SOME say the Pilgrim's Progress is not mine, Insinuating as if I would shine

In name and fame by the worth of another,
Like some made rich by robbing of their brother;
Or, that so fond I am of being sire,
I'll father bastards; or, if need require,
I'll tell a lie in print to get applause.
I scorn it: John such dirt-heap never was
Since God converted him. Let this suffice
To show why I my Pilgrim patronize.

It came from mine own heart, so to my head,
And thence into my fingers trickled;
Then to my pen, from whence immediately
On paper I did dribble it daintily.

Manner and matter too was all mine own, Nor was it unto any mortal known Till I had done it. Nor did any then, By books, by wits, by tongues, or hand, or pen, Add five words to it, or write half a line Thereof: the whole and every whit is mine.

Also for this thine eye is now upon, The matter in this manner came from none But the same heart and head, fingers and pen As did the other. Witness all good men: For none in all the world, without a lie, Can say that this is mine, excepting I. I write not this of any ostentation, Nor 'cause I seek of men their commendation; I do it to keep them from such surmise, As tempt them will my name to scandalize.

TO THE READER.

'Tis strange to me that they that love to tell Things done of old, yea, and that do excel Their equals in historiology,

Speak not of Mansoul's wars, but let them lie
Dead like old fables, or such worthless things
That to the reader no advantage brings;
When men, let them make what they will their
own,

Till they know this are to themselves unknown.
Of stories I well know there's divers sorts;
Some foreign, some domestic; and reports
Are thereof made as fancy leads the writers,
(By books a man may guess at the inditers.)
Some will again of that which never was,
Nor will be, feign (and that without a cause)
Such matter, raise such mountains, tell such things
Of men, of laws, of countries and of kings,
And in their story seem to be so sage,
And with such gravity clothe every page,
That though their frontispiece says all is vain,
Yet to their way disciples they obtain.

But, readers, I have somewhat else to do
Than with vain stories thus to trouble you;
What here I say some men do know so well
They can with tears and joy the story tell.
The town of Mansoul is well known to many,
Nor are her troubles doubted of by any
That are acquainted with those histories
That Mansoul and her wars anatomize.

Then lend thine ear to what I do relate
Touching the town of Mansoul and her state;
How she was lost, took captive, made a slave,
And how against him set that should her save.
Yea, how by hostile ways she did oppose
Her Lord, and with his enemy did close.
For they are true; him that will them deny
Must needs the best of records vilify.
For my part, I myself was in the town,

Both when 'twas set up and when pulling down;
I saw Diabolus in his possession,

And Mansoul also under his oppression.
Yea, I was there when she owned him for lord,
And to him did submit with one accord.

When Mansoul trampled upon things divine,
And wallowed in filth as doth a swine,
When she betook herself unto her arms,
Fought her Emmanuel, despis'd his charms,
Then I was there, and did rejoice to see
Diabolus and Mansoul so agree.

Let no man then count me a fable-maker,
Nor make my name or credit a partaker
Of their derision: what is here in view
Of mine own knowledge I dare say is true.

I saw the Prince's armed men come down
By troops, by thousands, to besiege the town.
I saw the captains, heard the trumpets sound,
And how his forces covered all the ground.
Yea, how they set themselves in battle-'ray
I shall remember to my dying day.

I saw the colours waving in the wind,
And they within to mischief how combin'd
To ruin Mansoul, and to make away
Her primum mobile without delay.

I saw the mounts cast up against the town,
And how the slings were placed to beat it down ;
I heard the stones fly whizzing by mine ears,
(What's longer kept in mind than got in fears?)
I heard them fall, and saw what work they made,
And how old Mars did cover with his shade
The face of Mansoul; and I heard her cry,
Woe worth the day! in dying I shall die.

I saw the battering-rams, and how they play'd
To beat ope Ear-gate, and I was afraid,
Not only Ear-gate, but the very town,
Would by those battering-rams be beaten down.
I saw the fights, and heard the captains' shout,
And in each battle saw who faced about;

I saw who wounded were, and who were slain,
And who when dead would come to life again.
I heard the cries of those that wounded were,
(While others fought like men bereft of fear;)
And while the cry, Kill, kill! was in mine ears
The gutters ran not so with blood as tears.

Indeed the captains did not always fight,
But then they would molest us day and night:
Their cry, Up, fall on, let us take the town!
Kept us from sleeping or from lying down.

I was there when the gates were broken ope, And saw how Mansoul then was stript of hope. I saw the captains march into the town, How there they fought and did their foes cut down. I heard the Prince bid Boanerges go Up to the castle and there seize his foe; And saw him and his fellows bring him down, In chains of great contempt, quite through the

town.

I saw Emmanuel when he possess'd
His town of Mansoul, and how greatly bless'd
A town this gallant town of Mansoul was
When she receiv'd his pardon, lov'd his laws.
When the Diabolonians were caught,
When tried, and when to execution brought,
Then I was there; yea, I was standing by
When Mansoul did the rebels crucify.

I also saw Mansoul clad all in white,
And heard her Prince call her his heart's delight;
I saw him put upon her chains of gold,
And rings and bracelets, goodly to behold.
What shall I say? I heard the people's cries,
And saw the Prince wipe tears from Mansoul's

But by what here I say you well may see
That Mansoul's matchless wars no fables be.

Mansoul the desire of both princes was-
One keep his gain would, t'other gain his loss:
Diabolus would cry, The town is mine;
Emmanuel would plead a right divine
Unto his Mansoul; then to blows they go,
And Mansoul cries, These wars will me undo.

Mansoul! her wars seemed endless in her eyes;
She's lost by one, becomes another's prize,
And he again that lost her last would swear,
Have her I will, or her in pieces tear.

Mansoul! it was the very seat of war, Wherefore her troubles greater were by far Than only where the noise of war is heard, Or where the shaking of a sword is fear'd, Or only where small skirmishes are fought, Or where the fancy fighteth with a thought.

She saw the swords of fighting-men made red, And heard the cries of those with them wounded: Must not their frights then be much more by far Than theirs who to such doings strangers are, Or theirs that hear the beating of a drum, But not made fly for fear from house or home?

Mansoul not only heard the trumpets sound, But saw her gallants gasping on the ground; Wherefore we must not think that she could rest With them whose greatest earnest is but jest; Or where the blust'ring threat'ning of great wars Do end in parleys or in wordy jars.

Mansoul! her mighty wars they did portend Her weal or woe, and that world without end;

Wherefore she must be more concern'd than they
Whose fears begin and end the selfsame day,
Or where none other harm doth come to him
That is engag'd but loss of life or limb,
As all must needs confess that now do dwell
In Universe, and can this story tell.

Count me not then with them that to amaze
The people set them on the stars to gaze,
Insinuating with much confidence

That each of them is now the residence

Of some brave creatures; yea, a world they will Have in each star, though it be past their skill To make it manifest to any man

That reason hath or tell his fingers can.

24

But I have too long held thee in the porch,
And kept thee from the sunshine with a torch.
Well, now, go forward, step within the door,
And there behold five hundred times much more
Of all sorts of such inward rarities

As please the mind will, and will feed the eyes;
With those which, if a Christian, thou wilt see
Not small, but things of greatest moment be.
Nor do thou go to work without my key,
(In mysteries men soon do lose their way ;)
And also turn it right, if thou wouldst know
My riddle, and wouldst with my heifer plough.
It lies there in the window: fare thee well;
My next may be to ring thy passing bell.

JOHN BUNYAN.

It

In my travels, as I walked through many regions and countries, it was my chance to happen into that famous continent of Universe. A very large and spacious country it is. lieth between the two poles, and just amidst the four points of the heavens. It is a place well watered and richly adorned with hills and valleys, bravely situate; and for the most part (at least where I was) very fruitful, also well peopled and a very sweet air.

The people are not all of one complexion, nor yet of one language, mode, or way of religion; but differ as much, it is said, as do the planets themselves. Some are right, and some are wrong, even as it happeneth to be in lesser regions.

In this country, as I said, it was my lot to travel, and there travel I did, and that so long, even till I learned much of their mother tongue, together with the customs and manners of them among whom I was. And to speak the truth, I was much delighted to see and hear many things which I saw and heard among them; yea, I had, to be sure, even lived and died among them (so was I taken with them and their doings) had not my Master sent for me home to his house, there to do business for him and to oversee business done.

Now there is in this gallant country of Universe a fair and delicate town, a corporation, called Mansoul-a town for its buildings so curious, for its situation so commodious, for its privileges so advantageous-I mean with reference to its original-that I may say of it, as was said before of the continent in which it is placed, there is not its equal under the whole heaven.

As to the situation of this town, it lieth just between the two worlds, and the first founder and builder of it, so far as by the best and most authentic records I can gather, was one Shaddai, and he built it for his own delight. He made it the mirror and glory of all that he made, even the top-piece beyond anything else that he did in that country: yea, so goodly

a town was Mansoul when it was first built that it is said by some the gods, at the setting up thereof, came down to see it and sang for joy. And as he made it goodly to behold, so also mighty to have dominion over all the country round about. Yea, all were commanded to acknowledge Mansoul for their metropolitan; all were enjoined to do homage to it; ay, the town itself had positive commission and power from her King to demand service of all, and also to subdue any that anywise denied to do it.

There was reared up in the midst of this town a most famous and stately palace; for strength it might be called a castle; for pleasantness, a paradise; for largeness, a place so copious as to contain all the world. This place the King Shaddai intended for himself alone, and not another with him; partly because of his own delights, and partly because he would not that the terror of strangers should be upon the town. This place Shaddai made also a garrison of, but committed the keeping of it only to the men of the town.

The wall of the town was well built; yea, so fast and firm was it knit and compact together that had it not been for the townsmen themselves, they could not have been shaken or broken for ever.

For here lay the excellent wisdom of him that built Mansoul, that the walls could never be broken down nor hurt by the most mighty adverse potentates unless the townsmen gave consent thereto.

This famous town of Mansoul had five gates in at which to come, out at which to go; and these were made likewise answerable to the walls-to wit, impregnable, and such as could never be opened or forced but by the will and leave of those within. The names of the gates were these: Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feet-gate.

Other things there were that belonged to the town of Mansoul, which if you adjoin to these will yet give further demonstration to

all of the glory and strength of the place. It had always a sufficiency of provisions within its walls; it had the best, most wholesome and excellent law that then was extant in the world. There was not a rascal, rogue, or traitorous person then within its walls; they were all true men, and fast joined together, and this, you know, is a great matter. And to all these it had always (so long as it had the goodness to keep true to Shaddai the King) his countenance, his protection, and it was his delight, &c.

Well, upon a time there was one Diabolus, a mighty giant, made an assault upon this famous town of Mansoul to take it and make it his own habitation. This giant was king of the dark regions, and a most raving prince he was. We will, if you please, first discourse of the original of this Diabolus, and then of his taking of this famous town of Mansoul.

This Diabolus is indeed a grand and mighty prince, and yet both poor and beggarly. As to his original, he was at first one of the servants of King Shaddai, made, and taken, and put by him into most high and mighty place; yea, was put into such principalities as belonged to the best of his territories and dominions. This Diabolus was made son of the 'morning, and a brave place he had of it; it brought him much glory and gave him much brightness, an income that might have contented his Luciferian heart, had it not been insatiable and enlarged as hell itself.

Well, he seeing himself thus exalted to greatness and honour, and raging in his mind for higher state and degree, what doth he but begin to think with himself how he might be set up as Lord over all, and have the sole power under Shaddai. (Now that did the King reserve for his Son, yea, and had already bestowed it upon him.) Wherefore, he first consults with himself what had best to be done, and then breaks his mind to some other of his companions, to the which they also agreed. So in fine they came to this issue, that they should make an attempt upon the King's Son to destroy him, that the inheritance might be theirs. Well, to be short, the treason, as I said, was concluded, the time appointed, the word given, the rebels rendezvoused, and the assault attempted. Now the King and his Son, being all and always eye, could not but discern all passages in his dominions; and he having always love for his Son as for himself, could not, at what he saw,

but be greatly provoked and offended; wherefore what does he but takes them in the very nick, and the first trip that they made toward their design convicts them of their treason, horrid rebellion, and conspiracy that they had devised and now attempted to put into practice, and casts them all together out of all place of trust, benefit, honour, and preferment. This done, he banishes them the court, turns them down into the horrible pits, as fast bound in chains, never more to expect the least favour from his hands, but to abide the judgment that he had appointed, and that for ever and ever.

Now, they being thus cast out of all place of trust, profit, and honour, and also knowing that they had lost their prince's favour for ever, being banished his courts and cast down to the horrible pits, you may be sure they would now add to their former pride what malice and rage against Shaddai, and against his Son, they could. Wherefore, roving and ranging in much fury from place to place, (if perhaps they might find something that was the King's, to revenge, by spoiling of that, themselves on him,) at last they happened into this spacious country of Universe, and steer their course towards the town of Mansoul; and considering that that town was one of the chief works and delights of King Shaddai, what do they but, after counsel taken, make an assault upon that: I say, they knew that Mansoul belonged unto Shaddai, for they were there when he built it and beautified it for himself. So when they had found the place they shouted horribly for joy, and roared on it as a lion upon the prey, saying, Now we have found the prize and how to be revenged on King Shaddai for what he hath done to us. So they sat down and called a council of war, and considered with themselves what ways and methods they had best to engage in for the winning to themselves this famous town of Mansoul; and these four things were then propounded to be considered of:

1. Whether they had best, all of them, to show themselves in this design to the town of Mansoul?

2. Whether they had best to go 'and sit down against Mansoul in their now ragged and beggarly guise?

3. Whether they had best show to Mansoul their intentions and what design they came about, or whether to assault it with words and ways of deceit ?