HE Pilgrims Progress, from this World to that which is to come; The Second Part: delivered under the Similitude of a Dream, wherein is set forth the Manner of the setting out of Christians Wife and Children, their dangerous Journey, and safe Arrival at the desired Country, by John Bunyan. I have used Similitudes, Hos. 12. 10. Price One Shilling.
The Authors Apology for his BOOK.
Hen at the first I took my Pen in hand
Thus for to write; I did not understand,
That I at all should make a little Book
In such a Mode: Nay, I had undertook
To make another; which when almost done,
Before I was aware, I this begun;
And thus it was: I writing of the way
And race of Saints in this our Gospel day,
Fell suddenly into an Allegory
About their Journey, and the way to Glory,
In more than Twenty things, which I set down:
This done, I Twenty more had in my Crown;
And they again began to multiply,
Like sparks that from the coals of fire do fly:
Nay then, thought I, if that you breed so fast,
I'll put you by your selves, lest you at last
Should prove ad infinitum, and eat out
The Book that I already am about.
Well, so I did; but yet I did not think
To shew to all the World my Pen and Ink
In such a mode, I only thought to make
I knew not what: Nor did I undertake
Thereby to please my Neighbour; no not I,
I did it mine own self to Gratifie.
Neither did I but vacant seasons spend
In this my Scribble; Nor did I intend
But to divert my self in doing this,
From worser thoughts, which make me do amiss.
Thus I set Pen to Paper with delight,
And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.
For having now my Method by the end,
Still as I pull'd, it came; and so I pen'd
It down; until it came at last to be
For length and breadth the bigness which you see.
Well, when I had thus put my ends together,
I shew'd them others, that I might see whether
They would condemn them, or them justifie:
And some said, let them live; some let them die:
Some said, John, Print it; others said, not so:
Some said it might do good; others said, no.
Now was I in a straight; and did not see
Which was the best thing to be done by me:
At last I thought, since you are thus divided,
I print it will, and so the case decided.
For, Thought I, some I see would have it done,
Though others in that Channel do not run:
To prove then who advised for the best,
Thus I thought fit to put it to the Test.
I further thought, if now I did deny
Those that would have it, thus to gratifie;
I did not know, but hinder them I might
Of that which would to them be great delight.
For those which were not for its coming forth;
I said to them, Offend you I am loth:
Yet since your Brethren pleased with it be,
Forbear to judge, till you do further see.
If that thou wilt not read, let it alone,
Some love the Meat, some love to pick the Bone,
Yea that I might them better moderate
I did too with them thus Expostulate.
May I not write in such a style as this?
In such a Method too, and yet not miss
My end, thy good? why may it not be done?
Dark clouds bring waters, when the bright bring none:
Yea, dark or bright, if they their Silver drops
Cause to descend, the earth, by yielding Crops,
Gives praise to both, and carpeth not at either,
But treasures up the Fruit they yield together;
Yea, so commixes both, that in her Fruit
None can distinguish this from that; they suit
Her well when hungry: But if she be full,
She spues out both, and makes their blessings null.
You see the ways the Fisher-man doth take
To catch the Fish; what Engines doth he make?
Behold! How he engageth all his wits;
Also his snares, lines, angles, hooks, and nets:
Yet Fish there be, that neither Hook nor Line,
Nor Snare, nor Net, nor Engine can make thine:
They must be grop'd for, and be tickled too,
Or they will not be catcht, what e'er you do.
How does the Fowler seek to catch his game
By divers means, all which one cannot name?
His gun, his nets, his lime-twigs, light and bell:
He creeps, he goes, he stands; yea who can tell
Of all his postures? yet there's none of these
Will make him Master of what Fowls he please.
Yea, he must Pipe and Whistle to catch this,
Yet if he does so, that Bird he will miss.
If that a Pearl may in a Toads-head dwell,
And may be found too in an Oyster-shell;
If things that promise nothing, do contain
What better is than Gold; who will disdain,
That have an inkling of it, there to look,
That they may find it? Now my little Book
(Tho void of all these paintings that may make
It with this or the other man to take)
Is not without those things that do excel
What do in brave, but empty Notions dwell.
Well, yet I am not fully satisfy'd
That this your Book will stand, when soundly try'd. Why what's the matter? It is dark, what the?
But it is feigned: What of that? I tro,
Some men by feigned words, as dark as mine,
Make truth to spangle, and its Rays to shine.
But they want solidness: speak man thy mind:
They drown'd the weak Metaphors make us blind.
Solidity, indeed becomes the Pen
Of him that writeth things Divine to Men:
But must I needs want solidness, because
By Metaphors I speak? were not Gods Laws,
His Gospel-Laws, in olden times held forth
By Types, Shadows and Metaphors? Yet loth
Will any sober Man be to find fault
With them, lest he be found for to assault
The highest Wisdom: No, he rather stoops,
And seeks to find out what by Pins and Loops,
By Calves, and Sheep, by Heifers, and by Rams.
By Birds and Herbs, and by the blood of Lambs,
God speaketh to him; and happy is he
That finds the Light and Grace that in them be.
Be not too forward therefore to conclude,
That I want solidness; that I am rude:
All things solid in Shew, not solid be;
All things in Parables despise not we,
Lest things most hurtful lightly we receive;
And things that good are, of our Souls bereave.
My dark and cloudy words, they do but hold
The truth, as Cabinets inclose the Gold.
The Prophets used much by Metaphors
To set forth Truth; Yea, who so considers
Christ his Apostles too, shall plainly see,
That Truths, to this day, in such Mantles be.
Am I afraid to say that Holy Writ,
Which for its Stile and Praise puts down all wit,
Is every where so full of all these things,
(Dark Figures, Allegories) yet there springs
From that same Book, that lustre, and those rays
Of light, that turns our darkest nights to days.
Come let my Carper, to his Life now look,
And find there darker Lines than in my Book
He findeth any: Yea, and let him know,
That in his best things there are worse lines too.
May we but stand before Impartial Men,
To his poor One, I dare adventure Ten,
That they will take my meaning in these lines,
Far better than his lyes in Silver Shrines.
Come, Truth, altho in Swadling-clouts, I find,
Informs the Judgment, rectifies the Mind;
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