Books: The Pilgrim\'s Progess in Words of One Syllable
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Mary Godolphin >> The Pilgrim\'s Progess in Words of One Syllable
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Then Christiana spoke to her boys, and said: My sons, I have of
late been sad at the death of Christian, your dear sire. But I
feel sure now that it is well with him, and that he dwells in the
land of life and peace. I have, too, felt deep grief at the
thoughts of my own state and yours; for we were wrong to let our
hearts grow cold, and turn a deaf ear to him in the time of his
woe, and hold back from him when he fled from this City of
Destruction.
The thought of these things would kill me, were it not for a
dream which I had last night, and for what a guest who came here
at dawn has told me. So come, my dear ones, let us make our way
at once to the gate that leads to The Celestial City, that we may
see your sire and be there with him and his friends.
Then her first two sons burst out in tears of joy that
Christiana's heart was set that way.
Now while they put all things right to go, two friends of
Christiana's came up to her house, and gave a knock at the door.
To them she said, If you come in God's name, come in. This mode
of speech from the lips of Christiana struck them as strange. Yet
they came in, and said, Pray what do you mean by this?
I mean to leave my home, said she to Mrs. Timorous--for that was
the name of one of these friends.
Timorous:--To what end, pray tell me?
Christiana:--To go to my dear Christian. And with that she wept.
Timorous:--Nay, can it be so? Who or what has brought you to
this state of mind?
Christiana:--Oh, my friend, if you did but know as much as I do,
I doubt not that you would be glad to go with me.
Timorous:--Pray what new lore have you got hold of that draws
your mind from your friends, and tempts you to go no one knows
where?
Christiana:--I dreamt last night that I saw Christian. Oh, that
my soul were with him now! The Prince of the place has sent for
me, through one who came to me at sun rise, and brought this note
to bid me go there; read it, I pray you.
Timorous:--Ah, how mad to run such risks! You have heard, I am
sure, from our friend Obstinate, what Christian met with on the
way, for he went with him; yea, and Pliable, too, till they, like
wise men, came back through fear. You heard how he met with the
beasts of prey and Apollyon, what he saw in the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, and more still that makes my hair stand on end
to hear of; think, too, of these four sweet boys who are your own
flesh and bone; and, though you should be so rash as to wish to
go, yet for their sale, I pray you keep at home.
But Christiana said: Tempt me not. I have now a chance put in my
hand to get gain, and in truth I should be a fool if I had not
the heart to grasp it. And these toils and snares that you tell
me of shall not keep me back; no, they serve but to show me that
I am in the right. Care must first be felt, then joy. So since
you came not to my house in God's name, as I said, I pray you to
be gone, and tempt me no more.
Then Timorous said to Mercy (who had come with her): Let us leave
her in her own hands, since she scorns all that I say.
But Mercy thought that if her friend Christiana must be gone, she
would go part of the way with her to help her. She took some
thought, too, of her own soul, for what Christiana had said had
laid hold on her mind, and she felt she must have some talk with
this friend; and if she found that truth and life were in her
words, she would join her with all her heart.
So Mercy said to Timorous: I came with you to see Christiana, and
since on this day she takes leave of the town, I think the least
I can do would be to walk a short way with her to help her on.
But the rest she kept from Timorous.
Timorous:--Well, I see you have a mind to play the fool, too;
but take heed in good time, and be wise.
So Mrs. Timorous went to her own house; and Christiana, with her
four boys and Mercy, went on their way.
Mercy, said Christiana, I take this as a great boon that you
should set foot out of doors to start me on my way.
Then said young Mercy (for she was quite young): If I thought it
would be good to join you, I would not go back at all to the
town.
Christiana:--Well, Mercy, cast your lot in with mine; I know
what will be the end of our toils. Christian is where he would
not fail to be for all the gold in the mines of Spain. Nor shall
you be sent back, though there be no one but I to ask it for you;
for the King who has sent for me and my boys is One who turns not
from those who seek Him. If you like I will hire you, and you
shall go as my maid, and yet shall share all things with me, so
that you do but go.
Mercy:--But how do I know that I shall be let in? If I thought I
should have help from Him from whom all help comes, I would make
no pause, but would go at once, let the way be as rough as it
might.
Christiana:--Well, Mercy, I will tell you what I would have you
do. Go with me as far as to the field gate, and there I will ask;
and if no hopes should be held out to you by Him who keeps the
gate, you can but go back to your home.
Mercy: Well, I will go with you, and the Lord grant that my lot
may be cast to dwell in the land for which my heart yearns.
Christiana then felt glad that she had a friend to join her, and
that her friend should have so great a care for her soul.
So they went on their way; but the face of Mercy wore so sad a
mien that Christiana said to her, What ails you? Why do you weep?
Mercy:--Oh, who could but weep to think of the state of my poor
friends near and dear to me, in our had town?
Christiana:--You feel for your friends as my good Christian did
for me when he left me, for it went to his heart to find that I
would not see these things in the same light as he did. And now,
you, I, and these dear boys, reap the fruits of all his woes. I
hope, Mercy, these tears of yours will not be shed in vain, for
He who could not lie, has said that they who sow in tears shall
reap in joy.
Now when Christiana came up to the Slough Of Despond, she and her
sons made a stand, and Christiana told them that this was the
place in which her dear Christian fell. But Mercy said, Come, let
us try; all we have to do is to keep the steps well in view. Yet
Christiana made a slip or two in the mud; but at last they got
through the slough, and then they heard a voice say to them:
Blest is she who hath faith, for those things which were told her
of the Lord shall come to pass.
So now they went on once more, and Mercy said, Had I as good
grounds to hope to get in at the gate as you have, I think no
Slough Of Despond would keep me back.
Well, said Christiana, you know your sore, and I know mine, and
hard toil will it be for both of us to get to the end of the way;
for how can we think that they who set out on a scheme of so much
bliss, should steer clear of frights and fears on their way to
that bright bourn which it is their aim to reach?
When they came to the gate, it took them some time to make out a
plan of what they should say to Him who stood there; and as Mercy
was not so old as her friend, she said that it must rest with
Christiana to speak for all of them. So, she gave a knock, and
then (like Christian) two more; but no one came.
Now they heard the fierce bark of a dog, which made them shake
with fear, nor did they dare for a while to knock a third time,
lest the dog should fly at them. So they were put to their wits'
end to know what to do: to knock they did not dare, for fear of
the dog; to go back they did not dare, lest He who kept the gate
should see them as they went, and might not like it. At last they
gave a knock four times as loud as the first.
Then He who stood at the gate said, Who is there? The dog was
heard to bark no more, and the gate swung wide for them to come
in.
Christiana sank on her knees, and said, Let not our Lord be wroth
that we have made this loud noise at His gate.
At this He said: Whence come you, and what is it that you would
have?
Quoth Christiana: We are come from the town whence Christian
came, to beg to be let in at this gate, that we may go on our way
to The Celestial City. I was once the wife of Christian, who now
is in the land of bliss.
With that, He who kept the gate threw up His arms and said, What!
is she on her road to The Celestial City who, but a short time
since, did hate the life of that place?
Then Christiana bent her head, and said, Yes, and so are these,
my dear sons. So He took her by the hand and led her in; and when
her four sons had gone through, He shut the gate. This done, He
said to a man hard by, Sound the horn for joy.
But now that Christiana was safe through the gate with her boys,
she thought it time to speak a word for Mercy, so she said, My
Lord, I have a friend who stands at the gate, who has come here
with the same trust that I did; one whose heart is sad to think
that she comes, it may be, when she is not sent for; while I had
word from Christian's King to come.
The time did so lag with poor Mercy while she stood to be let in,
that though it was but a short space, yet through fear and doubt
did it seem to her like an hour at least; and Christiana could
not say more for Mercy to Him who kept the gate for the knocks,
which came so fast, and were at last so loud that they made
Christiana start.
Then He said, Who is there?
Quoth Christiana: It is my friend.
So He threw back the gate to look out, but Mercy was in a swoon,
from the fear that she should not be let in.
Then He took her by the hand and said, Fear not; stand firm on
thy feet, and tell me whence thou art come, and for what end?
Mercy:--I do not come as my friend Christiana does, for I was
not sent for by the King, and I fear I am too bold. Yet if there
is grace to share, I pray Thee let me share it.
Then He took her once more by the hand and led her in, and said,
All may come in who put their trust in me, let the means be what
they may that brought them here.
Then He told those that stood by to bring her some myrrh, and in
a while she got well.
Now I saw in my dream that he spoke good words to Mercy,
Christiana, and her boys, so as to make glad their hearts. And He
took them up to the top of the gate, where He left them for a
while, and Christiana said: Oh my dear friend, how glad am I that
we have all got in!
Mercy:--So you may well be; but most of all have I cause for
joy.
Christiana:--I thought at one time as I stood at the gate, and
none came to me, that all our pains had been lost.
Mercy:--But my worst fears came when I saw Him who kept the gate
grant you your wish, and take no heed of me. And this brought to
my mind the two who ground at the same mill, and how I was the
one who was left; and I found it hard not to cry out, I am lost!
I am lost!
Christiana:--I thought you would have come in by rude force.
Mercy:--Ah me! You saw that the door was shut on me, and that a
fierce hound was not far off. Who, with so faint a heart as mine,
would not give loud knocks with all her might? But, pray, what
said my Lord at this rude noise? Was He not wroth with me?
Christiana:--When He heard your loud thumps at the door He gave
a smile; and to my mind, what you did would seem to please Him
well. But it is hard to guess why He keeps such a dog. Had I
known of it, I fear I should not have had the wish to come. But
now we are in, we are safe; and I am glad with all my heart.
One of Christiana's boys said: Pray ask to have a chain put on
the dog, for it will bite us when we go hence.
Then He who kept the gate came down to them once more, and Mercy
fell with her face to the ground, and said, Oh, let me bless and
praise the Lord with my lips!
So He said to her, Peace be to thee; stand up.
But she would not rise till she had heard from Him why He kept so
fierce a dog in the yard. He told her He did not own the dog, but
that it was shut up in the grounds of one who dwelt near. In
truth, said He, it is kept from no good will to me or mine, but
to cause those who come here to turn back from my gate by the
sound of its voice. But hadst thou known more of me thou wouldst
not have felt fear of a dog. The poor man who goes from door to
door will, for the sake of alms, run the risk of a bite from a
cur; and shall a dog keep thee from me?
Mercy:--I spoke of what I knew not; but, Lord, I know that Thou
dost all things well.
Then Christiana rose as if she would go on her way. So He fed
them, and set them in the right path, as He had done to
Christian. And as they went, Christiana sang a hymn: "We turn our
tears to joy, and our fears to faith."
They had not gone far when they saw some fruit trees, the boughs
of which hung from the top of a wall that was built around the
grounds of him who kept the fierce hound, and at times those that
came that way would eat them to their cost. So as they were ripe,
Christiana's boys threw them down and ate some of them; though
Christiana chid them for it, and said, That fruit is not ours.
But she knew not then whose it was. Still the boys would eat of
it.
Now when they had gone but a bow shot from the place, they saw
two men, who with bold looks came fast down the hill to meet
them. With that, Christiana and her friend Mercy, drew down their
veils, and so kept on their way, and the boys went on first. Then
the men came up to them, but Christiana said: Stand back, or go
by in peace, as you should. Yet they took no more heed of her
words than if they had been deaf.
Christiana, who did not like their looks, said, We are in haste,
and can not stay; our work is a work of life and death. With that
she and the rest made a fresh move to pass, but the men would not
let them. So with one voice they all set up a loud cry. Now, as
they were not far from the held gate, they were heard from that
place, and some of those in the lodge came out in haste to catch
these bad men; when they soon leapt the wall, and got safe to the
grounds where the dog was kept.
Reliever:--How was it that when you were at the gate you did not
ask Him who stood there to take you on your way, and guard you
from harm? Had you done so you would not have gone through these
frights, for He would have been sure to grant you your wish.
Christiana:--Ah, Sir, the joy we felt when we were let in, drove
from our thoughts all fears to come. And how could we think that
such had men could lurk in such a place as that? True, it would
have been well for us if we had thought to ash Him; but since our
Lord knew it would he for our good, how came it to pass that He
did not send some one with us?
Reliever:--You did not ask. When the want of a thing is felt,
that which we wish for is worth all the more.
Christiana:--Shall we go back to my Lord and tell Him we wish we
had been more wise, and ask for a guard?
Reliever:--Go back you need not, for in no place where you go
will you find a want at all.
When he had said this he took his leave, and the rest went on
their way.
Mercy:--What a blank is here! I made sure we had been past all
risk, and that we should see no more care.
Christiana:--Your youth may plead for you, my friend, and screen
you from blame; but as for me, my fault is so much the worse in
so far as I knew what would take place ere I came out of my door.
Mercy:--But how could you know this ere you set out?
Christiana:--Why, I will tell you. One night as I lay in bed, I
had a dream, in which I saw the whole scene as it took place just
now.
By this time Christiana, Mercy and the four boys had come to the
house of Interpreter. Now when they drew near to the door they
heard the sound of Christiana's name; for the news of her flight
had made a great stir; but they knew not that she stood at the
door. At last she gave a knock, as she had done at the gate, when
there came to the door a young maid, Innocent by name.
Innocent:--With whom would you speak in this place?
Christiana:--As we heard that this is a place of rest for those
that go by the way, we pray that we may be let in, for the day,
as you see, is far spent, and we are loth to go on by night.
Innocent:--Pray what is your name, that I may tell it to my
Lord?
Christiana:--My name is Christiana; I was the wife of Christian,
who some time since came by this way, and these are his four
sons.
Innocent then ran in and said to those there, Can you guess who
is at the door? There are Christiana, her boys and her friend!
So they leapt for joy, and went to tell it to their Lord, who
came to the door and said, Art thou that Christiana whom
Christian left in the town of Destruction, when he set out for
The Celestial City?
Christiana:--I am she, and my heart was so hard as to slight his
woes, and leave him to make his way as he could; and these are
his four sons. But I, too, am come, for I feel sure that no way
is right but this.
Interpreter:--But why do you stand at the door? Come in; it was
but just now that we spoke of you, for we heard that you were on
your way. Come, my dear boys, come in; come, my sweet maid, come
in. So he took them to the house, and bade them sit down and
rest. All in the house wore a smile of joy to think that
Christiana was on her way to The Celestial City, and they were
glad to see the young ones walk in God's ways, and gave them a
kind of clasp of the hand to show their good will. They said soft
words, too, to Mercy, and bade them all be at their ease. To fill
up the time till they could sup, Interpreter took them to see all
those things that had been shown to Christian. This done, they
were led to a room in which stood a man with a prong in his hand,
who could look no way but down on the ground; and there stood one
with a crown in his hand, which he said he would give him for his
prong; yet the first man did not look up, but went on to rake the
straws, dust, and stocks which lay on the floor.
Then said Christiana: I think I know what this means. It is a
sketch of a man of this world, is it not, good Sir?
Interpreter:--Thou art right, and his prong shows that his mind
is of the earth, and that he thinks life in the next world is a
mere song; take note that he does not so much as look up; and
straws, sticks, and dust, with most, are the great things to live
for.
At that Christiana and Mercy wept, and said, Ah, yes, it is too
true!
Interpreter then took them to a room where were a hen and her
chicks, and bade them look well at them for a while. So one of
the chicks went to the trough to drink, and each time she drank
would she lift up her head and her eyes to the sky.
See, said he, what this bird does, and learn of her to know
whence all good comes, and to give to the Lord who dwells on
high, the praise and thanks for it. Look once more, and see all
the ways that the hen has with her young brood. There is her call
that goes on all day long; and there is her call that comes but
now and then; she has a third call to shield them with her wings;
and her fourth is a loud cry, which she gives when she spies a
foe. Now, said he, set her ways by the side of your King's, and
the ways of these chicks by the side of those who love to do His
will, and then you will see what I mean. For He has a way to walk
in with His saints. By the call that comes all day He gives
nought; by a call that is rare He is sure to have some good to
give; then there is a call, too, for those that would come to His
wings, which He spreads out to shield them; and He has a cry to
warn men from those who might hurt their souls. I choose scenes
from real life, as they are not too hard for you to grasp, when I
fit them to your own case; and it is the love I have for your
souls that prompts me to show you these things.
Christiana:--Pray let us see some more.
Interpreter then took them to his field, which was sown with
wheat and corn; but when they came to look, the ears were cut
off, and there was nought but the straw left.
Interpreter:--What shall we do with the crop?
Christiana:--Burn some, and use the rest to dress the ground
with.
Interpreter:--Fruit, you see, is the thing you look for, and for
want of that you cast off the whole crop. Take heed that in this
you do not seal your own doom; for by fruit I mean works.
Now when they came back to the house the meal was not yet spread,
so did Christiana beg of Interpreter to show or tell them some
more things.
Interpreter:--So much the more strong a man's health is, so much
the more prone is he to sin. The more fat the sow is, the more
she loves the mire. It is not so hard to sit up a night or two,
as to watch for a whole year; just as it is not so hard to start
well as it is to hold out to the end. One leak will sink a ship,
and one sin will kill a man's soul. If a man would live well, let
him keep his last day in mind.
Now when Christiana, Mercy and the boys bad all had a good
night's rest, they rose with the sun, and made a move to leave;
but Interpreter told them to wait a while. For, said he, you must
go hence in due form, such is the rule of the house.
Then he told Innocent to take them to the bath, and there wash
the dust from them. This done, they came forth fresh and strong,
and as Interpreter said, Fair as the moon.
Next he told those near him to bring the seal, and when it was
brought he set his mark on them that they might be known in each
place where they went.
Then said Interpreter: Bring vests for them. And they were clad
in robes as white as snow, so that it made each start to see the
rest shine with so bright a light.
Interpreter then sent for one of his men whose name was
Great-heart, and bade that he should be clad in a coat of mail,
with sword and shield, and that he should take them to a house,
the name of which was Beautiful, where they would rest.
Then Interpreter took his leave of them, with a good wish for
each. So they went on their way, and thus they sang:--
"O move me, Lord, to watch and pray,
From sin my heart to clear;
To take my cross up day by day,
And serve the Lord with fear."
They next came to the place where Christian's load had been lost
in the tomb. Here they made a pause, and gave thanks to Him who
laid down His life to save theirs. So now they went up the hill,
which was so steep that the toil made Christiana pant for breath.
How can we doubt, said she, that they who love rest more than
their souls would choose some way on which they could go with
more ease than this?
Then Mercy said, Come what may, I must rest for a while.
And James, who was the least of the boys, gave way to tears.
Come, Come! said Great-heart, sit not down here; for there is a
seat near us put there by the Prince. With this he took the young
child by the hand, and led him to it; and they were all glad to
sit down, and to be out of the heat of the sun's rays.
Then said Mercy: How sweet is rest to them that work! And how
good is the Prince to place this seat here that such as we may
rest! Of this spot I have heard much, but let us take heed that
we sleep not, for that once cost poor Christian dear.
Then said Mr. Great-heart: Well, my brave boys, how do you do?
What think you of this hill?
Sir, said James, this hill beats me out of heart! And I see now
that what I have been told is true; the land of bliss is up
steps; but still, Sir, it is worse to go down hill to death than
up hill to life.
You are a good boy, said Great-heart.
At this Mercy could but smile, and it made James blush.
Christiana:--Come, will you not drink of this flask, and eat
some fruit, while we sit here to rest? For Mr. Interpreter put
these in my hand as I came out of his door.
Now when they had sat there a while, their guide said to them:
The day runs on, and if you think well of it, let us now go on
our way.
So they all set out, the boys first, then the rest; but they had
not gone far when Christiana found she had left the flask, so she
sent James back to fetch it.
Mercy:--I think this is the place where Christian lost his
scroll. How was this, Sir?
Great-heart:--We may trace it to two things; one is sleep, and
one is that you cease to think of that which you cease to want;
and when you lose sight of a boon you lose sight of Him who
grants it, and the joy of it will end in tears.
By and by they came to a small mound with a post on it, where
these words were cut, Let him who sees this post take heed of his
heart and his tongue that they be not false. Then they went on
till they came up to two large beasts of prey.
Now Great-heart was a strong man, so he had no fear; but their
fierce looks made the boys start, and they all clung round
Great-heart.
How now, my boys! You march on first, as brave as can be, when
there is no cause for fear; but when a test of your strength
comes, you shrink.
Now when Great-heart drew his sword to force a way, there came up
one Giant Grim, who said in a gruff voice, What right have you to
come here?
Great-heart:--These folk are on their way to The Celestial City,
and this is the road they shall go, in spite of thee and the wild
beasts.
Grim:--This is not their way, nor shall they go on it. I am come
forth to stop them, and to that end will back the wild beasts.
Now, to say the truth, so fierce were these beasts, and so grim
the looks of them that the road was grown with weeds and grass
from want of use. And still Grim bade them turn, For, said he,
you shall not pass.
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