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So there they went, and the host, whose name was Gaius, said: Come in, for my house was built for none but such as you. |
Great-heart: -- Good Gaius, let us sup. What have you for us to eat? We have gone through great toils, and stand much in want of food. |
Gaius: -- It is too late for us to go out and seek food; but of such as we have you shall eat. |
The meal was then spread, and near the end of the feast all sat round the board to crack nuts, when old Honest said to Gaius, Tell me what this verse means: |
A man there was, and some did count him mad; The more that this man gave the more he had. |
Then all the youths gave a guess as to what Gaius would say to it; so he sat still a while, and then said: |
He that gives his goods to the poor, Shall have as much and ten times more. |
Joseph: -- I did not think, Sir, that you would have found it out. |
Gaius: -- Ah! I have learnt of my Lord to be kind, and I find I gain by it. |
Then Samuel said in a low tone to Christiana, This is a good man's house; let us make a long stay, and why should not Matthew wed Mercy here? |
When Gaius heard him say this, quoth he: With all my heart. And he gave Mercy to Matthew to wife. |
By this time Christiana's son James had come of age, and Gaius gave Phebe (who was his child) to be his wife. They spent ten days at the house of Gaius, and then took their leave. But on the last day he made them a feast, of which they all ate and drank. |
Great-heart: -- Now, Gaius, the hour has come that we must be gone; so tell me what I owe you for this long stay at your inn, for we have been here some years. |
Gaius: -- At my house no one pays; for the good Samaritan told me that I was to look to him for all the cost I was put to. They now took leave of him and went on their way, when they met with all kinds of frights and fears, till they came to a place which bore the name of Vanity Fair. There they went to the house of Mr... |
Well, then, said they, we should like much to see some of the good folk in this town. |
So Mnason gave a stamp with his foot, at which Grace came up, and he sent her to fetch some of his friends who were in the house, and they all sat down to a meal. |
Then said Mr. Mnason, as he held out his hand to point to Christiana: My friends, I have guests here who are on their way to Zion. But who do you think this is? This is the wife of Christian whom (with his friend Faithful) the men of this town did treat so ill. |
Well, said they, go who would have thought to meet Christiana at this place! May The King whom you love and serve bring you where He is, in peace! |
They then told her that the blood of Faithful had lain like a load on their hearts; and that since, they had burnt him no more men had been sent to the Stake at Vanity Fair. In those days, said they, good men could not walk the streets, but now they can show their heads. |
Christiana and her sons and Mercy made this place their home for some years, and in course of time Mr. Mnason, who had a wife and two girls, gave his first born, whose name was Grace, to Samuel to wife, and Martha to Joseph. |
Now, one day, a huge snake came out of the woods and slew some of the folk of the town. None of these were so bold as to dare to face him, but all fled when they heard that he came near, for he took off the babes by scores. |
But Great-heart and the rest of the men who were at Mr. Mnason's house, made up their minds to kill this snake, and so rid the town of him. So they went forth to meet him, and at first the snake did not seem to heed them; but as they were strong men at arms, they drove him back. Then they lay in wait for him, and fell ... |
The time now drew near for them to go on their way. Mr. Great-heart went first as their guide; and I saw in my dream that they came to the stream on this side of The Delectable Mountains, where fine trees grew on each bank, the leaves of which were good for the health, and the fields were green all the year round; and ... |
Now Christiana bade the four young wives place their babes by the side of this stream, so that they might lack nought in time to come. For, said she, if they should stray or be lost, He will bring them back; He will give strength, to the sick, and here they shall not want meat, drink, or clothes. So they left their you... |
When they went to By-Path Meadow they sat on the stile to which Christian had gone with Hopeful, when Giant Despair shut the two up in Doubting Castle. They sat down to think what would be the best thing to do, now that they were so strong a force, and had such a man as Mr. Great-heart to guide them; to wit, if it woul... |
Christiana's four sons said: We will; for they were young and strong; so they left their wives and went. |
When they gave their knock at the gate, Giant Despair and his wife Diffidence, came to them. |
Giant Despair: -- Who and what is he that is so bold as to come to the gate of Giant Despair? |
Great-heart: -- It is I, a guide to those who are on their way to Zion. And I charge thee to throw wide thy gates and stand forth, for I am come to slay thee and pull down thy house. |
Giant Despair: -- What, shall such as Great-heart make me fear? No! |
So he put a cap of steel on his head, and with a breast plate of fire, and a club in his hand, he came out to fight his foes. |
Then these six men made up to him, and they fought for their lives, till Despair was brought to the ground and put to death by Great-heart. Next they fell on his house, but it took six days to pull it down. They found there Mr. Despondency and one Much-afraid, his child, and set them free. |
Then they all went onto The Delectable Mountains. They made friends with the men that kept watch on their flocks, who were as kind to them as they had been to Christian and Hopeful. |
You have brought a good train with you, said they. Pray, where did you find them? |
So their guide told them how it had come to pass. |
By and by they got to The Enchanted Ground, where the air makes men sleep. Now they had not gone far, when a thick mist fell on them, so that for a while they could not see; and as they could not walk by sight, they kept near their guide by the help of words. But one fell in a bush, while one stuck fast in the mud, and... |
Then they came to a bench, Slothful's Friend by name, which had shrubs and plants round it, to screen those who sat there from the sun. But Christiana and the rest gave such good heed to what their guide told them, that though they were worn out with toil, yet there was not one of them that had so much as a wish to sto... |
Now as it was still dark, their guide struck a light that he might look at his map (the book of God's Word); and had he not done so, they would all have been lost, for just at the end of the road was a pit, full of mud, and no one can tell how deep. |
Then thought I: Who is there but would have one of these maps or books in which he may look when he is in doubt, and knows not which way he should take? |
They soon came to a bench, on which sat two men, Heedless and Too-bold; and Christiana and the rest shook their heads for they saw that these men were in a bad case. They knew not what they ought to do: to go on and leave them in their sleep, or to try to wake them. Now the guide spoke to them by name; but not a sound ... |
One of the two, whose name was Heedless, said, Nay: I will pay you when I get in my debts. |
At this the guide shook his head. |
Then Too-bold spoke out: I will fight as long as I can hold my sword. |
When he had said this all who stood round gave a laugh. |
Christiana: -- 'What does this mean? |
Great-heart: -- They talk in their sleep. If you strike or shake them, they will still talk in the same way, for their sleep is like that of the man on the mast of a ship, when the waves of the sea beat on him. |
Then did Christiana, Mercy and their train go on with fear, and they sought from their guide a light for the rest of the way. |
But as the poor babes' cries were loud for want of rest, all fell on their knees to pray for help. And, by the time that they had gone but a short way, a wind sprang up which drove off the fog; so, now that the air was clear, they made their way. |
Then they came to the land of Beulah, where the sun shines night and day. Here they took some rest, and ate of the fruit that hung from the boughs round them. But all the sleep that they could wish for in such a land as this was but for a short space of time; for the bells rang to such sweet tunes, and such a blaze of ... |
And now they heard shouts rise up, for there was a noise in the town that a post was come from The Celestial City with words of great joy for Christiana, the wife of Christian. So search was made for her, and the house was found in which she was. |
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