Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/305

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The Pilgrim's Progress.
301

Further, they said I must go over the Enchanted Ground, which was dangerous; and that after all this, I should find a river, over which there was no bridge; and that that river did lie betwixt me and the Celestial Country.

Great. And was this all?

Valiant. No. They also told me that this way was full of deceivers, and of persons that lay in wait there to turn good men out of the path.

Great. But how did they make that out?

Valiant. They told me that Mr. Worldly Wiseman did lie there in wait to deceive. They said also that there were Formality and Hypocrisy continually on the road. They said also that Eyelids, Talkative, or Demas would go near to gather me up: that the Flatterer would catch me in his not; or that, with green-headed Ignorance, I would presume to go on to the gate, from whence he was sent back to the hole that was in the side of the hill, and made to go the by-way to hell.

Great. I promise you this was enough to discourage you. But did they make an end here?

Valiant. No, stay. They told me also of many that had tried that way of old, and that had gone a great way therein, to see if they could find something of the glory there that so many had so much talked of from time to time, and how they came back again, and he fooled themselves for setting a foot out of doors in that path, to the satisfaction of all the country. And they named several that did so, as Obstinate and Pliable, Mistrust and Timorous, Turn-away and old Atheist, with several mere, who, they said, had some of them gone far to see what they could find, but not one of them had found so much advantage by going as amounted to the weight of a feather.

Great. Said they anything more to discourage you?

Valiant. Yes. They told of one Mr. Fearing, who was a pilgrim, and how he found his way so solitary, that he never