But fo foon as Mr. Honeft faw him, he faid, I know this Man. Then faid Mr. Valiant-for-Truth, Prithee, who is it? It is The Story of " one, faid he, that comes from where- Standfait. abouts I dwelt, his Name is Standfaft; he is certainly a tight good Pilgrim.

So they came up to one another, and Talk betwixt prefently Standfast fald to old Honest, Ho! him and Mr. Father Hoheft, are you there? Ay, faid Honest. hế, thất I am, as fure as you are there. Right glad am I, faid Mr. Standfaft, that I have found you on this Road. And as glad am I, faid the other, that I efpied you upon your Knees. Then Mr. Standfaft blushed, and faid; But why, did you fee me? Yes, that I did, quoth the other, and from my Heart was glad at the Sight. Why, what did you think, faid Standfast? Think, faid old Honeft, What mould I think? I thought we had an honeft Man upon the Road, therefore fhould have his Company by and by. If you thought not amifs, how happy am I? But if I be not as I fhould, it is I alone mhult bear it. That is true, faid the other, but your Fear doth farther confirm me, that Things are right betwixt the Prince of Pilgrims and your Soul: For faith he, Bleed is the Man that feareth always.

Valiant. Well, but Brother, I pray thee They found tell us, What was it that was the Caufe him at Pray of thy being upon thy Knees even now? ers. Was it for fome Obligations laid by fpecial Mercles upon thee, or how?

Standfaft. Why, we are, as you fee, upon the Inchanted Ground; and as I was

Dd 3

coming

What it was that fetched

bim upon Knees.

bis

coming along. I was mufing with myself of what a dangerous Nature the Road in this Place was, and how many that had come even thus far on Pilgrimage, had here been stopt, and been deftroyed. I thought alfo of the Manner of Death, with which this Place deftroyeth Men. Those that die here, die of no violent Diftemper: The Death which fuch 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.

Hon. Then Mr. Honeft interrupting of him, faid, Did you fee the two Men afleep in the Arbour?

Standfaft. Ay, ay, I faw Heedlefs and Too-bold there; and for ought I know, Prov. 10. 7. 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 Purse, 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 fhe put by my Repulfes, and smiled. Then I began to be angry, but the mattered that nothing at all. Then fhe made' Offers again, and faid, if I would be ruled by her, fhe would make me Great and Happy. For, faid fhe, I am the Miftrefs of the World, and Men are made ble: Or this happy by me. Then I asked her Name, and ain World. The told me it was Madam Bubble. This

Madam Bub

fot

fet me farther from her; but fhe ftill followed me with Inticements. Then I

betook me, as you fee, to my Knees, and with Hands lifted up, and Cries, I prayed to him that 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 fhe intended no Good, but rather fought to make a Stop of me in my Journey.

Hon. Without Doubt her Designs were bad. But ftay, now you talk of her methings I either have seen her, or have read fome 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 juft fuch an one.

· Hon. Doth fhe not speak very fmoothly, and give you a Smile at the End of every Sentence?

Standfaft. You fall right upon it again, for these are her very Actions.

Hon. Doth fhe not wear a great Purse by her Side, and is not her Hand often in it, fingering her Money, as if that was her Heart's Delight?

Standfaft. It is juft fo; had she stood. by all this While, you could not more amply have fet her forth before me, and have better defcribed her Features.

Hon. Then he that drew her Picture was a good Limner, and he that wrote of her faid true.

Dd 4

Groat

The World.

Great-beart. This Woman is a Witch, and it is by Virtue of her Sorceries, that this Ground is inchanted: Whoever doth lay their Head down in her Lap, had as good lay it down upon that Block over which the Ax doth hang; and whoever lays their Eyes upon her Beauty, are counted the Enemies of God. This is fhe that maintaineth in their Splendor, all thofe that are the Enemies of Pilgrims. Jam. 4. 4. Yea, this is fhe that hath brought off 1 John 2. 15. many a Man from a Pilgrim's Life. She is a great Goffipper; fhe is always, both fhe and her Daughters, at one Pilgrim's Heels or another, now commending, and then preferring the Excellencies of this Life. She is a bold and impudent Slut fhe will talk with any Man. She always laugheth poor Pilgrims to Scorn, but highly commends the Rich. If there be one cunning to get Money in a Place, she will fpeak well of him from House to Houfe; the loveth Banqueting and Feafting mainly well: She is always at one full Table or another. She has given it out at fome Places, that he is a Goddefs, and therefore fome do worship her. She has her Time, and open Places of Cheating; and fhe will fay, and avow it, That none can fhew a Good comparable to hers. She promifeth to dwell with Childrens' Children, if they would but love and make much of her. She will caft out of her Purfe Gold like Duft, in fome Places, and to fome Perfons. She 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 the loves them moft that think beft of her. She will promife Crowns and Kingdoms, if they will but take her Advice; yet many hath fhe brought to the Halter, and Ten Thoufund Times more to Hell.

Standfaft. Oh! faid Standfaft, What a Mercy it is that I did refift her; for whether might she have drawn me?

Great-beart. Whither! nay, none but God knows. But in general, to be fure fhe would have drawn thee into many foolish 1 Tim, 6. 9, and hurtful Lufts, which drown Men in DeAtruction and Perdition.

It was fhe that fet Abfalom against his Father, and Jeroboam against his Mafter. It was the that perfuaded Judas to fell his Lord; and that prevailed with Demas to forfake the Godly Pilgrim's Life; none can tell of the Mischief that she doth, She makes Variance betwixt Rulers and Subjects, betwixt Parents and Children, betwixt Neighbour and Neighbour, betwixt a Man and his Wife, between a Man and himself, betwixt Flesh and the Spirit.

Wherefore, good Mafter Standfaft, be as your Name is, and when you have done all, Stand.

At this Difcourfe there was, among the Pilgrims, a Mixture of Joy and Trembling; but at length they brake out and fang:

I

What