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2. Nor is it unlawful to get a rich wife, or more custom to my shop.

3. Besides, the man that gets these by becoming religious, gets that which is good of them that are good, by becoming good himself; so then, here is a good wife, and good customers, and good gain, and all these by becoming religious, which is good. Therefore, to become religious to get all these, is a good and profitable design.

This answer, thus made by this Mr. Money-love to Mr. By-ends' question, was highly applauded by them all; wherefore they concluded, upon the whole, that it was most wholesome and advantageous. And because, as they thought, no man was able to contradict it, and because Christian and Hopeful were yet within call, they jointly agreed to assault them with the question as soon as they overtook them; and the rather because they had opposed Mr. By-ends before.

So they called after them, and they stopped, and stood still till they came up to them; but they concluded, as they went, that not Mr. By-ends, but old Mr. Hold-the-world, should propound the question to them, because, as they supposed, their answer to him would be without the remainder of that heat that was kindled betwixt Mr. By-ends and them at their parting a little before.

So they came up to each other, and, after a short salutation, Mr. Hold-the-world propounded the question to Christian and his fellow, and bid them answer it if they could.

Then said Christian, "Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. For if it be unlawful to fol

low Christ for loaves, as it is, how much more abominable is it to make of Him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world! Nor do we find any other than heathens, hypocrites, devils, and witches, that are of this opinion.

"1. Heathens; for when Hamor and Shechem had a mind to the daughter and cattle of Jacob, and saw that there was no way for them to get them but by becoming circumcised, they say to their companions, 'If every male of us be circumcised, as they are circumcised, shall not their cattle, and their substance, and every beast of theirs, be ours?' Their daughter and their cattle were that which they sought to obtain, and their religion the stalking-horse they made use of to acquire them.

"2. The hypocritical Pharisees were also of this religion; long prayers were their pretence, but to get widows' houses was their intent; and greater damnation was from God their judgment.

"3. Judas, the devil, was also of this religion; he was religious on account of the bag, that he might be possessed of what was therein; but he was lost, cast away, and the very son of perdition.

"4. Simon, the wizard, was of this religion too; for he would have had the Holy Ghost, that he might have got money therewith; and his sentence from Peter's mouth was according to his deserts.

"5. Neither will it go out of my mind, but that that man who takes up religion for the world, will throw away religion

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for the world; for, so surely as Judas desired the world in becoming religious, so surely did he also sell religion and his Master for the same. To answer the question, therefore, affirmatively, as I perceive you have done, and to accept of, as authentic, such answer, is heathenish, hypocritical, and devilish; and your reward will be according to your works."

Then they stood staring one upon another, but had not wherewith to answer Christian. Hopeful also approved of the soundness of Christian's answer; so there was a great silence among them. Mr. By-ends and his company also staggered and kept behind, that Christian and Hopeful might outgo them. Then said Christian to his fellow, "If these men cannot stand before the sentence of men, what will they do with the sentence of God? And if they are mute when dealt with by vessels of clay, what will they do when they shall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire?"

Then Christian and Hopeful outwent them again, and went till they came to a luxuriant plain called Ease, where they went with much content; but that plain was but narrow, so they were quickly got over it. Now at the farther side of that plain was a little hill called Lucre, and in that hill a silver mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brink of the pit, the ground, being deceitful under them, broke, and they were slain; some also had been maimed there, and could not to their dying day be themselves again.

Then I saw in my dream, that a little off the road, over

against the silver mine, stood Demas (gentleman-like) calling to passengers to come and see; who said to Christian and his fellow, "Ho! turn aside hither, and I will show you something."

CHR. What thing so deserving as to turn us out of the way to see it?

DEMAS. Here is a silver mine, and some digging in it for treasure; if you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for yourselves.

Then said Hopeful, "Let us go and see."

"Not I," said Christian; "I have heard of this place before now, and how many have there been slain; and, besides, that treasure is a snare to those that seek it, for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage." Then Christian called to Demas, saying, "Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage?"

DEMAS. Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless: (but, withal, he blushed as he spake).

Then said Christian to Hopeful, "Let us not stir a step, but still keep on our way."

HOPE. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he hath the same invitation as we, he will turn in thither to see CHR. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there.

Then Demas called again, saying, "But will you not come over and see?"

Then Christian roundly answered, saying, "Demas, thou art an enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and

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hast been already condemned for thine own turning aside, by one of His Majesty's judges, and why seekest thou to bring us into the like condemnation? Besides, if we at all turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to shame, where we would stand with boldness before Him."

Demas cried again, that he also was one of their fraternity, and that if they would tarry a little, he also himself would walk with them.

Then said Christian, "What is thy name? Is it not the same by which I have called thee?"

DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham.

CHR. I know you; Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and Judas your father; and you have trod in their steps. It is but a devilish prank that thou usest: thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest no better reward. Assure thyself, that when we come to the King, we will tell Him of this thy behaviour.

Thus they went on their way.

anions had come again

By this time By-ends and his c within sight, and they, at the first beca, went over to Demas. Now, whether they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof, or whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I am not certain; but this I observed, that they never were seen again in the way. Then sang Christian