The Author's Apology.

That gold, those pearls, and precious stones, that were
Worth digging for, and that with greatest care.

Let me add one word more: O man of God!
Art thou offended? Dost thou wish I had

Put forth my matter in another dress?
Or that I had in things been more express?
To those that are my betters, as is fit,
Three things let me propound, then I submit:
1. I find not that I am deny'd the use
Of this my method, so I no abuse

Put on the words, things, readers, or be rude
In handling figure or similitude

In application; but all that I may

Seek the advance of truth, this or that way.
Denied, did I say; Nay, I have leave,
(Examples too, and that from them that have
God better pleased, by their words or ways,
Than any man that breatheth now-a-days)
Thus to express my mind, thus to declare
Things unto thee that excellentest are.

2. I find that men (as high as trees) will write
Dialogue-wise; yet no man doth them slight
For writing so: indeed, if they abuse
Truth, cursed be they, and the craft they use
To that intent; but yet let truth be free
To make her sallies upon thee and me,

Which way it pleases God; for who knows how,
Better than he that taught us first to plough,
To guide our minds and pens for his design?
And he makes base things usher in divine.

3. I find that holy writ, in many places,
Hath semblance with this method, where the cases
Do call for one thing to set forth another:

Use it I may then, and yet nothing smother

Truth's golden beams: nay, by this method may
Make it cast forth its rays as light as day.

And, now, before I do put up my pen,
I'll show the profit of my book, and then
Commit both me and it into that hand

That pulls the strong down, and makes weak ones stand.

This book, it chalketh out before thine eyes

The man that seeks the everlasting prize;

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It shows you whence he comes, whither he goes;
What he leaves undone; also what he does:
It also shows you how he runs and runs,
Till he unto the Gate of Glory comes.

It shows too who set out for life amain,
As if the lasting crown they would obtain
Here also you may see the reason why
They lose their labour, and like fools to die.
This book will make a traveller of thee,
If by its counsel thou wilt ruled be;
It will direct thee to the Holy Land,
If thou wilt its direction understand;
Yea, it will make the slothful active be;
The blind also delightful things to see.

Art thou for something rare and profitable?
Or wouldst thou see a truth within a fable?
Art thou forgetful? Wouldst thou remember
From the New-year's day to the last of December?
Then read my fancies; they will stick like burs,
And may be to the helpless comforters.

This book is writ in such a dialect

As may the minds of listless men affect:

It seems a novelty, and yet contains

Nothing but sound and honest gospel strains.

Wouldst thou divert thyself from melancholy?
Wouldst thou be pleasant, yet be far from folly?
Wouldst thou read riddles and their explanation?
Or else be drowned in thy contemplation?

Dost thou love picking meat? Or wouldst thou see
A man i' the clouds, and hear him speak to thee?
Wouldst thou be in a dream, and yet not sleep?
Or wouldst thou in a moment laugh and weep?
Wouldest thou lose thyself and catch no harm,
And find thyself again without a charm?

Wouldst read thyself, and read thou know'st not what

And yet know whether thou art blest or not,
By reading the same lines? O then come hither!
And lay my book, thy head, and heart together.

JOHN BUNYAN.