Pilgrims going down the Mountains, along the highway, towards the City. Now, a little below these Mountains,

Country of Conceit.

on the left hand, lieth the country of Conceit; from which country there comes into the way in which the Pilgrims walked a little crooked lane. Here, therefore, they met with a very brisk lad that came out of that country, and his name was Ignorance.

So

Christian asked him from what parts he came? and whither he was going?

IGNOR. Sir, I was born in the country that lieth off there, a little on the left hand; and I am going to the Celestial City.

CHR. But how do you think to get in at the Gate? for you may find some difficulty there.

As other good people do, said he.

CHR. But what have you to shew at that Gate, that the Gate should be opened to you?

IGNOR. I know my Lord's will, and have been a good liver; I pay every man his own; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and give alms, and have left my country for whither Í am going.

CHR. But thou camest not in at the Wicket-Gate that is at the head of this way; thou camest in hither through that same crooked lane; and therefore I fear, however thou mayest think of thyself, when the reckoning day shall come, thou wilt have laid to thy charge that thou art a thief and a robber, instead of getting admittance into the City.

IGNOR. Gentlemen, ye be utter strangers to me; I know you not: be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine. I hope all will be well. And as for the Gate that you talk of, all the world knows that that is a great way off of our country. I cannot think that any man in all our parts doth so much as know the way to it; nor need they

Après quoi il se séparèrent, et les voyageurs quittèrent ces aimables collines pour continuer leur route.

Un peu à côté de ces coteaux Il y a un pays nommé Imagination, d'où l'on vient par un petit sentier qui vient aboutir au chemin où marchaient les voyageurs. Un nommé l'Ignorant, jeune homme présomptueux, qui venait de ce pays, rencontra dans cet endroit l'Espérant et le Chrétien, qui lui demandèrent d'où il venait et où il voulait aller. Je suis, répondit-il, du pays que vous voyez ici à main gauche; je quitte mon pays natal et je vais maintenant à la cité céleste. Comment est-ce, dit le Chrétien, que vous prétendez y entrer? Car vous rencontrerez encore bien des difficultés.

LE PAYS D'IMAGINATION.

Je sais, dit l'Ignorant, aussi bien le chemin qu'un autre.

Qu'avez-vous donc, continua le Chrétien, pour montrer à la porte, et qui puisse vous en faciliter l'entrée ? Je sais, dit l'Ignorant, la volonté de mon maître; et je ne suis ni adultère, ni injuste, ni ravisseur; je rends à chacun le sien, je jeûne, je donne les dîmes, je fais des aumônes, et j'abandonne mon pays pour arriver où je vais.

Mais, dit le Chrétien, vous n'avez pas passé par la porte étroite qui est à l'entrée du chemin; vous êtes entré dans la route par une voie oblique, c'est pourquoi je crains, quelque bonne opinion que vous puissiez avoir de vous-même, que, quand le moment de rendre compte sera venu, vous ne soyez regardé comme un larron et un brigand, bien loin que l'entrée de la cité vous soit accordée.

Messieurs, dit l'Ignorant, je ne vous connais point, et je vous suis pareillement inconnu. Qu'il vous suffise de pratiquer la religion de votre pays et laissez-moi suivre la mienne; j'espère que tout ira bien. Quant à cette porte dont vous me parlez, tout le monde sait qu'elle est fort éloignée de notre pays; je ne crois pas même qu'il s'y trouve personne qui connaisse le chemin qui y conduit. Aussi ne nous

matter whether they do or no, since we have, as you see, a fine pleasant green lane, that comes down from our country the next way into the

way.

When Christian saw that the man was wise in his own conceit, he said to Hopeful, whispering, "There is more hope of a fool than of him," and said moreover, When he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. What! shall we talk further with him, or outgo him at present, and so leave him to think of what he hath heard already, and then stop again for him afterwards, and see if by degrees we can do any good by him? Then said Hopeful,

Let Ignorance a little while now muse
On what is said, and let him not refuse
Good counsel to embrace, lest he remain
Still ignorant of what's the chiefest gain.
God saith, Those that no understanding have
(Although he made them) them he will not save.

He further added, It is not good, I think, to say to him all at once; let us pass him by, if you will, and talk to him anon, even as he is able to bear it. So they both went on, and Ignorance he came after.

Now, when they had passed him a little way, they entered into a very dark lane,

where they met a man whom seven Devils had bound with seven strong cords, and were carrying back to the door that they saw on the side of the hill. Now good Christian began to tremble, and so did Hopeful his companion; yet as the Devils led away the

A lost spirit.

man, Christian looked to see if he knew him, and he thought it might be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of Apostasy. But he did not perfectly see his face; for he did hang his head like a thief that is found. But, being gone past, Hopeful looked after him, and espied on his back a paper with this inscription, "Wanton Professor,

importe-t-il point de le savoir, puisque, comme vous le voyez nous avons un chemin si agréable qui vient tomber tout droit depuis notre pays dans celui-ci.

Le Chrétien connaissant par là combien ce jeune homme était sage dans sa propre imagination, dit à l'Espérant: Il y a plus d'espérance d'un fou que de lui; et bien que le fou soit fou dans ses voies, cependant il l'est moins que celui-ci. Que voulons-nous faire de plus? Devons-nous lui parler encore ou l'abandonner? Il me semble que nous ferions bien de prendre les devants, et de lui donner du temps pour faire quelques réflexions sur ce qu'il vient d'entrendre. Après cela nous pourrons encore essayer de l'entreprendre; peutêtre sera-t-il mieux disposé dans la suite à nous écouter.

L'Espérant fut de cet avis, et en même temps il se mit à chanter ce qui suit:

Comment peut un aveugle aller le droit chemin.
Etant sans lumière et sans guide?
Comment une tête stupide
Peut-elle, sans l'esprit divin,

Des mystères du ciel avoir l'intelligence?
Ah! si du moins ton ignorance,
Malheureux, t'excitait à suivre un conducteur,
Il pourrait encore t'introduire,
Par la clarté qu'il ferait luire,

Dans le chemin du vrai bonheur !

Cependant ils laissèrent l'Ignorant derrière eux, et arrivèrent ensuite dans un chemin fort obscur, où ils rencontrèrent un homme qui était traîné par sept diables, avec sept grosses cordes, vers la porte qu'ils avaient vue à côté de la colline.

Cespectacle effrayale Chrétien,

en sorte qu'il était tout tremblant, aussi bien que l'Espérant. Mais étant revenu à lui-même, il s'avança pour voir s'il ne connaîtrait point ce malheureux. Mais il ne put pas bien l'envisager, parce qu'il baissait la tête comme un larron

L'HOMME PERDU.

qu'on vient de saisir et qu'on mène en prison. Cependant l'Espérant remarqua en passant qu'il avait sur le dos un écrit portant ces mots : Un méchant confesseur,

and damnable Apostate." Then said Christian to his fellow, Now I call to my remembrance that which was told me of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout: The name of that man was Little-Faith, but a good man, and he dwelt in the town of Sincere. The thing was this: At the entering in at this passage, there comes down from Broadway-gate a lane, called Dead-Man's-lane, so called because of the murders that are commonly done there; and this Little-Faith, going on pilgrimage as we do now, chanced to sit down there and sleep. Now there happened at that time to come down the lane, from Broad

way-gate, three sturdy rogues, and their names were Faintheart, Mistrust, and Guilt (three brothers); and they, espying Little-Faith where he was, came galloping up with speed. Now the good man was just awakened from his sleep, and was getting up to go on his journey: him, and, with threatening lanAt this Little-Faith looked as white as a clout, and had neither power to fight nor fly. Then said Faint-heart, Deliver thy purse; but he making no haste to do it (for he was loth to lose his money), Mis

The three robbers.

so they came up all to guage, bid him stand.

trust ran up to him, and thrusting his hand into his pocket, pulled out thence a bag of silver. Then he cried out, Thieves, thieves! With that Guilt, with a great club that was in his hand, struck LittleFaith on the head, and, with that blow, felled him flat to the ground, where he lay bleeding as one that would bleed to death. All this while the thieves stood by. But at last, hearing that some were upon the road, and fearing lest it should be one Great-Grace, that dwells in the town of GoodConfidence, they betook themselves to their heels. and left