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Christiana: -- Burn some, and use the rest to dress the ground with.
Interpreter: -- Fruit, you see, is the thing you look for, and for want of that you cast off the whole crop. Take heed that in this you do not seal your own doom; for by fruit I mean works.
Now when they came back to the house the meal was not yet spread, so did Christiana beg of Interpreter to show or tell them some more things.
Interpreter: -- So much the more strong a man's health is, so much the more prone is he to sin. The more fat the sow is, the more she loves the mire. It is not so hard to sit up a night or two, as to watch for a whole year; just as it is not so hard to start well as it is to hold out to the end. One leak will sink a sh...
Now when Christiana, Mercy and the boys bad all had a good night's rest, they rose with the sun, and made a move to leave; but Interpreter told them to wait a while. For, said he, you must go hence in due form, such is the rule of the house.
Then he told Innocent to take them to the bath, and there wash the dust from them. This done, they came forth fresh and strong, and as Interpreter said, Fair as the moon.
Next he told those near him to bring the seal, and when it was brought he set his mark on them that they might be known in each place where they went.
Then said Interpreter: Bring vests for them. And they were clad in robes as white as snow, so that it made each start to see the rest shine with so bright a light.
Interpreter then sent for one of his men whose name was Great-heart, and bade that he should be clad in a coat of mail, with sword and shield, and that he should take them to a house, the name of which was Beautiful, where they would rest.
Then Interpreter took his leave of them, with a good wish for each. So they went on their way, and thus they sang: --
"O move me, Lord, to watch and pray, From sin my heart to clear; To take my cross up day by day, And serve the Lord with fear."
They next came to the place where Christian's load had been lost in the tomb. Here they made a pause, and gave thanks to Him who laid down His life to save theirs. So now they went up the hill, which was so steep that the toil made Christiana pant for breath.
How can we doubt, said she, that they who love rest more than their souls would choose some way on which they could go with more ease than this?
Then Mercy said, Come what may, I must rest for a while.
And James, who was the least of the boys, gave way to tears.
Come, Come! said Great-heart, sit not down here; for there is a seat near us put there by the Prince. With this he took the young child by the hand, and led him to it; and they were all glad to sit down, and to be out of the heat of the sun's rays.
Then said Mercy: How sweet is rest to them that work! And how good is the Prince to place this seat here that such as we may rest! Of this spot I have heard much, but let us take heed that we sleep not, for that once cost poor Christian dear.
Then said Mr. Great-heart: Well, my brave boys, how do you do? What think you of this hill?
Sir, said James, this hill beats me out of heart! And I see now that what I have been told is true; the land of bliss is up steps; but still, Sir, it is worse to go down hill to death than up hill to life.
You are a good boy, said Great-heart.
At this Mercy could but smile, and it made James blush.
Christiana: -- Come, will you not drink of this flask, and eat some fruit, while we sit here to rest? For Mr. Interpreter put these in my hand as I came out of his door.
Now when they had sat there a while, their guide said to them: The day runs on, and if you think well of it, let us now go on our way.
So they all set out, the boys first, then the rest; but they had not gone far when Christiana found she had left the flask, so she sent James back to fetch it.
Mercy: -- I think this is the place where Christian lost his scroll. How was this, Sir?
Great-heart: -- We may trace it to two things; one is sleep, and one is that you cease to think of that which you cease to want; and when you lose sight of a boon you lose sight of Him who grants it, and the joy of it will end in tears.
By and by they came to a small mound with a post on it, where these words were cut, Let him who sees this post take heed of his heart and his tongue that they be not false. Then they went on till they came up to two large beasts of prey.
Now Great-heart was a strong man, so he had no fear; but their fierce looks made the boys start, and they all clung round Great-heart.
How now, my boys! You march on first, as brave as can be, when there is no cause for fear; but when a test of your strength comes, you shrink.
Now when Great-heart drew his sword to force a way, there came up one Giant Grim, who said in a gruff voice, What right have you to come here?
Great-heart: -- These folk are on their way to The Celestial City, and this is the road they shall go, in spite of thee and the wild beasts.
Grim: -- This is not their way, nor shall they go on it. I am come forth to stop them, and to that end will back the wild beasts.
Now, to say the truth, so fierce were these beasts, and so grim the looks of them that the road was grown with weeds and grass from want of use. And still Grim bade them turn, For, said he, you shall not pass.
But their guide came up, and struck so hard at him with his sword as to force him to fall back.
Giant Grim: -- Will you slay me on my own ground?
Great-heart: -- It is the King's high way on which we stand, and in His way it is that you have put these beasts. But these, who are in my charge, though weak, shall hold on in spite of all. And with that he dealt him a blow that brought him to the ground; so Giant Grim was slain.
Then Great-heart said, Come now with me, and you shall take no harm from the two beasts. So they went by, but shook from head to foot at the mere sight of their teeth and claws.
At length they came in sight of the lodge, to which they soon went up, but made the more haste to get there as it grew dusk. So when they were come to the gate the guide gave a knock, and the man at the lodge said in a loud voice, Who is there?
Great-heart: -- It is I
Mr. Watchful: -- How now, Mr. Great-heart? What has brought you here at so late an hour? Then Great-heart told him that he had come with some friends on their way to Zion.
Mr. Watchful: -- Will you go in and stay till the day dawns?
Great-heart: -- No, I will go back to my Lord to night.
Christiana: -- Ah, Sir, I know not how we can part with you, for it is to your stout heart that we owe our lives. You have fought for us, you have taught us what is right, and your faith and your love have known no bounds.
Mercy: -- O that we could have you for our guide all the rest of the way! For how can such weak folk as we are hold out in a path fraught with toils and snares, if we have no friends to take us?
James: -- Pray, Sir, keep with us and help us, when the way we go is so hard to find.
Great-heart: -- As my Lord wills, so must I do; if He send me to join you once more, I shall be glad to wait on you. But it was here that you were in fault at first, for when He bade me come thus far with you, if you had said, We beg of you to let him go quite through with us, He would have let me do so. But now I must...
Then did Watchful, who kept the lodge, ask Christiana whence she had come and who her friends were.
Christiana: -- I come from The City of Destruction, and I was the wife of one Christian, who is dead.
Then Watchful rang the hell, as at such times he is wont, and there came to the door a maid, to whom he said: Go, make it known that Christiana, the wife of Christian, and her four boys are come on their way to The Celestial City..
So she went in and told all this. And, oh, what shouts of joy were sent forth when those words fell from her mouth! So all came with haste to Watchful; for Christiana still stood at the door.