Entrance of the fecond; there the Lady Intemperance defir'd them all to fit down, whilft she reachPed feveral Bunches of Grapes, which hung down from a Vine that cover'd the Place where they fat, and fqueezed them into the Golden Cup which fhe held in her Hand, and having tafted thereof, prefented it to Tender-confcience, bidding him drink it off; fo he did accordingly, and prefently he was intoxicated therewith, and began to dally with Mrs. Wantonnefs, at which the Lady Intemperance, and her Husband Carnal fecurity feem'd not to be difpleas'd, but rather to encourage him, by giving him another Cup full of the Juice of the Grapes, which work'd fo mightily upon his weak Head, that having tumbled and callied a-while with Mrs. Wantonnefs, on a Bank of fweet Flowers, at length he fell asleep in the Arms of Mrs. Forgetfulness. Then they caus'd him to be carried into the Palace by two of their Servants, and laid on a foft Bed in the beft Chamber of the whole Houfe, refolving, if poffible, to win him by all Means to tarry with them, and not go forward on his Journey. To this End they prepared an excellent Concert of Mufick, who were planted out of Sight of the Bed whercon Tender-confcience lay, yet fo as they might be heard as plain as tho' they had been by his Bedfide, but could not be feen by him, if he fhould awake out of his Sleep: And they were order'd to play the fweeteft Airs and moft melodious Tunes their Art could fürnifh them with, all the while he was asleep, and likewife to keep on playing, if he fhould chance to awake. For it was the Nature of thefe Grapes, of whofe Liquor he had drank fo

plen

plentifully, to make fome People fleep many Years together, others to fleep all their Life-time; and very few had the Power to awaken, especially in any fhort Time; and it was the Nature of the. Mufick to create Dreams in them that flept, pleafant, delightful, and inchanting Dreams: And thofe that died fleeping, were carried out of the Palace to a certain Place, where they were tumbled into the Lake of Deftruction, which Lake is at the End of the Path which led to the LeftPatif the Hill Difficulty. It is hand, at the Bottom of the Hill Difficulty. It is a bu ning Lake, and has burned from the Beginning of the World, and will do fo for ever and ever. Now this was the End of thofe poor Wretches, who being feduced to the Houfe of Carnal-fecurity, and having drunk of the Wine of Intemperance, and committed Folly with Wantonnefs, at length fell asleep with Forgetfulness; who, L if they die fleeping, are forthwith caft into the burning Lake, which is the fecond Death,

Now it came to pafs, that the Tender-confcience flept a great while, being lulled by the Sound of fuch incomparable Melody; yet they having not taken notice of his ftrong Crutch which he had in his Hand, nor knowing its fecret and wonderful Virtues, did not remove it from him; by which Means he at length awoke from his Sleep, rouzing himself up, and wondering from whence all this delicious Harmony fhould come. For his Crutch being in his Hand all the while he flept, at length, as he went to turn himself in his Sleep, he hit himself a Blow on the Eyes with his Crutch, which awakened him, Then he began to wonder, as I

faid,

2

Laid, where he was, and how he came there, and what Mufick that was. At length he called to Mind, how an old Man had invited him into his Houfe very kindly, and how his Lady, had given him of her Wine to drink, and how he had dallied with Mrs. Wantonness; but he could not call to Mind how he came upon this Bed, but concluded that he had been drunk, and fo brought into the Palace; and with this Thought, and the pleafant Harmony of the Mufick, he was juft ready to fall afleep again, but that at the fame Inftant there came fuch a terrible Clap of Thunder, as was almoft enough to have awaked the very Dead, At this his Heart quaked within him, and the Mufick ceafed playing. So he arofe from his Bed, and looking out at the Windows, he faw the Air extreamly darkned, faving only fome Intervals of Lightning, which, accompanied with Thunder, feem'd to threaten the D-ftruction of the World, Poor Tender-confcience wept bitterly when he perceiv'd fuch a dreadful Tempeft hanging over his Head, and he in a ftrange Place, not half Way his Journey; this made him very melancholy and penfive, and he burft out into thefe mournful Expreffions by himself.

Wretch that I am, what will become of me! Where fhall I hide myfelf from the fierce Anger of the Lord, or how fhall I efcape his heavy Difpleafure? I doubt I have done amifs in coming to this

ce, and fleeping away my precious Time, which is the Reafon that God is angry, and thunders in the Ears of my Soul: Horror and Confufion flafh thro' my Confcience like Lightning: I know not

what

what to do, nor where to turn my Face for Com fort. Then he look'd for his Crutch, and could not find it at first, which made him lament very grievoufly; but at last he bethought himself of the Bed wherein he flept, fo he ran thither, and thers found it, to his no fmall Comfort and Joy. Then he prepared himself to go down Stairs, but juft as he was about to go from the Window where he ft od, there came another Clap of Thunder, which made the very Houfe to fhake, and after the Thunder he heard a Voice whispering him in the Ear, and faying, Get thee out of this Place, and beware of the Woman with the Golden Cup in her Hand, and of all that belongeth unto her, for her Ways are the Ways of Death Sin no more, left a orfe Thing come upon thee. This ma le poor Tender-confcience to tremble afresh, fo that the Joints. of his Knees fmote one against another, and he hafted to go down Stairs at which the Mufick began to play again fo fweetly, that he had much ado to leave it. But remembring the Thunder and Lightning, and the Voice he heard, he went refolutely down; and, as he was going thro' the Hall, be faw the Table fpread with all manner of Dainties, and heard the Voices of the young Men and Maidens, as he thought, finging deliciously, which made him again ftand ftill a-while to liften to their Mufick. Then came one to him named M. Gluttony, and defir'd him to fit down, and eat what liked him beft, telling him withal, That the Entertainment he faw there before his Eyes, was prepared on purpofe for Pilgrims, and how that many that were travelling toward

the

the City of Sion, did call in here, and partake of the Dainties this Place afforded, it being built for the Eafe and Pleafure of Pilgrims. Then the young Men and Maids feconded Mr. Gluttony in their Song, while feveral Inftruments of Mufick played to them in Concert, and this was their Song:

Poor Pilgrims here may eat and fleep,

Whilst them in Safety their good Lord will keep.
Fall to, fall to, poor Man, and take thy Fill,
In Nature's Pleafure there can be no Ill.
In vain our King's indulgent Hand fupplies
What peevish Man his longing Soul denies.

This was enough to have fagger'd a flouter Man than Tender-confcicence, and he himself could not have refitted fo powerful a Temptation, had it not been for the Remembrance of the Thunder and the Voice Alfo he called to Mind that Saying of the Holy Jefus, To do the Will of my heavenly Father, is both my Meat and my Drink. So he turned away from Mr. Gluttony, and went apace out of the Hall, without giving him one Word, tho' he followed him, and intreated him to fit down, and make merry with the good Cheer that was before him. Then old Carnalfecurity met him at the Hall-door, which opened into the Inner Court of the P. lace, and took. him by the Hand, asking him, Whither he was going in fuch Hafte?

Tender-conf. To whom Tender-confcience replied, Tam going forward on my Journey. C

Carnal