he, who comes from whereabouts I dwelt; his name is Standfaft; he is certainly a right good pilgrim.

So they came up to one another, and prefently Standfaft faid to old Honest, Ah! father Honeft! are you here? Ay, faid he, that I am, as fure as you are there. Right glad am I, faid Mr. Standfast, that I have found you on this road. And as glad am I, faid the other, that I espied you upon your knees. Then Mr. Standfast blushed, and faid, What! did you fee me? Yes, that I did, quoth the other, and in my heart I was glad at the fight. Why, what did you think? faid Standfast. Think! faid old Honeft, what fhould I think? I thought

we had an honest man upon the road, should have his company by and by.

and that we

If you are not mistaken in your thought, how happy shall I be! But if I am not as I fhould, it is I alone must bear it. That is true, faid the other; but your fear doth further confirm me, that things are right betwixt the prince of pilgrims and your foul: for, faith he, "Bleffed is the man that feareth always .'

Valiant. Well, but brother, I pray thee tell us, what was the cause of thy being upon thy knees even now? Was it for fome obligations laid by special mercies upon thee, or how?

Standfaft. Why, we are, as you fee, upon the

• The difference between legal and flavish fear, which caufeth torment, and that filial fear which arifes from love, will be carefully pointed out by those who can diftinguish between things that differ,

Enchanted

Enchanted Ground; and as I was coming along, I was musing with myself of what a dangerous nature the road in this place was, and how many who had come even thus far on pilgrimage, had been stopped here and destroyed: I thought also of the manner of death with which this place deftroyeth men: those who die here, die of no violent diftemper: the death which such die is not grievous to them: for he that goeth away in a sleep, begins that journey with defire and pleasure. Yea, fuch acquiefce in the will of that disease.

Then Mr. Honeft, interrupting him, said, Did you see the two men asleep in the arbour?

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Standfaft. Ay, ay, I faw Heedlefs and Too-bold there; and, for ought I know, there they will lie till they rot: but let me go on with my tale: As I was thus mufing, as I faid, there was one in very pleasant attire, but old, who prefented herself unto me, and offered me three things, to wit, Her body, her purfe, and her bed. Now the truth is, I was both weary and fleepy: I am alfo as poor as a howlet, and that perhaps the witch knew. Well, I repulfed her once and twice, but she put by my repulses, and smiled. Then I began to be angry: fhe regarded that nothing at all; but made her offers again, and faid, If I would be ruled by her, she would make me great and happy. For, faid fhe, I am the miftrefs of the world, and men are made happy by me. Then I asked her name, and

fhe told me it was Madam Bubblet.

This fet me

further from her; but fhe ftill followed me with enticements. Then I betook me, as you fee, to my knees, and with hands lifted up, and cries, prayed to him who had faid he would help. So, just as you came up, the gentlewoman went her way. Then I continued to give thanks for this great deliverance; for I verily believe the intended no good, but rather fought to stop me in my journey.

Hon. Without doubt her defigns were bad. But stay, now you talk of her, methinks I either have feen her, or have read some story of her.

Standfaft. Perhaps you have done both.

Hon. Madam Bubble, is fhe not a tall, comely dame, fomething of a fwarthy complexion?

Standfaft. Right, you hit it, fhe is just such an

one.

Is fhe not rightly named Bubble? Yes. Art thou convinced that she is nothing more? Why then doft thou not break loose from her hold? I fay-Why has the world fuch hold of thee? Why doft thou liften to her enchantments? For fhame-Stir up thy ftrength-call forth thy powers.-What! be convinced that the world is a bubble, and be led captive by her! You ought-you should-it is your duty. Why do not you live above the world? Why do not you hang loose to the world? Those who have this power feem to have greatly the advantage of this poor pilgrim, Mr. Standfaft. His earnest and folemn prayers plainly prove the sense he had of his own weakness and inability to extricate himself from her enchantments. Though some may despise the dominion of fin, I am convinced it must be a divine power to deliver me from it.

Hon.

Hon. Doth fhe not speak very smoothly, and give you a fmile at the end of every fentence?

Standfaft. You hit right upon it again; these are her very actions.

Hon. Doth fhe not wear a great purse by her fide, and is not her hand often in it, fingering her money, as if that were her heart's delight?

Standfaft. It is just fo; had she stood by all this while, you could not more exactly have set her forth before me, and have better defcribed her features.

Hon. Then he who drew her picture was a good limner, and he who wrote of her said true.

Great-heart. This woman is a witch, and it is by virtue of her forceries that this ground is enchanted: whoever doth lay his head down in her lap, had as good lay it down upon that block over which the axe doth hang; and whoever fixeth his eye upon her beauty, is counted the enemy of God. This is fhe who maintaineth in their splendour all those who are the enemies of pilgrims; yea, this is the who hath brought off many a man from a pilgrim's life: fhe is a great goffip; fhe is always, both fhe and her daughters, at one pilgrim's heels or another's, now commending, and then preferring the excellencies of this life: fhe is a bold and impudent flut; fhe will talk with any man: fhe always laugheth poor pilgrims to fcorn, but highly commends the rich: if there be one cunning to get money in a place, fhe will fpeak well of him from house to house she loveth banqueting and feafting mainly well:

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well: fhe is always at one full table or another: fhe has given it out at fome places that fhe is a goddess, and therefore fome do worship her: fhe has her time, and open places of cheating: fhe will fay and avow it, that none can fhew a good comparable to hers: fhe promiseth to dwell with children's children, if they will but love and make much of her: she will cast out of her purse gold like duft, in some places, and to fome perfons: fhe loves to be fought after, fpoken well of, and to lie in the bofoms of men: she is never weary of commending her commodities, and fhe loves them most who think beft of her: fhe will promife crowns and kingdoms to those who will take her advice; yet she hath brought many to the halter, and ten thousand times more to hell.

Oh! faid Standfast, what a mercy is it that I did refift her; for whither might she have drawn me?

Great-heart. Whither! nay, none but God knows. But in general, to be fure, fhe would have drawn thee into many foolish and hurtful lufts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. It was the who fet Abfalom against his father; and Jeroboam against his master. It was fhe who perfuaded Judas to fell his Lord; and who prevailed with Demas to forfake the godly pilgrim's life: none can tell the mifchief which the hath done. She makes variance betwixt rulers and fubjects; betwixt parents and children; betwixt neighbour and neighbour; betwixt a man and his wife; between a man and him

felf,