The Pilgrim's Progress - Part Two
The Author's Way of Sending Forth His Second Part
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Continuing on the Way
Then they set forward on their way; and their friends accompanying them so far as
was convenient, they again committed each other to the protection of their King,
and parted.
They therefore that were of the pilgrims' company went on, and Mr. GREAT-HEART went
before them. Now the women and children being weakly, they were forced to go as they
could bear; by this means, Mr. READY-TO-HALT and Mr. FEEBLE-MINDED had more to sympathise
with their condition.
When they were gone from the townsmen, and when their friends had bid them farewell,
they quickly came to the place where FAITHFUL was put to death. There, therefore,
they made a stand, and thanked him that had enabled him to bear his cross so well;
and the rather, because they now found that they had a benefit by such a manly suffering
as his was.
They went on, therefore, after this, a good way further, talking of CHRISTIAN and
FAITHFUL, and how HOPEFUL joined himself to CHRISTIAN after that FAITHFUL was dead.
Now they were come up with the Hill Lucre, where the silver mine was which took DEMAS
off from his pilgrimage, and into which, as some think, BY-ENDS fell and perished;
wherefore they considered that. But when they were come to the old monument that
stood over against the Hill Lucre, to wit, the pillar of salt that stood also within
view of Sodom and its stinking lake, they marvelled, as did CHRISTIAN before, that
men of knowledge and ripeness of wit, as they were, should be so blind as to turn
aside here. Only they considered again that nature is not affected with the harms
that others have met with; especially if that thing upon which they look has an attracting
virtue upon the foolish eye.
I saw now that they went on till they came to the river that was on this side of
the Delectable Mountains; to the river where the fine trees grow on both sides, and
whose leaves, if taken inwardly, are good against surfeits, where the meadows are
green all the year long, and where they might lie down safely.
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall
not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
name's sake."
~ Psalms 23:1-3 ~
By this riverside, in the meadow, there were cotes and folds for sheep; a house built
for the nourishing and bringing up of those lambs, the babes of those women that
go on pilgrimage.
Also there was here One that was intrusted with them, who could have compassion;
and that could gather these lambs with his arm; and carry them in his bosom; and
that could gently lead those that were with young.
"Who can have compassion on the ignorant,
and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity."
~ Hebrews 5:2 ~
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the
LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and
say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God
of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob,
come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD."
~ Isaiah 2:2-5 ~
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."
~ Isaiah 40:1, 2 ~
Now to the care of this Man, CHRISTIANA admonished her four daughters to commit their
little ones; that by these waters they might be housed, harboured, succoured, and
nourished; and that none of them might be lacking in time to come. This Man, if any
of them go astray or be lost, he will bring them again; he will also bind up that
which was broken; and will strengthen them that are sick.
"And I will set up shepherds over them which
shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they
be lacking, saith the LORD."
~ Jeremiah 23:4 ~
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my
sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he
is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will
deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark
day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries,
and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel
by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their
fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they
feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to
lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that
which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen
that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them
with judgment."
~ Ezekiel 34:11-16 ~
Here they will never want meat, and drink, and clothing; here they will be kept from
thieves and robbers, for this Man will die before one of those committed to his trust
shall be lost. Besides, here they shall be sure to have good nurture and admonition,
and shall be taught to walk in right paths; and that, you know, is a favour of no
small account. Also here, as you see, are delicate waters; pleasant meadows; dainty
flowers; variety of trees, and such as bear wholesome fruit. Fruit, not like that
which MATTHEW ate of, that fell over the wall out of Beelzebub's garden: but fruit
that procures health where there is none, and that continues and increases it where
it is.
So they were content to commit their little ones to him; and that which was also
an encouragement to them so to do was, for that all this was to be at the charge
of the King, and so was a hospital to young children and orphans.
Demolishing Doubting Castle and Death to Despair and Diffidence
Now they went on; and when they were come to By-path meadow--to the stile over which
CHRISTIAN went with his fellow HOPEFUL, when they were taken by Giant DESPAIR and
put into Doubting Castle--they sat down and consulted what was best to be done: to
wit, now they were so strong, and had got such a man as Mr. GREAT-HEART for their
conductor, whether they had not best to make an attempt upon the giant; demolish
his castle; and if there were any pilgrims in it, to set them at liberty before they
went any further. So one said one thing, and another said the contrary. One questioned
if it was lawful to go upon unconsecrated ground; another said they might, provided
their end was good: but Mr. GREAT-HEART said, "Though that assertion offered
last cannot be universally true, yet I have a commandment to resist sin; to overcome
evil; to fight the good fight of faith. And, I pray, with whom shall I fight this
good fight, if not with Giant DESPAIR? I will therefore attempt the taking away of
his life, and the demolishing of Doubting Castle." Then said he, "Who will
go with me?"
Then said old HONEST, "I will." "And so will we too," said CHRISTIAN'S
four SONS--MATTHEW, SAMUEL, JAMES, and JOSEPH; for they were young men, and strong.
"I write unto you, fathers, because ye have
known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because
ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have
known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that
is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong,
and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one."
~ 1 John 2:13, 14 ~
So they left the women in the road, and with them Mr. FEEBLE-MIND and Mr. READY-TO-HALT,
with his crutches, to be their guard until they came back; for in that place, though
Giant DESPAIR dwelt so near, they keeping in the road, "a little child might
lead them".
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and
the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
~ Isaiah 11:6 ~
So Mr. GREAT-HEART, old HONEST, and the four young men, went to go up to Doubting
Castle, to look for Giant DESPAIR. When they came to the castle gate, they knocked
for entrance with an unusual noise. At that the old Giant came to the gate, and DIFFIDENCE
his wife followed: then said he, "Who and what is he that is so hardy as after,
his manner to molest the Giant DESPAIR?" Mr. GREAT-HEART replied, "It is
I, GREAT-HEART, one of the King of the celestial country's conductors of pilgrims
to their place; and I demand of thee that thou open thy gates for my entrance; prepare
thyself also to fight, for I am come to take away thy head, and to demolish Doubting
Castle."
Now Giant DESPAIR, because he was a giant, thought no man could overcome him; and
again, thought he, since heretofore I have made a conquest of angels, shall GREAT-HEART
make me afraid! So he harnessed himself and went out. He had a cap of steel upon
his head; a breast plate of fire girded to him; and he came out in iron shoes, with
a great club in his hand. Then these six men made up to him, and beset him behind
and before; also when DIFFIDENCE the giantess came up to help him, old Mr. HONEST
cut her down at one blow. Then they fought for their lives; and Giant DESPAIR was
brought down to the ground, but was very loath to die. He struggled hard, and had,
as they say, as many lives as a cat; but GREAT-HEART was his death, for he left him
not till he had severed his head from his shoulders.
Then they fell to demolishing Doubting Castle, and that, you know, might with ease
be done, since Giant DESPAIR was dead. They were seven days in destroying of that:
and in it of pilgrims they found one Mr. DESPONDENCY, almost starved to death; and
one MUCH-AFRAID, his daughter; these two they saved alive. But it would have made
you wonder to have seen the dead bodies that lay here and there in the castle yard,
and how full of dead men's bones the dungeon was.
When Mr. GREAT-HEART and his companions had performed this exploit, they took Mr.
DESPONDENCY, and his daughter MUCH-AFRAID into their protection; for they were honest
people, though they were prisoners in Doubting Castle to that tyrant Giant DESPAIR.
They therefore, I say, took with them the head of the giant (for his body they had
buried under a heap of stones); and down to the road and to their companions they
came, and showed them what they had done. Now when FEEBLE-MIND and READY-TO-HALT
saw that it was the head of Giant DESPAIR indeed, they were very jocund and merry.
Now CHRISTIANA, if need was, could play upon the viol, and her daughter MERCY upon
the lute; so, since they were so merry disposed, she played them a lesson, and READY-TO-HALT
would dance. So he took DESPONDENCY'S daughter named MUCH-AFRAID by the hand, and
to dancing they went in the road. True, he could not dance without one crutch in
his hand; but, I promise you, he footed it well: also the girl was to be commended:
for she answered the music handsomely.
As for Mr. DESPONDENCY, the music was not much to him; he was for feeding rather
than dancing, for that he was almost starved. So CHRISTIANA gave him some of her
bottle of spirits for present relief, and then prepared him something to eat; and
in little time the old gentleman came to himself, and began to be finely revived.
Now I saw in my dream, when all these things were finished, Mr. GREAT-HEART took
the head of Giant DESPAIR, and set it upon a pole by the highway side, right over
against the pillar that CHRISTIAN erected for a caution to pilgrims that came after,
to take heed of entering into his grounds.
Then he wrote under it, upon a marble stone, these verses following:
"This is the head of him whose name only,
In former times, did pilgrims terrify.
His castle's down; and DIFFIDENCE his wife
Brave Master GREAT-HEART has bereft of life.
DESPONDENCY, his daughter MUCH-AFRAID,
GREAT-HEART for them also the man has played.
Who hereof doubts, if he'll but cast his eye
Up hither, may his scruples satisfy!
This head, also when doubting cripples dance,
Doth show from fears they have deliverance."
The Pilgrim's Progress - Part Two
The Author's Way of Sending Forth His Second Part
of the Pilgrim | 1 | 2 | 3
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23
| 24 | 25 | 26
Back to Pilgrim's Homepage