with him, yet to enter after him in at the gates into the Celestial City?

Great-heart. Without doubt it will be a comfort to him; for, next to the joy of seeing himself there, it will be a joy to meet there his wife and children.

Val. But now you are upon that, pray let me see your opinion about it. Some make a question whether we shall know one another when we are there?

Great-heart. Do you think they shall know themselves then, or that they shall rejoice to see themselves in that bliss? And if they think they shall know and do this, why not know others, and rejoice in their welfare also? Again, since relations are our second self, though that state will be dissolved there, yet why may it not be rationally concluded that we shall be more glad to see them there, than to see they are wanting?

Val. Well, I perceive whereabouts you are as to this. Have you any more things to ask me about my beginning to come on Pilgrimage?

Great-heart. Yes; were your father and mother willing that you should become a Pilgrim ?

Val. Oh! no; they used all means imaginable to persuade me to stay at home.

Great-heart. Why, what could they say against it? Val. They said it was an idle life; and if I myself were not

THE GREAT STUMBLING
BLOCKS THAT BY HIS

inclined to sloth and laziness, I FRIENDS WERE laid in would never countenance a Pil

grim's condition.

HIS WAY.

Great-heart. And what did they say else?

Val. Why, they told me that it was a dangerous

way; yea, the most dangerous way in the world, say they, is that which the Pilgrims go.

Great-heart. Did they shew you wherein this way

is so dangerous?

Val. Yes; and that in many particulars.
Great-heart. Name some of them.

THE FIRST STUM-
BLING BLOCK.

Val. They told me of the Slough of Despond, where Christian was well nigh smothered. They told me that there were archers standing ready in Beelzebub-Castle, to shoot them who should knock at the Wicket-Gate for entrance. They told me also of the wood and dark mountains; of the hill Difficulty; of the lions; and also of the three Giants, Bloody-man, Maul, and Slay-good. They said, moreover, that there was a foul Fiend haunted the valley of Humiliation, and that Christian was by him almost bereft of life. Besides, said they, you must go over the Valley of the Shadow of Death, where the Hobgoblins are; where the light is darkness; where the way is full of snares, pits, traps, and gins. They told me also of Giant Despair, of Doubting-Castle, and of the ruin that the Pilgrims met with there. Farther, they said, I must go over the Enchanted Ground, which was dangerous; and that, after all this, I should find a River over which there was no bridge; and that that river did lie betwixt me and the Celestial Country.

Great-heart. And was this all?

THE SECOND.

Val. No; they also told me that this way was full of deceivers, and of persons that lay in wait there to turn good men out of the path. Great-heart. But how did they make that out?

Val. They told me that Mr. Worldly-wise-man did lie there in wait to deceive. They said also, that there were Formality and Hypocrisy continually on the road. They said also that By-ends, Talkative, or Demas, would go near to gather me up; that the Flatterer would catch me in his net; or that, with green-headed Ignorance, I would presume to go on to the Gate, from whence he was sent back to the Hole that was in the side of the Hill, and made to go the by-way to hell.

Great-heart. I promise you this was enough to discourage thee; but did they make an end there?

THE THIRD.

Val. No; stay. They told me also of many that had tried that way of old, and that had gone a great way therein, to see if they could find something of the glory there, that so many had so much talked of from time to time; and how they came back again, and befooled themselves for setting a foot out of doors in that path, to the satisfaction of all the country. And they named several that did so; as Obstinate and Pliable, Mistrust and Timorous, Turnaway and old Atheist; with several more, who, they said, had some of them gone far to see what they could find; but not one of them had found so much advantage by going as amounted to the weight of a feather. Great-heart. Said they any thing more to discourage you?

THE FOURTH.

Val. Yes; they told me of one Mr. Fearing, who was a pilgrim; and how he found his way so solitary, that he never had a comfortable hour therein. Also that Mr. Despondency had like to have been starved therein; yea, and also,

which I had almost forgot, that Christian himself, about whom there has been such a noise, after all his ventures for a celestial crown, was certainly drowned in the black river, and never went a foot farther, however it was smothered up.

Great-heart. And did none of these things discourage you?

Val. No; they seemed but as so many nothings

to me.

Great-heart. How came that about?

HOW HE GOT OVER

Val. Why, I still believed what THESE STUMBLING Mr. Tell-true had said, and that carried me beyond them all.

BLOCKS.

Great-heart. Then this was your victory, even your

faith.

Val. It was so; I believed, and therefore came out, got into the way, fought all that set themselves against me, and by believing am come to this place.

Who would true valour see,

Let him come hither;

One here will constant be,

Come wind, come weather.
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avow'd intent

To be a Pilgrim.

Who so beset him round

With dismal stories,

Do but themselves confound;
His strength the more is.
No Lion can him fright;
He'll with a Giant fight,
But he will have a right
To be a Pilgrim.

Hobgoblin, nor foul fiend,

Can daunt his spirit;

He knows he at the end

Shall life inherit.

Then fancies fly away;

He'll not fear what men say;

He'll labour night and day

To be a Pilgrim.

By this time they were got to the Enchanted Ground, where the air naturally tended to make one drowsy; and that place was all grown over with briers and thorns, excepting here and there where was an Enchanted Arbour, upon which if a man sits, or in which if a man sleeps, t' is a question, some say, whether ever he shall rise or wake again in this world. Over this forest, therefore, they went, both one and another; and Mr. Great-heart went before, for that he was the guide, and Mr. Valiant-for-truth came behind, being rear-guard, for fear lest, peradventure, some Fiend, or Dragon, or Giant, or Thief, should fall upon their rear, and so do mischief. They went on here, each man with his sword drawn in his hand, for they knew it was a dangerous place; also they cheered up one another as well as they could. Feeble-mind Mr. Great-heart commanded should come up after him, and Mr. Despondency was under the eye of Mr. Valiant.

Now they had not gone far but a great mist and darkness fell upon them all, so that they could scarce for a great while see the one the other. Wherefore they were forced for some time to feel one for another by words; for they walked not by sight.

But any one must think that here was but sorry