Conversation of the Pilgrims and Standfast

are you there?"—"Aye (said he) that I am, as sure as you are there.""Right glad am I," said Mr. Standfast, "that I have found you on this road.""And as glad am I," said the other, "that I spied you on your knees." Then Mr. Standfast blushed, and said, "But why, did you see me?""Yes, that I did," quoth the other, "and from my heart was glad at the sight."-"Why, what did you think?” said Standfast. "Think!" said old Honest, "what should I think? I thought we had an honest man upon the road, therefore should have his company by and by.""If you thought not amiss, how happy am I: but if I be not as I should, 'tis I alone must bear it." "That is true," said the other; "but your fear doth further confirm me, that things are right betwixt the Prince of pilgrims and your soul; for he saith, "Blessed is the man that feareth always."

VAL. Well but, brother, I pray thee tell us, what was it that was the cause of thy being upon thy knees even now? Was it for some obligations laid by special mercies upon thee, or how?

STAN. Why, we are, as you see, upon the Enchanted Ground; and as I was coming along, I was musing with myself of what a dangerous nature the road in this place was; and how many, that had come even thus far on pilgrimage, had here been stopt and been destroyed. I thought also of the manner of death with which this place destroyeth men. Those that die here, die of no violent distemper: the death which such do 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.

HON Then Mr. Honest interrupting of him, said, Did you see the two men asleep in the harbour?

STAN. Aye, aye, I saw Heedless and also Too-Bold there; and, for aught I know, that there they will lie until they rot; (Prov. x. 7.) but let me go on with.

respecting Madam Bubble and her Allurements.

my tale. As I was thus musing, as I said, there was one in pleasant attire, but old, who presented herself unto me, and offered me three things; to wit, her body, her purse, and her bed. Now the truth is I was both weary and sleepy: I am also as poor as an owlet, and that perhaps the witch knew. Well, I'repulsed her once and twice; 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 further from her; but she still followed me with enticements. Then I betook me, as you see, to my knees, and with hands lifted up, and cries, I prayed to Him that said he would help. So just as you came up, the ger lewoman went her way. Then I continued to give thanks for this great deliverance; for I verily believed she intended no good, but rather sought to make a 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.

STAN. Perhaps you have done both.

HON. Madam Bubble! Is she not a tall comely dame, something of a swarthy complexion?

STAN. Right, you hit it; she is just such an one. HON. Doth she not speak very smoothly, and give you a smile at the end of every sentence?

STAN. 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?

STAN. Tis just so: had she stood by all this while,

Conversation of the Pilgrims and Stedfast.

you could no 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.

GREAT. This woman is a witch; and it is by virtue of her sorceries that this ground is enchanted; whoever doth lay their head down in her lap, had as good lay it down upon that block over which the axe doth hang; and whoever lays their eyes upon her beauty, are counted the enemies of God, James vi. 4. 1 John ii: 14, 15. This is she that maintaineth in their splendour all those that are the enemies of pilgrims. Yea, this is she that hath brought off many a man from a pilgrim's life. She is a great gossipper; she is always, both she and her daughters, at one pilgrim's heels or another, now commending, and then preferring the excellences 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 would but love 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 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.

The Pilgrims arrive at the Land of Beulah.

STAND. Oh! said Standfast, what a mercy it is that I did resist her! for whither might she have drawn me?

GREAT. Whither! nay, none but God knows. But, in general, to be sure she would have drawn thee into "many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." 1 Tim. vi. 9. It was she that set Absalom against his father, and Jeroboam against his master. It was 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, between a man and himself, betwixt the flesh andthe spirit.-Wherefore, good Master Standfast, be as your name is; "when you have done all, stand."

At this discourse there was, among the pilgrims, a mixture of joy and trembling; but at length they brake out and sang

"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 unto the · land of Beulah, where the sun shineth night and day. (See Part I.) Here, because they were weary, they betook themselves a while to rest; and because this country was common for pilgrims, and because these 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 soon refreshed them here; for the bells did so ring, and the trumpets continually sound

Rejoicings on the Arrival of the Pilgrims.

ed so melodiously, that they could not sleep; and yet they received as much refreshing as if they slept their sleep never so soundly. Here also all the noise of them that walked in the streets, was, "More pilgrims are come to town." And another would answer, saying, "And so many went over the water, and were let in at the golden gates to-day." They would cry again, "There is now a legion of shining ones just come to town: by which we know that there are more pilgrims upon the road; for here they come to wait for them, and comfort them after their sorrow." Then the pilgrims got up, and walked to and fro: but how were their eyes now filled with celestial visions! In this land, they heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing, smelt nothing, tasted nothing that was offensive to their stomach or mind; only, when they tasted of the water of the river, over which they were to go, they thought that tasted a little bitterish to the palate, but it proved sweet when it was down.

In this place there was a record kept of the names of them that had been pilgrims of old, and a history of all the famous acts that they had done. It was here also much discoursed, how the river to some has its flowings, and what ebbings it has had while others have gone over. It has been, in a manner, dry for some, while it has overflowed its banks for others.

In this place the children of the town would go into the King's gardens, and gather nosegays for the pilgrims, and bring them to them with affection. Here also grew camphire, and spikenard, saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, with all chief spices. With these the pilgrims' chambers were perfumed while they staid here and with these were their bodies anointed to prepare them to go over the river, when the time appointed was come.

Now while they lay here, and waited for the good