ments."* Mercy expostu⚫ lates about the dog. Devil. He answered and said, that dog has another owner; he also is kept close in another Man's ground; only my Pilgrims hear his barking. He belongs to the Castle which you see there at a distance, but can come up to the walls of this place. He has frighted many an honest Pilgrim from worse to better by the great voice of his roaring. Indeed, he that owneth him doth not keep him out of any good-will to me or mine; but with intent to keep the Pilgrims from coming to me, and that they may be afraid to come and knock at this Gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken out, and has worried some that I loved; but I take all at present patiently. I also give my Pilgrims timely help, so that they are not delivered to his power, to do with them what his doggish nature would prompt him to. But what, my purchased one! I trow, hadst thou known never so much beforehand, thou wouldst not have been afraid of a dog? The beggars that go from door to door will, rather than lose a supposed alms, run the hazard of the bawling, barking, and biting too, of a dog; and shall a dog, a dog in another man's yard, a dog whose barking I turn to the profit of Pilgrims, keep any from coming to me? I deliver them from the Lions, and my darling from the power of the dog. Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance; I spake what I understood not; I acknowledge that thou dost all things well. A check to the car nal fear of the Pil grims. Christians when wise enough acquiesce in the wisdom of their Lord. Then Christiana began to talk of their journey, and to inquire after the Way. So he fed them, and washed their feet, and set them in the Way of his Steps, according as he had dealt with her husband before. So I saw in my dream, that they walked on their Way, and had the weather very comfortable to them. Then Christiana began to sing, saying : Bless'd be the day that I began A Pilgrim for to be, And blessed also be that man That thereto moved me. 'Tis true, 'twas long ere I began But now I run fast as I can, Jer. xii. 1. 2. The Devil's garden. fruit. Our tears to joy, our fears to faith, Thus our beginning (as one saith) ་ Now, there was on the other side of the Wall that fenced in the way up which Christiana and her companions were to go, a Garden; and the Garden belonged to him whose was that barking dag, of whom mention was made before. And some of the fruit-trees that grew in that Garden shot their branches over the wall; and being mellow, they that found The children eat them did gather them up, and eat of them to their of the enemy's hurt. So Christiana's boys, as boys are apt to do, being pleased with the Trees, and with the Fruit that did hang thereon, did pluck them, and began to eat. Their Mother did also chide them for so doing, but still the boys went on. Well, said she, my sons, you transgress; for that fruit is none of ours. But she did not know that it belonged to the Enemy; I'll warrant you, if she had she would have been ready to die for fear. But that passed, and they went on their way. Now, by that they were gone about two bow-shots from the place that led them into the Way, they espied two very ill-favoured ones coming down apace to meet them. With that Christiana, and Mercy her friend. covered themselves with their veils, and so kept on their journey; ill-favoured the children also went on before; so at last they ones assault Chris- met together. Then they that came down to meet tiana and Mercy. them, came just up to the women as if they would embrace them: but Christiana said, Stand back, or go peaceably as you should! Yet these two, as men that are deaf, regarded not Christiana's words, but began to lay hands upon them. At that Christiana waxing very wroth, spurned at them with her feet; Mercy also, as well as she could, did what she could to shift them. Christiana again said to them, Stand back, and begone! for we have no money to lose, being Pilgrims, as you see, and such too as live upon the charity of our friends. Two Then said one of the two men, We make no assault upon you for money; but are come out to tell you, that if you will but grant one small request which we shall ask, we will make Women of you for ever. Now Christiana, imagining what they should mean, made answer again, We will neither hear nor regard, nor yield to what you shall ask; we are in haste, and cannot stay: our business is a business of life and death; so again she and her companion made a fresh essay to go past them; but they letted them in their way. And they said, We intend no hurt to your lives; 'tis another thing we would have. She cries out. Ay, quoth Christiana, you would have us body and soul, for I know it is for that you are come; but we will die rather upon the spot, than to suffer ourselves to be brought into such snares as shall hazard our well-being hereafter. And with that they both shrieked out, and cried, "Murder! Murder!"* and so put themselves under those laws that are provided for the protection of women. But the men still made their approach upon them, with design to prevail against them; they therefore cried out again. 'Tis good to cry out when we are as The Reliever comes. Now they being, as I said, not far from the Gate in at which they came, their voice was heard, from whence they were, thither; wherefore some of the saulted. House came out, and knowing that it was Christiana's tongue, they made haste to her relief. But by that they were got within sight of them, the women were in a very great scuffle; the children also stood crying by. Then did he that came in for their relief call out to the ruffians, saying, What is that thing you do? Would you make my Lord's people to transgress? He also attempted to take them, but they did make The ill ones fly to their escape over the wall into the Garden of the the devil for relief. man to whom the great dog belonged; so the dog became their protector. This Reliever then came up to the Woman, and asked them how they did? So they answered, we thank thy Prince, pretty well; only we have been somewhat affrighted; we thank thee also for that thou camest in to our help, otherwise we had been overcome. The Reliever talks to the women. So, after a few more words, this Reliever said as followeth; I marvelled much, when you was entertained at the Gate above, being ye knew that ye are but weak women, that you petitioned not the Lord for a Conductor. Then might you have avoided these troubles and dangers for he would have granted you one. Alas! said Christiana, we were so taken with our present blessing, that dangers to come were forgot Mark this. ten by us. Beside, who could have thought that, so near the King's Palace, there could have lurked such naughty ones? Indeed, it nad been well for us had we asked our Lord for one; but since our Lord knew it would be for our profit, I wonder he sent not one along with us. Rel. It is not always necessary to grant things not asked for, Deut. xxii. 23, 26, 27. We lose for want of asking for. lest, by so doing, they become of little esteem; ut when the want of a thing is felt, it then comes under, in the eyes of him that feels it, that estimate that properly is its due, and so consequently will be thereafter used. Had my Lord granted you a Conductor, you would not either so have bewailed that oversight of yours in not asking for one, as now you have occasion to do. So all things work for good, and tend to make you more wary. Chr. Shall we go back again to my Lord, and confess our folly, and ask one? Rel. Your confession of your folly I will present him with. To go back again, you need not; for, in all places where you shall come, you shall find no want at all; for in every one of my Lord's lodgings, which he has prepared for the reception of his Pilgrims, there is sufficient to furnish them against all attempts whatsoever. But, as I said, "He will be inquired of by them to do it for them."* And 't is a poor thing that is not worth asking for. When he had thus said, he went back to his place, and the Pilgrims went on their way. The mistake of Christiana's guilt. Then said Mercy, What a sudden blank is here! I made account that we had been past all danger and that we should never see sorrow more. Thy innocency, my sister, said Christiana to Mercy, may excuse thee much; but as for me, my fault is so much the greater, for that I saw this danger before I came out of the doors, and yet did not provide for it when provision might have been had. I am much to be blamed. Then said Mercy, How knew you this before you came from home? Pray, open to me this riddle. Christiana's dream repeated. Chr. Why, I will tell you: Before I set foot out of doors, one night, as I lay in my bed, I had a dream about this; for methought I saw two men, as like these as ever any in the world could look, stand at my bed's feet, plotting how they might prevent my salvation. I will tell you their very words: They said ('t was when I was in my troubles,) What shall we do with this Woman? for she cries out, waking and sleeping, for forgiveness. If she be suffered to go on as she begins, we shall lose her as we have lost her Husband. This, you know, might have made me take heed, and have provided when provision might have been had. Mercy makes good use of their neg. lect of duty. Well, said Mercy, as by this neglect, we have an occasion ministered unto us to behold our own imperfections, so our Lord has taken occasion there * Ezek. xxxvi. 37. by to make manifest the riches of his grace: for he, as we see, has followed us with unasked kindness, and has delivered us from their hands that were stronger than we, of his mere good pleasure. Talk in the Inter preter's House about Christiana's going on pilgrim age. Thus now, when they had talked away a little more time, they drew near to a House which stood in the Way, which House was built for the relief of Pilgrims, as you will find more fully related in the First Part of these Records of the Pilgrim's Progress. So they drew on towards the House, (the House of the Interpreter ;) and when they came to the door, they heard a great talk in the House; then they gave ear, and heard, as they thought, Christiana mentioned by name; for you must know that there went along, even before her, a talk of her and her children's going on pilgrimage. And this was the more pleasing to them, because they had heard that she was Christian's wife, that woman who was, some time ago, so unwilling to hear of going on pilgrimage. Thus, therefore, they stood still, and heard the good people within commending her, who, they little thought, stood at the door. At last Christiana knocked, as she had done at at the Gate before. Now when she had knocked, there came to the door a young damsel, and opened the door, and looked, and behold, two women were there. Then said the damsel to them, With whom would you speak in this place? She knocks at the door. The door is opened to them by Innocent. Christiana answered, We understand that this is a privileged place for those that are become Pilgrims, and we now at this door are such; wherefore we pray that we may be partakers of that for which we at this time are come; for the day, as thou seest, is. very far spent, and we are loath to-night to go any further. my Damsel. Pray, what may I call your name, that I may tell it to Lord within? Chr. My name is Christiana; I was the wife of that Pilgrim that some years ago did travel this way; and these be his four children. This Maiden also is my companion, and is going on pilgrimage too. Joy in the house of Then Innocent ran in, (for that was her name,) and said to those within, Can you think who is at the door? There is Christiana and her children, and her companion, all waiting for entertainment here. Then they leaped for joy, and went and told their Master. So he came to the door, and, looking upon her, he said, Art thou that Christiana whom Christian the good Man left behind him when he betook himself to a Pilgrim's life? the Interpreter that Christiana is turn ed Pilgrim. |