The Pilgrims arrive at the Enchanted Ground.

GREAT. How came that about?

VAL. Why, I still believed what Mr. Tell-True had said, and that carried me beyond them all.

GREAT. 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.

Whoso 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 fear not 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, (see Part I.) 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, it is a question, say some, whether ever he shall rise or wake again in this world. Over this forest therefore they went, both one and another; and Mr GreatHeart 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

The Dangers of the Enchanted Grouud.

scarce, for a great while, one see the other; wherefore they were forced, for some time, to feel for one another by words, for they walked not by sight. But any one must think, that here was but sorry going for the best of them all; but how much the worse was it for the women and children, who both of feet and heart also were but tender! Yet nevertheless so it was, that through the encouraging words of him that led in the front, and of him that brought them up behind, they made a pretty good shift to wag along.

The way was also here very wearisome, through dirt and slabbiness. Nor was there, on all this ground, so much as one inn or victualling-house, therein to refresh the feebler sort. Here therefore was grunting, and puffing, and sighing; while one tumbleth over a bush, another sticks fast in the dirt; and the children, some of them lost their shoes in the mire while one cries out, "I am down ;" and another, "Ho, where are you?" and a third, "The bushes have got such fast hold on me, I think I cannot get away from them.",

Then they came to an arbour, warm, and promising much refreshing to the pilgrims; for it was finely wrought above head, beautified with green, furnished with benches and settles. It had in it a soft couch, where the weary might lean. This, you must think, all things considered, was tempting; for the pilgrims already began to be foiled with the badness of the way; but there was not one of them that made so much as a motion to stop there. Yea, for aught I could perceive, they continually gave so good heed to the advice of their guide, and he did so faithfully tell them of dangers, and of the nature of dangers, when they were at them, that usually when they were nearest to them they did most pluck up their spirits, and hearten one another to deny the flesh.-The arbour was called the Slothful's Friend, on purpose to

The Pilgrims meet Heedless and Too-Bold.

allure, if it might be, some of the pilgrims there to take up their rest when weary.

I saw then in my dream, that they went on in this their solitary ground, till they came to a place at which a man is apt to lose his way. Now, though when it was light, their guide could well enough tell how to miss those ways that led wrong, yet in the dark he was put to a stand: but he had in his pocket a map of all ways leading too or from the Celestial City; wherefore he struck a light (for he never goes without his tinder-box) and takes a view of his book or map, which bids him be careful, in that place, to turn to the right hand. And had he not here been careful to look in his map, they had in all probability been smothered in the mud; for just a little before them, and that at the end of the cleanest way too, was a pit, none knows how deep, full of nothing but mud, there made on purpose to destroy the pilgrims in.

Then thought I with myself, who, that goeth on pilgrimage, but would have one of these maps about him, that he may look when he is at a stand, which is the way he must take.

They went on, then, in this Enchanted Ground, till they came to where there was another arbour, and it was built by the highway-side. And in that arbour there lay two men, whose names were Heedless and Too-Bold. These too went thus far on pilgrimage; but here, being wearied with their journey, sat down to rest themselves, and so fell fast asleep. When the pilgrims saw them, they stood still, and shook their heads; for they knew that the sleepers were in a pitiful case. Then they consulted what to do, whether to go on, and leave them in their sleep, or step to them and try to awake them. So they concluded to go to them and awake them, that is, if they could; but with this caution, namely, to take b 13 a 14

D D

The Dangers of the Enchanted Ground.

heed that themselves did not sit down nor embrace the offered benefit of that arbour.

So they went in, and spake to the men, and called each by his name, (for the guide, it seems, did know them,) but there was no voice, nor answer. Then the guide did shake them, and do what he could to disturb them. Then said one of them, "I will pay you when I take my money. At which the guide shook his head. "I will fight so long as I can hold my sword in my hand," said the other. At that one of the children laughed.

Then said Christiana, What is the meaning of this? Then the guide said, They talk in their sleep; if you do strike them, or beat them, or whatever else you do unto them, they will answer you after this fashion; or, as one of them said in old time, when the waves of the sea did beat upon him, and he slept as one upon the mast of a ship, "When I do awake, I will seek it yet again," Prov. xxiii. 34, 35. You know, when men talk in their sleep, they say any thing, but their words are not governed either by faith or reason. There is an incohérency in their words now; even as there was before, betwixt their going on pilgrimage and their sitting down here. This then is the mischief on't, when heedless ones go on pilgrimage; twenty to óne but they are served thus. For this Enchanted Ground is one of the last refuges that the enemy to pilgrims has; wherefore it is, as you see, placed almost at the end of the way, and so it standeth against us with the more advantage. For when, thinks the enemy, will these fools be so desirous to sit down, as when they are weary? And at what time so likely for to be weary, as when they are almost at their journey's end? Therefore it is, I say, that the Enchanted Ground is placed so nigh to the land Beulah, and so near the end of their race. Wherefore let pilgrims look to themselves, lest

The Pilgrims meet with Standfast.

it happens to them as it has done to these, that, as you see, are fallen asleep, and none can awake them.

Then the pilgrims desired, with trembling, to go forward; only they prayed their guide to strike a light, that they might go the rest of their way by the help of the light of a lantern. So he struck a light, and they went by the help of that through the rest of this way, though the darkness was very great. 2 Pet. i. 19.

But the children began to be sorely weary: and they cried out unto Him that loveth pilgrims, to make their way more comfortable. So by that they had gone a little further, a wind arose, that drove away the fog; so the air became more clear. Yet they were not off, by much, of the Enchanted Ground, but only now they could see one another better, and also the way wherein they should walk.

Now when they were almost at the end of this ground, they perceived, that a little before them was a solemn noise of one that was much concerned. So they went on, and looked before them; and behold they saw, as they thought, a man upon his knees, with hands and eyes lifted up, and speaking, as they thought, earnestly to one that was above. They drew nigh, but could not tell what he said: so they went softly till he had done. When he had done, he got up, and began to run towards the Celestial City. Then Mr. Great-Heart called after him, saying, "Soho, friend, let us have your company, if you go, as I suppose you do, to the Celestial City." So the man stopped, and they came up to him: but so soon as Mr. Honest saw him, he said, "I know this man." Then said Mr. Valiant-for-Truth, "Prithee, who is it?"""Tis one (said he) that comes from whereabouts I dwelt: his name is Standfast; he is certainly a right good pilgrim."

So they came up one to another; and presently Standfast said to old Honest, "Ho, father Honest,