he, that comes from whereabout I dwelt; THE STORY OF his name is Stand-fast; he is certainly a right good Pilgrim. STAND-FAST. So they came up to one another; and presently Stand-fast said to old Honest, Ho! TALK BETwixt him Father Honest, are you there? Ay, AND MR. HONEST. said he, that I am, as sure as you are there. Right glad I am, said Mr. Stand-fast, that I have found you on this road. And as glad am I, said the other, that I espied you on your knees. Then Mr. Stand-fast blushed, and said, But why, did you see me? Yes, that I did, quoth the other; and, with my heart, was glad at the sight. Why, what did you think? said Stand-fast. Think! said old Honest; what should I think? I thought we had an honest man upon the road; and therefore should have his company by and by. If you thought not amiss, said Stand-fast, how happy am I! but, if I be not as I should, t' is I alone must bear it. That is true, said the other; but your fear doth farther confirm me that things are right betwixt the Prince of Pilgrims and your soul; for, he saith, "Blessed is the man that feareth always.” THEY FOUND HIM Val. Well, but, brother, I pray thee tell us, what was it that was the cause of thy being upon thy knees even now? that some special mercy laid obligations or how? Stand-fast. Why, we are, as you see, upon the Enchanted Ground, and, as I Was it for upon thee, WHAT IT WAS THAT FETCHED was coming along, I was musing with HIM UPON HIS myself of what a dangerous nature the KNEES. road in this place was, and how many that had come even thus far on Pilgrimage had there been stopped, and been destroyed. I thought also of the manner of the death with which this place destroyeth men. Those that die here die of no violent distemper: the death which such die is not grievous to them; for he that goeth away in a sleep begins that journey with desire and pleasure; yea, such acquiesce in the will of that disease. Then Mr. Honest, interrupting him, said, Did you see the two men asleep in the arbour? Stand-fast. Ay, ay; I saw Heedless and Too-bold there; and, for aught I know, there they will lie till they rot.2 But let me go on with my tale: As I was thus musing, as I said, there was one in very pleasant attire, but old, who presented herself to me, and offered me three things, to wit, her body, her purse, and her bed. Now, the truth is, I was both aweary and sleepy: I am also as poor as a howlet, and that perhaps the Witch knew. Well, I repulsed her once and again; but she put by my repulses, and smiled. Then I began to be angry; but she mattered that nothing at all. Then she made offers again, and said, if I would be ruled by her, she would make me great and happy; for, said she, I am the Mistress of the World, and men are made happy by me. Then I asked her name, and she told me it was Madam Bubble. This set me farther MADAM BUBBLE; OR from her; but she still followed me with enticements. Then I betook me, as you saw, to my knees; and with hands lifted up, and cries, I prayed to him that had said he would help. So, just as you came up, 2 Prov. x. 7. the Gentlewoman went her way. Then I continued to give thanks for this my great deliverance; for I verily believe she intended no good, but rather sought to make stop of me in my journey. Hon. Without doubt, her designs were bad. But stay, now you talk of her, methinks I either have seen her, or have read some story of her. Stand-fast. Perhaps you have done both. Hon. Madam Bubble! is she not a tall, comely, dame, something of a swarthy complexion? Stand-fast. Right; you hit it. She is just such a one. Hon. Doth she not speak very smoothly, and give you a smile at the end of a sentence? Stand-fast. You fall right upon it again; for these are her very actions. Hon. Doth she not wear a great purse by her side? and is not her hand often in it, fingering her money, as if that was her heart's delight? Stand-fast. "Tis just so. Had she stood by all this while, you could not more amply have set her forth before me, and have better described her features. Hon. Then he that drew her picture was a good limner, and he that wrote of her said true. THE WORLD. Great-heart. This woman is a Witch; and it is by virtue of her sorceries that this ground is enchanted. Whoever doth lay his head down in her lap, had as good lay it down on that block over which the axe doth hang; and whoever lay their eyes upon her beauty, are counted the enemies of God. This is she that maintaineth in their splendour all those that are the enemies of Pilgrims.3 Yea, this is she that hath bought off many a man from a Pilgrim's life. She is a great gossiper: she is always, both she and her daughters, at one Pilgrim's heels or another, now commending and then preferring the excellencies of this life. She is a bold and impudent slut; she will talk with any man. She always laugheth poor Pilgrims to scorn, but highly commends the rich. If there be one cunning to get money in a place, she will speak well of him from house to house. She loveth banqueting and feasting mainly well she is always at one full table or another. She has given it out in some places that she is a Goddess; and therefore some do worship her. She has her time and open places of cheating; and she will say, and avow it, that none can shew a good comparable to hers. She promiseth to dwell with children's children, if they will but love her, and make much of her. She will cast out of her purse gold like dust in some places, and to some persons. She loves to be sought after, spoken well of, and to lie in the bosoms of men. She is never weary of commending her commodities, and she loves them most that think best of her. She will promise to some crowns and kingdoms, if they will but take her advice; yet many hath she brought to the halter, and ten thousand times more to Hell. Oh! said Standfast, what a mercy is it that I did resist her! for whither might she have drawn me! Great-heart. Whither! nay, none but God knows whither; but, in general, to be sure, she would have 3 James, iv. 4. 1 John, ii. 15. drawn thee into "many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."4 Twas she that set Absalom against his father, and Jeroboam against his master. Twas she that persuaded Judas to sell his Lord, and that prevailed with Demas to forsake the godly Pilgrim's life. None can tell of the mischief that she doth: she makes variance betwixt rulers and subjects, betwixt parents and children, betwixt neighbour and neighbour, betwixt a man and his wife, betwixt a man and himself, betwixt the flesh and the spirit. Wherefore, good Mr. Standfast, be as your name is; and," when you have done all, stand." At this discourse there was, among the Pilgrims, a mixture of joy and trembling; but at length they broke out and sung, What danger is the Pilgrim in, How many are his foes? How many ways there are to sin, No living mortal knows. Some in the ditch are spoil'd; yea can Lie tumbling in the mire ; Some, though they shun the frying-pan, Do leap into the fire. After this, I beheld until they were come into the land of Beulah, where the sun shineth night and day. Here, because they were weary, they betook themselves a while to rest; and because this country was common for Pilgrims, and because the orchards and vineyards that were here belonged to the King of the Celestial Country, therefore they were licensed to make bold with any of his things. But a little while 4 1 Tim. vi. 9. |