The Worlds Greatest Books - Arthur Mee, J. A. Hammerton, Eds.
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Now King Shaddai thought good at the first not to send his army by the
hand and conduct of brave Emmanuel, his son, but under the hand of some
of his servants, to see first by them the temper of Mansoul, and whether
they would be won to the obedience of their king. So they came up to
Mansoul under the conduct of four stout generals, each man being captain
of ten thousand men, and having his standard-bearer.
Having travelled for many days, at the king's cost, not hurting or
abusing any, they came within sight of Mansoul, the which, when they
saw, the captains could for their hearts do no less than bewail the
condition of the town, for they quickly perceived it was prostrate to
the will of Diabolus.
Well, before the king's forces had set before Mansoul three days,
Captain Boanerges commanded his trumpeter to go down to Eargate to
summon Mansoul to give audience to the message he was commanded to
deliver, but there was none that appeared to give answer or regard.
Again and again was the summons sounded, till at last the townsmen came
up--having first made Eargate as sure as they could. So my lord
Incredulity, came up and showed himself over the wall. But when the
captain had set eyes on him he cried out aloud, "This is not he; where
is my lord Understanding, the ancient mayor of the town of Mansoul?"
Then stood forth the four captains, and, taking no notice of the giant
Diabolus, each addressed himself to the town of Mansoul; but their brave
speeches the town refused to hear, yet the sound thereof beat against
Eargate, though the force thereof could not break it open.
Then Diabolus commanded the lord mayor Incredulity to give answer, and
his oration was seconded by desperate Will-be-will, while the recorder,
whose name was Forget-good, followed with threats. Then did the town of
Mansoul shout for joy, as if by Diabolus and his crew some great
advantage had been obtained over the captains. They also rang the bells,
and sang and made merry, and danced for joy upon the walls. Now, when
the captains heard the answer of the great ones, and they could not get
a hearing from the old natives of the town, they resolved to try it out
by the power of the arm; so with their slings they battered the houses,
and with rams they sought to break Eargate open, but Mansoul stood it
out so lustily that after several skirmishes and brisk encounters they
made a fair retreat and entrenched themselves in their winter quarters.
But now could not Mansoul sleep securely as before, nor could they go to
their debaucheries with quietness, as in times past, for they had from
the camp of Shaddai such frequent warm alarms, yea, alarms upon alarms,
first at one gate and then at another, and again at all the gates at
once, that they were broken as to former peace; yea, so distressed were
they that I daresay Diabolus, their king, had in these days his rest
much broken. And by degrees new thoughts possessed the minds of the men
of the town. Some would say, "There is no living thus." Others would
then reply, "This will be over shortly." Then a third would answer, "Let
us turn to King Shaddai, and so put an end to all these troubles." The
old gentlemen, too, Mr. Conscience, the recorder that was so before
Diabolus took Mansoul, began to talk aloud, and his words were now like
great claps of thunder. Yea, so far as I could gather, the town had been
surrendered before now had it not been for the opposition of old
Incredulity and the fickleness of my lord Will-be-will.
They of the king's army this winter sent three times to Mansoul to
submit herself, and these summonses, especially the two last, so
distressed the town that presently they called a consultation for a
parley, and offered to come to an agreement on certain terms, but they
were such that the captains, jointly and with the highest disdain,
rejected, and returned to their trenches.
The captains then gathered themselves together for a conference, and
agreed that a petition should forthwith be drawn up and forwarded by a
fit man to Shaddai, with speed, that more forces be sent to Mansoul.
Now, the king at sight of the petition was glad; but how much more,
think you, when it was seconded by his son. Wherefore, the king called
to him Emmanuel, his son, and said, "Come now, therefore, my son, and
prepare thyself for war, for thou shalt go to my camp at Mansoul; thou
shalt also there prosper and prevail."
The time for the setting forth being expired, the king's son addresses
himself for the march and taketh with him five noble captains and their
forces. So they sat down before the town, not now against the gates
only, but environed it round on every side. But first, for two days
together, they hung out the white flag to give the townsfolk time to
consider; but they, as if they were unconcerned, made no reply to this
favourable signal, so they then set the red flag upon the mount called
Mount Justice.
When Emmanuel had put all things in readiness to bid Diabolus battle, he
sent again to know of the town of Mansoul if in peaceable manner they
would yield themselves. They then, together with Diabolus, their king,
called a council of war, and resolved on certain propositions that
should be offered to Emmanuel.
Now, there was in the town of Mansoul an old man, a Diabolonian, and his
name was Mr. Loath-to-Stoop, a stiff man in his way, and a great doer
for Diabolus; him, therefore, they sent, and put into his mouth what he
should say. But none of his proposals would Emmanuel grant--all his
ensnaring propositions were rejected, and Mr. Loath-to-Stoop departed.
Then was an alarm sounded, and the battering-rams were played, and the
slings whirled stones into the town amain, and thus the battle began.
And the word was at that time "Emmanuel." First Captain Boanerges made
three assaults, most fierce, one after another, upon Eargate, to the
shaking of the posts thereof. Captain Conviction also made up fast with
Boanerges, and both discovering that the gate began to yield, they
commanded that the rams should still be played against it. But Captain
Conviction, going up very near to the gate, was with great force driven
back, and received three wounds in the mouth. Nor did Captain Good-hope
nor Captain Charity come behind in this most desperate fight, for they
too so behaved at Eyegate that they had almost broken it quite open. And
this took away the hearts of many of the Diabolonians. As for Will-be-
will, I never saw him so daunted in my life, and some say he got a wound
in the leg.
When the battle was over Diabolus again attempted to make terms by
proposing a surrender on the condition that he should remain in the town
as Emmanuel's deputy, and press upon the people a reformation according
to law; but Emmanuel replied that nothing would be regarded that he
could propose, for he had neither conscience to God nor love to the town
of Mansoul. Diabolus therefore withdrew himself from the walls to the
fort in the heart of the town, and, filled with despair of retaining the
town in his hands, resolved to do it what mischief he could; for, said
he, "Better demolish the place and leave it a heap of ruins than that it
should be a habitation for Emmanuel."
Knowing the next battle would issue in his being master of the place,
Emmanuel gave out a royal commandment to all his men of war to show
themselves men of war against Diabolus and all Diabolonians, but
favourable and meek to the old inhabitants of Mansoul. Then, after three
or four notable charges, Eargate was burst open, and the bolts and bars
broken into a thousand pieces. Then did the prince's trumpets sound, the
captains shout, the town shake, and Diabolus retreat to his hold. And
there was a great slaughter till the Diabolonians lay dead in every
corner--though too many were yet alive in Mansoul. Now, the old recorder
and my lord Understanding, with some others of the chief of the town,
came together, and jointly agreed to draw up a petition, and send it to
Emmanuel while he sat in the gate of Mansoul. The contents of the
petition were these: "That they--the old inhabitants of the deplorable
town of Mansoul--confessed their sin, and were sorry that they had
offended his princely majesty, and prayed that he would spare their
lives." Unto this petition he gave no answer. After some time and
travail the gate of the castle was beaten open, and so a way was made to
go into the hold where Diabolus had hid himself.
Now, when he was come to the castle gates he commanded Diabolus to
surrender himself into his hands. But, oh, how loath was the beast to
appear! How he stuck at it! How he shrunk! How he cringed! Then Emmanuel
commanded, and they took Diabolus, and bound him first in chains, and
led him to the market-place, and stripped him of his armour. Thus having
made Diabolus naked in the eyes of Mansoul, the prince commands that he
shall be bound with chains to his chariot-wheels, and he rode in triumph
over him quite through the town. And, having finished this part of his
triumph over Diabolus, he turned him up in the midst of his contempt and
shame. Then went he from Emmanuel, and out of his camp to inherit
parched places in a salt land, seeking rest but finding none.
Now, the prince, having by special orders put my lord Understanding, Mr.
Conscience, and my lord Will-be-will in ward, they again drew up a
petition and sent it to Emmanuel by the hand of Mr. Would-Live, and this
being unanswered, they used as their messenger Mr. Desires-Awake, and
with him went Mr. Wet-Eyes, a near neighbour. Then the prisoners were
ordered to go down to the camp and appear before the prince. This they
did with drooping spirits and ropes round their necks. But the prince
gave them their pardon, embraced them, took away their ropes, and put
chains of gold round their necks. He also sent by the recorder a pardon
for all the people of Mansoul.
Then the prince commanded that the image of Diabolus should be taken
down from the place where it was set up, and that they should utterly
destroy it without the town wall; and that the image of Shaddai, his
father, should be set up again with his own. Moreover, he renewed the
charter of the city, and brought forth out of his treasury white
glittering robes and granted to the people that they should put them on,
so that they were put into fine linen, white and clean. Then said the
prince unto them, "This, O Mansoul, is my livery, and the badge by which
mine are known from the servants of others. Wear them if you would be
known by the world to be mine."
_IV.--The Downfall_
But there was a man in the town named Mr. Carnal-Security, and he
brought this corporation into great, grievous bondage. When Emmanuel
perceived that through the policy of Mr. Carnal-Security the hearts of
men were chilled and abated in their practical love for him, he in
private manner withdrew himself first from his palace, then to the gate
of the town, and so away from Mansoul till they should more earnestly
seek his face.
Then the Diabolonians who yet dwelt in Mansoul sent letters to Diabolus,
who promised to come to their assistance for the ruin of the town with
twenty thousand Doubters. Diabolus suddenly making an assault on
Feelgate, the gate was forced and the prince's men were compelled to
betake themselves to the castle as the stronghold of the town, leaving
the townsmen open to the ravages of the Doubters. Still the castle held
out, and more urgent petitions to Emmanuel, carried by Captain Credence,
brought at last the assurance that he would come presently to the relief
of the town.
Indeed, before that time Diabolus had thought it wise to withdraw his
men from the town to the plain; but here the Doubters, being caught
between the defenders of the city and the rescuing army of Emmanuel,
were slain to the last man, and buried in the plains.
Even yet Diabolus was not satisfied with his defeat, but determined on a
last attempt upon the town, his army being made up of ten thousand
Doubters and fifteen thousand Blood-men, all rugged villains. But Mr.
Prywell discovered their coming, and they were put to route by the
prince's captains, the Blood-men being surrounded and captured.
And so Mansoul arrived at some degree of peace and quiet, and her prince
also abode within her borders. Then the prince appointed a day when he
should meet the whole of the townsmen in the market-place, and they
being come together, he said, "Now, my Mansoul, I have returned to thee
in peace, and thy transgressions against me are as if they had not been.
Nor shall it be with thee as in former days, but I will do better, for
thee than at the beginning.
"Yet a little while, and I will take down this famous town of Mansoul,
street and stone, to the ground, and will set it up in such strength and
glory in mine own country as it never did see in the kingdom where now
it is placed. There, O my Mansoul, thou shalt be afraid of murderers no
more, of Diabolonians no more. There shall be no more plots, nor
contrivances, nor designs against thee. But first I charge thee that
thou dost hereafter keep more white and clean the liveries which I gave
thee. When thy garments are white, the world will count thee mine. And
now that thou mayest keep them white I have provided for thee an open
fountain to wash thy garments in. I have oft-times delivered thee, and
for all this I ask thee nothing but that thou bear in mind my love.
Nothing can hurt thee but sin, nothing can grieve me but sin, nothing
make thee pause before thy foes but sin. Watch! Behold, I lay none other
burden upon thee--hold fast till I come!"
* * * * *
The Pilgrim's Progress
The "Pilgrim's Progress" was begun during Bunyan's second and
briefer term of imprisonment in Bedford gaol. As originally
conceived, the work was something entirely different from the
masterpiece that was finally produced. Engaged upon a
religious treatise, Bunyan had occasion to compare Christian
progress to a pilgrimage--a simile by no means uncommon even
in those days. Soon he discovered a number of points which had
escaped his predecessors, and countless images began to crowd
quickly upon his imaginative brain. Released at last from
gaol, he still continued his work, acquainting no one with his
labours, and receiving the help of none. The "Pilgrim," on its
appearance in 1678, was but a moderate success; but it was not
long before its charm made itself felt, and John Bunyan
counted his readers by the thousand in Scotland, in the
Colonies, in Holland, and among the Huguenots of France.
Within ten years 100,000 copies were sold. With the exception
of the Bible, it is, perhaps, the most widely-read book in the
English language, and has been translated into seventy foreign
tongues.
_I.--The Battle with Apollyon_
As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain
place where there was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep;
and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed I saw a man, clothed with
rags, standing with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and
a great burden upon his back.
"O my dear wife and children!" he said, "I am informed that our city
will be burnt with fire from heaven. We shall all come to ruin unless we
can find a way of escape!"
His relations and friends thought that some distemper had got into his
head; but he kept crying, in spite of all that they said to quieten him,
"What shall I do to be saved?" He looked this way and that way, but
could not tell which road to take. And a man named Evangelist came to
him, and he said to Evangelist, "Whither must I fly?"
"Do you see yonder wicket gate?" said Evangelist, pointing with his
finger over a very wide field. "Go there, and knock, and you will be
told what to do."
I saw in my dream that the man began to run, and his wife and children
cried after him to return, but the man ran on, crying, "Life! life!
eternal life!"
Two of his neighbours pursued him and overtook him. Their names were
Obstinate and Pliable.
"Come, come, friend Christian," said Obstinate. "Why are you hurrying
away in this manner from the City of Destruction, in which you were
born?"
"Because I have read in my book," replied Christian, "that it will be
consumed with fire from heaven. I pray you, good neighbours, come with
me, and seek for some way of escape."
After listening to all that Christian said, Pliable resolved to go with
him, but Obstinate returned to the City of Destruction in scorn.
"What! Leave my friends and comforts for such a brain-sick fellow as
you? No, I will go back to my own home."
Christian and Pliable walked on together, without looking whither they
were going, and in the midst of the plain they fell into a very miry
slough, which was called the Slough of Despond. Here they wallowed for a
time, and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began
to sink in the mire.
"Is this the happiness you told me of?" said Pliable. "If I get out
again with my life, you shall make your journey alone."
With a desperate effort he got out of the mire, and went back, leaving
Christian alone in the Slough of Despond. As Christian struggled under
his burden towards the wicket gate, I saw in my dream that a man came to
him, whose name was Help, and drew him out, and set him upon sound
ground. But before Christian could get to the wicket gate, Mr. Worldly
Wiseman came and spoke to him.
"How now, good fellow!" said Mr. Worldly Wiseman. "Where are you going
with that heavy burden on your back?"
"To yonder wicket gate," said Christian. "For there, Evangelist told me,
I shall be put into a way to be rid of my heavy burden."
"Evangelist is a dangerous and troublesome fellow," said Mr. Worldly
Wiseman. "Do not follow his counsel. Hear me: I am older than you. I can
tell you an easy way to get rid of your burden. You see the village on
yonder high hill?"
"Yes," said Christian. "I remember the village is called Morality."
"It is," said Mr. Worldly Wiseman. "There you will find a very judicious
gentleman whose name is Mr. Legality. If he is not in, inquire for his
son, Mr. Civility. Both of them have great skill in helping men to get
burdens off their shoulders."
Christian resolved to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's advice. But, as he
was painfully climbing up the high hill, Evangelist came up to him, and
said, "Are you not the man that I found crying in the City of
Destruction, and directed to the little wicket gate? How is it that you
have gone so far out of the way?"
Christian blushed for shame, and said that he had been led astray by Mr.
Worldly Wiseman.
"Mr. Worldly Wiseman," said Evangelist, "is a wicked man. Mr. Legality
is a cheat, and his son, Mr. Civility, is a hypocrite. If you listen to
them they will beguile you of your salvation, and turn you from the
right way."
Evangelist then set Christian in the true path which led to the wicket
gate, over which was written, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
And Christian knocked, and a grave person, named Goodwill, opened the
gate and let him in. I saw in my dream that Christian asked him to help
him off with the burden that was upon his back, and Goodwill pointed to
a narrow way running from the wicket gate, and said, "Do you see that
narrow way? That is the way you must go. Keep to it, and do not turn
down any of the wide and crooked roads, and you will soon come to the
place of deliverance, where your burden will fall from your back of
itself."
Christian then took his leave of Goodwill, and climbed up the narrow way
till he came to a place upon which stood a cross. And I saw in my dream
that as Christian came to the cross, his burden fell from off his back,
and he became glad and lightsome. He gave three leaps for joy, and went
on his way singing, and at nightfall he came to a very stately palace,
the name of which was Beautiful. Four grave and lovely damsels, named
Charity, Discretion, Prudence, and Piety, met him at the threshold,
saying, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord! This palace was built on
purpose to entertain such pilgrims as thou."
Christian sat talking with the lovely damsels until supper was ready,
and then they led him to a table that was furnished with fat things, and
excellently fine wines. And after Christian had refreshed himself, the
damsels showed him into a large chamber, whose window opened towards the
sun-rising. The name of the chamber was Peace, and there Christian slept
till break of day. Then he awoke, singing for joy, and the damsels took
him into the armoury, and dressed him for battle. They harnessed him in
armour of proof, and gave him a stout shield and a good sword; for, they
said, he would have to fight many a battle before he got to the
Celestial City.
And I saw in my dream that Christian went down the hill on which the
House Beautiful stood, and came to a valley, that was called the Valley
of Humiliation, where he was met by a foul fiend, Apollyon.
"Prepare to die!" said Apollyon, straddling over the whole breadth of
the narrow way. "I swear by my infernal den that thou shalt go no
further. Here will I spill thy soul."
With that, he threw a flaming dart at his breast, but Christian caught
it on his shield. Then Apollyon rushed upon him, throwing darts as thick
as hail, and, notwithstanding all that Christian could do, Apollyon
wounded him, and made him draw back. The sore combat lasted for half a
day, and though Christian resisted as manfully as he could, he grew
weaker and weaker by reason of his wounds. At last, Apollyon, espying
his opportunity, closed in on Christian, and wrestling with him, gave
him a dreadful fall, and Christian's sword flew out of his hand.
"Ah!" cried Apollyon, "I am sure of thee now!"
He pressed him almost to death, and Christian began to despair of life.
But, as God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching his last blow, to
make an end of this good man, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for
his sword, and caught it, and gave him a deadly thrust. With that,
Apollyon spread forth his wings, and sped him away, and Christian saw
him no more.
Then, with some leaves from the tree of life, Christian healed his
wounds, and with his sword drawn in his hand, he marched through the
Valley of Humiliation, without meeting any more enemies.
But at the end of the valley was another, called the Valley of the
Shadow of Death. On the right hand of this valley was a very deep ditch;
it was the ditch into which the blind have led the blind in all ages,
and have there miserably perished. And on the left hand was a dangerous
quagmire, into which, if even a good man falls, he finds no bottom for
his foot to stand on. The pathway here was exceeding narrow and very
dark, and Christian was hard put to it to get through safely. And right
by the wayside, in the midst of the valley, was the mouth of hell, and
out of it came flame and smoke in great abundance, with sparks and
hideous noises. But when the hosts of hell came at him, as he travelled
on through the smoke and flame and dreadful noise, he cried out, "I will
walk in the strength of the Lord God!"
Thereupon, the fiends gave over, and came no further; and suddenly the
day broke, and Christian turned and saw all the hobgoblins, satyrs, and
dragons of the pit far behind him, and though he was now got into the
most dangerous part of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he was no
longer afraid. The place was so set, here with snares, traps, gins and
nets, and there with pits and holes, and shelvings, that, had it been
dark, he would surely have perished. But it was now clear day, and by
walking warily Christian got safely to the end of the valley. And at the
end of the valley, he saw another pilgrim marching on at some distance
before him.
"Ho, ho!" shouted Christian. "Stay, and I will be your companion."
"No, I cannot stay," said the other pilgrim, whose name was Faithful. "I
am upon my life, and the avenger of blood is behind me."
Putting out all his strength, Christian quickly got up with Faithful.
Then I saw in my dream they went very lovingly on together, and had
sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their
pilgrimage; for they had been neighbours in the City of Destruction, and
both of them were bound for the Delectable Mountains, and the Celestial
City beyond. They were now in a great wilderness, and they walked on
together till they came to the town of Vanity, at which a fair is kept
all the year long, called Vanity Fair.
_II.--Vanity Fair_
I saw in my dream that Christian and Faithful tried to avoid seeing
Vanity Fair; but this they could not do, because the way to the
Celestial City lies through the town where this lusty fair is kept.
About 5,000 years ago, Beelzebub, Apollyon, and the rest of the fiends
saw by the path which the pilgrims made, that their way lay through the
town of Vanity. So they set up a fair there, in which all sorts of
vanity should be sold every day in the year. Among the merchandise sold
at this fair are lands, honours, titles, lusts, pleasures, and
preferments; delights of all kinds, as servants, gold, silver, and
precious stones; murders and thefts; blood and bodies, yea, and lives
and souls. Moreover, at this fair, there are at all times to be seen
jugglings, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and
that of every sort.