, I pray for all them that believe on me, by what means soever they come unto me. Then said he to those that stood by, Fetch something and give it Mercy to smell

on, thereby to stay her fainting. So they fetched her a bundle of myrrh; and a while after, she was revived.

And now was Christiana and her boys, and Mercy, received of the Lord at the head of the way, and spoken kindly unto by him. Then said they yet further unto him, We are sorry for our sins, and beg of our Lord his pardon and further information what we must do.

I grant pardon, said he, by word and deed: by word, in the promise of forgiveness; by deed, in the way I obtained it. Take the first from my lips with a kiss, and the other as it shall be revealed (Song i. 2; John xx. 20).

Now I saw in my dream that he spake many good words unto them, whereby they were greatly gladdened. He also had them up to the top of the gate, and showed them by what deed they were saved, and told them withal, that that sight they would have again as they went along in the way, to their comfort.

So he left them awhile in a summer parlour below, where they entered into talk by themselves; and thus Christiana began: O Lord! how glad am I that we are got in hither! Mercy. So you well may; but I of all have cause to leap for joy.

Christ. I thought one time as I stood at the gate (because I had knocked and none did answer), that all our labour had been lost, especially when that ugly cur made such a heavy barking against us.

Mercy. But my worst fear was, after I saw that you were taken into his favour, and that I was left behind; now, thought I, it is fulfilled which is written, "Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matt. xxiv. 41). I had much ado to forbear crying out, Undone! undone !

And afraid I was to knock any more; but when I looked up to what was written over the gate (Part I., p. 28), I took courage. I also thought that I must either knock again, or