ould. Yet thefe two, as men that are deaf, regarded not hriftiana's words, but began to lay hands upon them; at at Chriftiana waxed very wroth, and fpurned at them with r feet; Mercy alfo, as well as the could, did what the ald to fhift them. Chriftiana again faid to them, Stand ck, and bygone, for we have no money to lofe, being grime, as you fee, and fuch too as live upon the charity our friends.

Ill Fav. Then faid one of the two men, We make no fault upon you for money, but are come out to tell you, at if you will but grant one fmall request which we shall , we will make women of you for ever

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Chrift. Now Chriftiana imagining what they should ean, made anfwer again, We will neither hear, nor reard, nor yield to what you fhall afk; we are in haste, and nnot ftay, our bufinefs is of the laft importance; fo again e and her companions made a fresh essay to go past them, at they lettered them in their way.

Ill Faru. And they faid, We intend no hurt to your lives, is another thing we would have.

Cbrik. Aye, quoth Chriftiana, you would Chriftiana cries. ave us body and foul, for I know it is for ext.

hat you are come; but we will die rather

pon the fpot, than to fuffer ourselves to be brought into ach fnares as fhall hazard our well-being hereafter; and ith that they both shrieked out, and cried, murder ! mure er! and fo put themselves under thofe laws that are pro ided for the protection of women. But the men fill nade their approach upon them, with defign to prevail a gainst them. They therefore cried out again.

Now they being, as I faid, not far from

the gate in at which they came, their voice It is good to ery was heard from where they were thither: out when we are. Wherefore fome of the house came out, and affaulted. knowing that it was Chriftiana's tongue,

they made hafte to her relief, but by that they were got, within fight of them, the women were in a very great scuffles the children alfo flood crying by. Then did he that came in for their relief, call out to the ruffians, faying, what is that you would do? Would you make my Lord's people to tranfgrefs? He also attempted to take them, but they > did make their efcape over the wall into the garden of the

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man to whom the great dog belonged, fo the dog became their protector. This reliever then came up to the women and alked them how they did? So they answered, We thank thy prince pretty well; only we have been fome what affrighted; we thank thee alfo for that thou came in to our help, for otherwife we had been overcome.

Relever. So, after a few more words, this Reliever faid as followeth: I marvelled much you was entertained at the gate, feeing, ye know, that ye were but weak women, that you petitioned not the Lord for a conductor; then might you have avoided all these troubles and dangers; he would have granted you one.

Mark this. Christ. Alas! faid Chriftiana, we were fo taken with our bleffing, that dangers to Come were forgotten by us; befide who could have thought that, fo near the King's palace, there fhould have lurked fuch naughty ones? Indeed, it had been well for us had we afked our Lord for one; but fince our Lord knew it would be for our profit, I wonder he fent not one along with us!

Rel. It is not always neceffary to grant We lofe for want things not asked for, left by fo doing they of alking. become of little esteem; but when the want of a thing is felt, it then comes un der, in the eyes of him that feels it, that eftimate that properly is its due, and fo confequently will be hereaftct rfed, Had my Lord granted you a conductor, you would not neither have to bewailed that overfight of yours in not alking for one, as now you have occafion to do. So all things work for good, and tend to make you more wary.

Chrift. Shall we go back again to my Lord, and confefs our folly, and ask one?

Rel. Your confeffion of your folly I will prefent him with: To go back again you need not; for in all places where you shall come you will find no want at all, for in every of my Lord's lodgings, which he has prepared for the reception of his pilgrims, there is fufficient to furnish them against all attempts whatsoever; but, as I faid, he will be inquired of by them to do it for them; and it is a poor thing that is not worth asking for. When he had thus faid, he went back to his place, and the pilgrims went on their way.

Merg

Chrift. Thy innocency, my fifter, faid Chriftiana's

hriftiana to Mercy, may excufe thee much guilt.

勝ち点

at as for me, my fault is fo much the

eater, for that I faw this danger before I came out of the Dors, and yet did not provide for it where provifion might 3: ve been had, I am much to be blamed.

The PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.

195

Mere. Then faid Mercy, what a fadden. The mistake of lank is here? I made account we had been Mercy. at all danger, and that we fhould never

rrow more!

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Mercy. Then faid Mercy, How knew you this before u came from home? Pray open to me this riddle? Cbrift. Why I will tell you: Before I fet foot out of ors one night, as I lay in my bed, I had a dream about is: For methought I faw two men as like thefe as ever e world they could look, ftand at my bed's feet, plotting they might prevent my falvation. I

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ill tell you their very words: They faid fit Chriftiana's as when I was in my troubles) What fhall dream repeated. do with this woman? for the cries out

aking and Deeping for forgiveness; if the be fuffered to on as he begins, we fhall lofe her as we have loft her hand. This you know might have made me take heed,

have provided when provifion might have been had. Mercy. Well, faid Mercy, as by this ne

lect we have an occafton miniftered unto Mercy makes to behold our imperfections fo our Lord good use taken occafion thereby to make mani- seglect of duty. the riches of his grace; for he, as we

has followed us with unafked kindness, and has delifered us from their hands that were ftronger than we, of is mere good pleasure.

Thus, now, when they had talked away a little more time, they drew near to a houfe which flood in the way. which houfe was built for the relief of pilgrims, as you will find more fully related in the first part of the records of the Pilgrim's Progrefs: So they drew on towards the houfe (the houfe of the interpreter) and when they came to the door they heard a great talk in the houfe; they then av ear, and heard, as Talk in the In they thought, Chriftiana mentioned by terpreter's house Mame; for you muû know that there went about Chrifti

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along, even before her, a talk of her and her children going on pilgrimage: And this was the more pleafing to them, becau they had heard that he was Chriftian's wife, that wom who was, fome time ago, fo unwilling to hear of goin on pilgrimage. Thus therefore they food fill, and hear the good people within commending her, whom the little thought flood at the door. Chriftiana knocked, as he had done at gate before. Now, when she had knocked there came to the door a young damfe named Innocent, who opened it, and looked, and behol @wo women were there.

At

ad's going on pilgrimage.

She knocks at the door.

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Damfel. Then faid the damfel to them, With whom would you fpeak in this place?

Chrift. Chriftiana anfwered, We understand that this a priviledged place for thofe that are become pilgrims, an we now at this door are fuch; wherefore we pray that may be partakers of that for which we at this time come; for the day, as thou feeft, is very far spent, and are loth to-night to go any farther.

Damfel. Pray what may I call your name, that I may te it to my Lord within ?

Chrift. My name is Chriftiana; I was the wife of the pilgrim, that fome years ago did travel this way, and the be his four children. This maiden is alfe my companion and going on pilgrimage too..

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Innocent. Then ran Innocent in (for that was her name. and faid to those within, Can you think who is at door? There is Chriflian, her children, and Joy in the house her companion, all waiting for entertain of the Intepre- ment here. Then they leaped for joy, and ter that Chri- went and told their master. So he came to fian is turned the door, and looking upon her, he faid, pilgrim. Art thou that Chriftiana whom Chriftian, the good man, left behind him when he betook himfelf to a pilgrim's life?

Chrift. I am that woman that was fo hard-hearted as to flight my hufhand's troubles, and that left him to go on hid journey alone, and these are his four children; but now I alfo am come, for I am convinced that no way but this.

is right

Inter. Then is fulfilled that which is Mat. zz. 28, 29. titten of the man that faid to his son,

o work to day in my vineyard; and he said to his father, will not; but afterwards repented and went.

Cbrift. Then said Chriftiana, So be it, Amen. God ake it a true faying upon me, and grant that I may be and at the last of him in peace, without fpot, and blamefs.

Inter. But why standeft thou at the door, Come in, thou ughter of Abraham; we were talking of thee but now, tidings have come to us before, how thou art become a Igrim. Come, children, come in; come, maiden, come fo he had them all into the house.

So when they were within, they were bidden to fit down id reft them; the which, when they had done, those that tended upon the pilgrims in the house

me into the room to see them: And one Old Saints glaď miled, and another fmiled, and they all to fee the young ailed, for joy that Chriftiana was become ones walk in pilgrim: They alfo looked upon the God's ways. oys; they ftroked them over their faces

ith their hand, in token of their kind reception of them: They also carried it lovingly to Mercy, and bid them all elcome into their master's house.

After a while, becaufe fupper was not ready, the Interreter took them into his fignificant rooms, and fhewed hem what Chriftian, Chriftiana's husband, had feen fome ime before. Here therefore they faw the man in the cage, the man and his dream, the man that cut his way through is enemies, and the picture of the biggest of all, together with the reft of thofe things that were then fo profitable

to Christian.

This done, and after thofe things had been fomewhat digefted by Chriftiana and her company, the Interpreter takes them apart again, and has them first into a room where was a man that could look no way

but downwards, with a muck-rake in his The man with hand: There flood alfo one over his head the muck-rake with a celeftial crown in his hand, and of- expounded. fered him that crown for his muck-rake;

but the man did neither look up nor regard, but raked to bimfelf the ftraws, the small sticks, and duft of the floor.

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