CHAPTER XXI

JOHN BUNYAN AND THE PILGRIM's PROGRESS

The story begins in this way.

"As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and, behold, I saw a man clothed in rags standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back."

We wonder why the man had a burden on his back, and we wish we could help him to get rid of it.

A man called Evangelist met the man with a burden on his back. Evangelist pointed out to the man a wicket-gate, and asked him if he could see a shining light. When the man answered that he did, Evangelist told him to go straight to the gate and knock at it. Then he would be told what he was to do. Now the man's name was Christian.

On the way to the gate, he fell into a muddy bog which was called the Slough of Despond. Then a man called Help came and pulled him out. After that, Mr. Worldly-Wiseman told him not to go to the gate, but to a village where Mr. Legality lived. Christian turned aside from his way, and presently came to some rocks which hung over so far he was afraid they would fall on him, and fire {143} came out of the rocks and he was very much afraid. But Evangelist found him again and set him on the right way. Then Christian came to the gate and knocked.

A man answered his knock and showed him how to go to the house of the Interpreter. There he saw many wonderful things which you must read about in _The Pilgrim's Progress_. Not long after Christian left the house of the Interpreter, he came to a place where there was a Cross and there his burden fell off.

After that he came to the Hill Difficulty, which was so steep that sometimes he had to clamber up on his hands and knees. He got up the hill; then he remembered that he had been told he would meet two lions. He went on his way feeling very despondent, but presently he looked up and saw a stately palace called Beautiful, so he hastened to get to it.

He came first to a lodge, and there was a porter in the lodge who helped him past the lions. After all, the lions were chained, but it was a narrow place and they might have caught Christian if the porter had not helped him.

Christian had a very happy holiday in the House Beautiful, and there he made many friends. Before he left to continue his journey, they showed him on a clear day the Delectable Mountains from which one can see the gate of the Celestial City. The Celestial City was to be the end of Christian's pilgrimage. After that he met another pilgrim called Faithful, and he was not alone any more.

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After a little while, Christian and Faithful came to the Valley of Humiliation, and met in it a terrible monster called Apollyon. He had scales like a fish, wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and a mouth like the mouth of a lion. Christian fought Apollyon. Apollyon wounded Christian, and knocked his sword out of his hand. But Christian caught his sword again and gave Apollyon a great wound. "And, with that, Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, so that Christian saw him no more."

Then Faithful and Christian came to a town called Vanity, where the people had a fair called Vanity Fair. In this town with the great fair, Faithful and Christian were arrested, because of their religion. They were tried by a judge and jury, and Faithful was put to death. Christian was put back into prison, but he escaped. And after that he had another companion on his pilgrimage who was called Hopeful.

They came to a river and a beautiful meadow. But they lost their way and when they were asleep, Giant Despair of Doubting-castle found them and put them into a dungeon. Hopeful encouraged Christian, but they had a very sad time in the dungeon, until Christian suddenly remembered that he had a key which he had been told would open any lock in Doubting-castle. And so they escaped.

Now they came to the Delectable Mountains, and there they met shepherds who entertained them. From there they went on, and began to feel that they were drawing near the end of their {145} journey. They passed through the Enchanted Ground with some difficulty, and came to the country of Beulah whose air is very sweet and pleasant, and there they met some of the inhabitants of the Celestial City.

They could see the City, which was glorious. But before they could get to it, they had to cross a river. Hopeful helped Christian. "Christian therefore presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest of the river was but shallow, thus they got over." After that, they had no more difficulty. But shining ones came to meet them, and trumpeters who welcomed them with shouting and sound of trumpet.

"This done, they compassed them round on every side, some went before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on the left, (as it were to guard them through the upper regions), continually sounding as they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so that the very sight was to them that could behold it as if heaven itself were come down to meet them. Thus, therefore, they walked on together; and, as they walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would, by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to Christian and his brother how welcome they were into their company, and with what gladness they came to meet them. And now were these two men, as it were, in heaven, before they came at it, being swallowed up with the sight of angels, and with hearing their melodious notes. Here also they had the City itself in view; and they thought they heard all the bells therein to ring, to welcome {146} them thereto. But, above all, the warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there, with such company, and that for ever and ever; oh! by what tongue, or pen, can their glorious joy be expressed! Thus they came up to the gate."

A second part of The Pilgrim's Progress tells how Christiana, Christian's wife, and their children, and Mercy, a friend, went on the same pilgrimage, with Mr. Great-heart to take care of them. Mr. Great-heart is one of the most splendid heroes in any book.

John Bunyan, who wrote _The Pilgrim's Progress_, was the son of a tinker. He was himself a tinker. He was a soldier in Cromwell's army, and then he was a preacher. Only certain people were allowed to preach at that time, and they arrested Bunyan. He was in prison a number of years. They were willing to let him out, but he would not promise not to preach. Brave John Bunyan! He had a brave wife too, who did all she could to help him.

He was sentenced to prison twice, the second time only for a few months when he was kept in the gaol in Bedford town in England. Bunyan wrote _The Pilgrim's Progress_ in a room in Bedford gaol which is built on the bridge that crosses the river Ouse, and while he wrote he could hear the noise of the river flowing by. Perhaps this is one reason why he writes so beautifully of rivers in the story.

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