the gate was opened, he would give back, and give place to others, and say that he was not worthy. For, for all he got before some to the gate, yet many of them went in before him. There the poor man would stand, shaking and shrinking. I dare say it would have pitied one's heart to have seen him; nor would he go back again. At last, he took the hammer that hanged on the gate in his hand, and gave a small rap or two; then one opened to him, but he shrank back as

His behaviour

before. He that opened stepped out after him, and said, Thou trembling one, what wantest thou? With that he fell down to the ground. He that spoke to him wondered to see him so faint. So he said to him, Peace be to thee; up, for I have set open the door to thee. Come in, for thou art blessed. With that he got up, and went in trembling; and when he was in, he was ashamed to show his face. Well, after he had been entertained there awhile, as you know how the manner is, he was bid go on his way, and also told the way he should take. So he came till he came to our house. But as he behaved himself at the gate, so he did at my master the Interpreter's door. He lay thereat the Interpre about in the cold a good while, before he would adventure ter's door. [Lu. xiv. 23.] to call; yet he would not go back, and the nights were long and cold then. Nay, he had a note of necessity in his bosom to my master, to receive him and grant him the comfort of his house, and also to allow him a stout and valiant conductor, because he was himself so chicken-hearted a man; and yet, for all that, he was afraid. to call at the door. So he lay up and down thereabouts, till, poor man! he was almost starved. Yea, so great was his dejection, that though he saw several others, for knocking, get in, yet he was afraid to venture. At last I think, I looked out of the window, and perceiving a man to be up and down about the door, I went out to him, and asked what he was; but, poor man! the water stood in his eyes; so I perceived what he wanted. I went, therefore, in and told it in the house, and we showed the thing to our Lord. So he sent me out again, to entreat him to come in but, I dare say, I had hard work to do it. At last he came in; and I will say that for my Lord, he carried it wonderfully lovingly to him. There were but few good bits at the table, but some of it was laid upon his trencher. Then he presented the note, and my Lord looked thereon, and said his desire should be granted. So, when he had been there a good while, he seemed to get He is a little some heart, and to be a little more comfortable; for my the Interpreter's master, you must know, is one of very tender bowels, especially to them that are afraid; wherefore he carried it

:

How he was entertained there.

encouraged at

house.

so towards him as might tend most to his encouragement. Well, when he had had a sight of the things of the place, and was ready to take his journey to go to the city, my Lord, as he did to Christian before, gave him a bottle of spirits, and some comfortable things to eat. Thus we set forward, and I went before him; but the man was but of few words, only he would sigh aloud.

He was greatly afraid when he saw the gibbet; cheery when he

When we were come to where the three fellows were hanged, he said that he doubted that that would be his end also. Only he seemed glad when he saw the Cross and the Sepulchre. There, I confess, he desired to stay a little to look, and he seemed, for a while after, to be a little cheery. When we came at the Hill Difficulty, he made no stick at that, much fear the lions; for you must know that his trouble was not about such things as those; his fear was about his acceptance at last.

saw the cross.

nor did he

Dumpish at the

House Beautiful.

alone, yet

I got him in at the House Beautiful, I think, before he was willing. Also, when he was in, I brought him acquainted with the damsels that were of the place; but he was ashamed to make himself much for company. He desired much to be he always loved good talk, and often would get behind the hear it. He also loved much to see ancient things, and to be pondering them in his mind. He told me afterwards that he loved to be in those two houses from which he came last, to wit, at the gate, and that of the Interpreter, but that he durst not be so bold to ask.

screen to

He went down

into, and

was

very pleasant in the Valley of

When we went also from the House Beautiful, down the hill, into the Valley of Humiliation, he went down as well as ever I saw man in my life; for he cared not how mean he was, so he might be happy at last. Yea, I think, there was a kind of a sympathy betwixt that valley and him; for I never saw him better in all his pilgrimage than when he was in that valley.

Humiliation.

Here he would lie down, embrace the ground, and kiss the very flowers that grew in this valley. (Lam. iii. 27-29.) He would now be up every morning by break of day, tracing and walking to and fro in this valley.

in the Valley of

the Shadow of

Death.

But when he was come to the entrance of the Valley of the Shadow Much perplexed of Death, I thought I should have lost my man; not for that he had any inclination to go back; that he always abhorred; but he was ready to die for fear. Oh! the hobgoblins will have me the hobgoblins will have me! cried he, and I could not beat him out on it. He made such a noise and such an outcry here, that, had they but heard him, it was enough to encourage them to come and fall upon us.111

But this I took very great notice of, that this valley was as quiet while he went through it, as ever I knew it before or since. I suppose these enemies here had now a special check from our Lord, and a command not to meddle until Mr. Fearing was passed over it.

It would be too tedious to tell you of all. We will, therefore, only mention a passage or two more. When he was come at Vanity Fair, His behaviour at I thought he would have fought with all the men at the fair. Vanity Fair. I feared there we should both have been knocked on the head, so hot was he against their fooleries. Upon the Enchanted Ground he was also very wakeful. But when he was come at the river, where was no bridge, there again he was in a heavy case. Now, now, he said, he should be drowned for ever, and so never see that face with comfort that he had come so many miles to behold.

And here, also, I took notice of what was very remarkable; the water of that river was lower at this time than ever I saw it in all my life. So he went over at last, not much above wet-shod. When he was going up to the gate, Mr. Great-heart began to take his leave His boldness at of him, and to wish him a good reception above. So he said, I shall, I shall. Then parted we asunder, and I saw

last.

him no more.

HON. Then, it seems, he was well at last.

GREAT-HEART. Yes, yes; I never had doubt about him; he was a man of a choice spirit, only he was always kept very low, and that made his life so burdensome to himself, and so troublesome to others. (Psa. lxxxviii.) He was, above many, tender of sin. He was so afraid

of doing injuries to others, that he often would deny himself of that which was lawful, because he would not offend. (Rom. xiv. 21; 1 Cor.

viii. 13.)

HON. But what should be the reason that such a good man should be all his days so much in the dark.112

Reasons why

in the dark.

GREAT-HEART. There are two sorts of reasons for it: One is, the wise God will have it so; some must pipe and some must weep. (Matt. xi. 16-18.) Now Mr. Fearing was one that good men are so played upon this bass; he and his fellows sound the sackbut, whose notes are more doleful than the notes of other music are; though, indeed, some say the bass is the ground of music. And, for my part, I care not at all for that profession that begins not in heaviness of mind. The first string that the musician usually touches is the bass, when he intends to put all in tune. God also plays upon this string first, when he sets the soul in tune for himself. Only here was the imperfection of Mr. Fearing, he could play upon no other music but this, till towards his latter end.11

I make bold to talk thus metaphorically, for the ripening of the wits of young readers; and because, in the book of the Revelations, the saved are compared to a company of musicians that play upon their trumpets and harps, and sing their songs before the throne. (Rev. viii. 2; xiv. 2, 3.)

HON. He was a very zealous man, as one may see by what relation you have given of him; difficulties, lions, or Vanity Fair, he feared not at all. It was only sin, death, and hell that was to him a terror, because he had some doubts about his interest in that Celestial Country.

GREAT-HEART. You say right. Those were the things that were his troublers, and they, as you have well observed, arose A close about from the weakness of his mind thereabout, not from weakness

him.

of spirit as to the practical part of a pilgrim's life. I dare believe that, as the proverb is, "he could have bit a firebrand, had it stood in his way;" but the things with which he was oppressed, no man ever yet could shake off with ease.