CHAPTER VIII.
THE PALACE BEAUTIFUL.
SO I saw in my dream that he made haste and went forth, that, if sobe, he might get a place to lodge there. Now ere he had gone far, hesaw two wild beasts in the way. (The beasts were made fast, but he sawnot the chains.) Then he took fright, and thought to go back; for hethought death of a truth did face him. But when the man at the lodge,whose name is Watchful, saw that Christian made a halt, he did cry tohim and say, "Is thy strength so small? Fear not the wild beasts, forthey are in chains, and are put there for test of faith where it is,and to make known those that have none: keep in the midst of the path,and no hurt shall come to thee."
Then did he clap his hands, and went on till he came and stood in frontof the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the Porter,"Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here this night?" The Portersaid, "This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he built it toaid and guard such as speed this way." The Porter, in like way, soughtto know whence he was; and to what place he was bound?
This is Mistrust, whom Christian met going the wrongway.--Page 29.
_Pilgrim's Progress._]
_Chr._--"I am come from the City of Destruction; and am on my way toMount Zion; but as the sun is now set, I wish, if I may, to lodge herethis night."
_Por._--"But how doth it hap that you come so late? The sun is set."
_Chr._--"I had been here ere this, but that, mean man that I am, Islept in the nook that stands on the side of the hill."
_Por._--"Well, I will call out one of the maids of this place, whowill, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the folk, assuch are the rules of the house."
So Watchful rang a bell, at the sound of which came out at the door ofthe house a grave and fair maid, whose name was Discretion, who wouldknow why she had got a call.
The Porter said, "This man is in the way from the City of Destructionto Mount Zion, but as he doth tire, and as night came on, he sought toknow if he might lodge here for the night: so I told him I would callfor thee, who, when thou dost speak with him, may do as seems to theegood, and act up to the law of the house."
Then she would know whence he was, and to what place he was bound, andhis name. So he said, "It is Christian." So a smile sat on her lips,but the tears stood in her eyes; and, when she gave a short pause, shesaid, "I will call forth two or three more of those who dwell here."So she ran to the door, and did call out Prudence, Piety, and Charity;and when she had held more speech with him, he was brought in, and madeknown to all who dwelt in the house, some of whom met him at the porch,and said, "Come in, thou whom the Lord doth bless; this house was builtby the Lord of the hill, to give good cheer to such who, like you, growfaint by the way." Then he bent his head, and went in with them to thehouse. So when he was come in and set down, they gave him to drink, andthen they thought that till the last meal was brought up, some of themshould have some wise talk with Christian, so as to make good use oftime.
CHRISTIAN IS QUESTIONED BY DISCRETION.]
_Pi._--"Come, good Christian, since we have shown such love for you asto make you our guest this night, let us, if so be we may each get goodby it, talk with you of all things that you have met with on your way."
This is Formalist, whom Christian saw roll from the topof a wall, as if to go to Zion.--Page 33.
_Pilgrim's Progress._]
_Chr._--"With a right good will; and I am glad your mind is so wellbent."
_Pi._--"How was it that you came out of your land in this way?"
_Chr._--"It was as God would have it; for when I was full of the fearsof doom, I did not know where to go; but by chance there came a manthen to me, whilst I shook and wept, whose name is Evangelist, andhe told me how to reach the small gate, which else I should not havefound, and so set me in the way that hath led me straight to thishouse."
_Pi._--"But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter?"
_Chr._--"Yes, and did see such things there, the thoughts of which willstick by me as long as I live; in chief, three things; to wit, howChrist, in spite of the Foe of Man, keeps up his work of grace in theheart; how the man, through sin, had got quite out of hopes of God'sruth; and, in like way, the dream of him that thought in his sleep theday of doom was come."
_Pi._--"And what saw you else in the way?"
_Chr._--"Saw! Why, I went but a wee way and I saw One, as I thought inmy mind, hang and bleed on a tree; and the sheer sight of him made myload fall off my back; for I did groan through the great weight, butthen it fell down from off me."
_Pi._--"But you saw more than this, did you not?"
_Chr._--"The things that I have told you were the best; yet some morethings I saw, as, first of all, I saw three men, Simple, Sloth, andPresumption, lie in sleep, not far out of the way as I came, with gyveson their heels; but do you think I could rouse them? I saw, in likeway, Formalist and Hypocrisy come and roll from the top of a wall, togo, as they fain would have me think, to Zion; but they were lost in atrice, just as I did tell them; but they would not heed my words."
_Pr._--"Do you think at times of the land from whence you came?"
_Chr._--"Yes, but with much shame and hate."
_Pr._--"Do you not yet bear hence with you some of the things that youwell knew there?"
_Chr._--"Yes, but much in strife with my will; the more so the crassthoughts of my heart, with which all the folk of my land, as well asI, would find joy; but now all those things are my grief, and might Ibut choose mine own things, I would choose not to think of those thingsmore; but when I would do that which is best, that which is worst iswith me."
_Pr._--"And what is it that makes you so long to go to Mount Zion?"
_Chr._--"Why, there I hope to see Him live that did hang dead on thecross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this dayare in me and do vex me: there they say there is no death; and there Ishall dwell with such folk as I like best."
Then said Charity to Christian, "Have you bairns, and have you a wife?"
_Chr._--"I have a wife and four small bairns."
_Char._--"And why did you not bring them on with you?"
Then Christian wept and said, "Oh, fain would I have done it! but theywere all of them loath to let me leave them."
_Char._--"But you should have sought to show them the risks they ranwhen they held back."
Hypocrisy would fain have Christian think he was on theway to Zion.--Page 34.
_Pilgrim's Progress._]
_Chr._--"So I did; and told them, too, that God had shown to me howthat our town would come to wrack; but they thought I did but mock, andthey put no faith in what I said."
_Char._--"But what could they say to show cause why they came not?"
CHRISTIAN TELLS CHARITY AND HER SISTERS ABOUT HISFAMILY.]
_Chr._--"Why, my wife was loath to lose this world; and my bairns werebent on the rash joys of youth; so, what by this thing, and what bythat thing, they left me to roam in this lone way."
_Char._--"But did you not with your vain life damp all that you bywords made use of as force to bring them off with you?"
_Chr._--"In sooth, I must not say aught for my life, as I know fullwell what blurs there are in it. I know, too, that a man by his deedsmay soon set at naught what by sound speech and wit of words he dothstrive to fix on some for their good. Yet this I can say, I took heednot to give them cause, by a false act, to shirk the step I took, andnot set out with me. Yea, for this sole thing they would tell me I wastoo nice; and that I would not touch of things in which they saw noguile."
_Char._--"In truth, Cain did hate him who came of the same blood, forthat his works were bad, and Abel's not so; and if thy wife and bairnshave thought ill of thee for this, they show by it that they are foesto good; and thou hast set free thy soul from their blood."
Now I saw in my dream that thus they sat and spoke each to each tillthe meal was laid on the board; and all their talk while they ate wasof the Lord of the hill; as, in sooth, of what he ha
d done, and why itwas he did what he did, and why he had built that house.
They, in like way, gave prompt proof of what they said, and that was,he had stript him of his rich robes, that he might do this for thepoor; and that they heard him say, with stern stress, that he would notdwell in the Mount of Zion in a lone way. They said, too, that he madea host of poor ones kings, though by the law of their birth they wereborn to live on bare alms, and their first state had been low and bad.
Thus they spoke, this one to that one, till late at night; and whenthey had put them in the Lord's care they went to rest.
Then he set forth: but Discretion, Piety, Charity, andPrudence would go with him down to the foot of the hill.
(_Page 38_) (_The Pilgrim's Progress._)]
The next day they took him and had him in the place in which arms werekept, where he was shown all sorts of things which their Lord had putthere for such as he, as sword, shield, casque, plate for breast,_All-prayer_, and shoes that would not wear out. And there was here asmuch of this as would fit out a host of men to serve the Lord.
In like way did they show him some of the means with which some of hisfriends had done things that strike one with awe. He was shown thejaw-bone of the ass with which Samson did such great feats. More thanthis, he was shown the sling and stone with which David slew Goliathof Gath. But more things still were shown to him, in all of whichChristian felt much joy. This done, they went to their rest once more.
Then I saw in my dream that on the morn he got up to go forth, but theyfain would have him stay till the next day; "and then," said they, "wewill, if the day be clear, show you the Delectable Mountains, which,"they said, "would yet the more add to his bliss, for that they were yetmore nigh the port than the place where at that time he was." So hethought it well to stay.
When the morn was up, they had him to the top of the house, and bidhim look south; so he did, and lo, a long way off, he saw a fair land,full of high hills, clad with woods, vine grounds, fruits of all sorts,plants as well, with springs and founts, most bright to look on. Theysaid it was Immanuel's Land; "and it is as free," said they, "as thishill is to and for all that are in the way. And when thou dost comethere from thence," said they, "thou canst see to the gate of theCelestial City, as those who watch their flocks and live there willshow thee."
Now he thought it was due time to set forth, and they were glad that heshould. "But first," said they, "let us go once more to where the armsare kept." So they did. And when he came there they clad him in coat ofmail, which was of proof, from head to foot, lest he should chance meetwith foes in the way.
He then, in this gear, came out with his friends to the gate, and therehe would know of the Porter "if he saw one pass by?"
Then the Porter said "Yes."
_Chr._--"Pray did you know him?"
_Por._--"I did ask his name, and he told me it was Faithful."
"Oh," said Christian, "I know him: he is from the same town, and livesnigh to where I dwell: he comes from the place where I was born. Howfar do you think he may be on the road?"
_Por._--"He has got by this time more than to the foot of the hill."
Then he set forth: but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence wouldgo with him down to the foot of the hill. Then said Christian, "As itwas _hard_ to come up, so, so far as I can see, it is a _risk_ to godown." "Yes," said Prudence, "so it is; for it is a hard thing for aman to go down in the Vale of Humiliation, as thou art now, and tocatch no slip by the way; hence," said they, "we are come out to seethee safe down the hill." So he strove to go down, but with great heed;yet he caught a slip or two.
Then I saw in my dream that these good friends, when Christian was gonedown to the foot of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a flask ofwine, and a bunch of dry grapes; and then he went on his way.