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20 - The Author's Way - The Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan · Sacred Texts Archive

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  Part two, The author's way of sending forth his second part of The Pilgrim,
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  Go now my little book to every place where my first pilgrim has but
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  shown his face. Call at their door. If any say who's there,
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  then answer thou Christiana is here. If they bid thee come in, then
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  enter thou with all thy boys. And then, as thou knowest, how
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  tell who they are also from whence they came. Perhaps they'll know them by
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  their looks or name. But if they should not ask them yet again,
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  if formerly they did not entertain one Christian a pilgrim, if they say they
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  did and were delighted in his way, then let them know that these related
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  were unto him. Yea, his wife and children are. Tell them that
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  they have left their house and home are turned. Pilgrims seek a world to
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  come. That they have met with hardships in the way that they do meet
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  with troubles night and day, that they have trod on serpents, fought with
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  devils, have also overcome, and many evils. YEA, Tell them also
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  of the next who have of love to pilgrimage, been stout and brave defenders
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  of that way, And how they still refuse this world to do their father's
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  will. Go tell them also of those dainty things that pilgrimage unto the pilgrim
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  brings. Let them acquainted, be too, how they are beloved of their
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  king under his care, what goodly mansions he for them provides. Though they
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  meet with rough winds and swelling tides, how brave are calm they will enjoy
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  at last, who to their Lord and by his ways hold fast, Perhaps
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  with heart hand they will embrace thee as they did my first thing, and
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  will grace thee and thy fellows with such cheer and fear as show well.
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  They of pilgrims lovers are objection one. But how if they will not believe
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  of me that I am truly thine? Cause some there be that counterfeit the
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  Pilgrim and his name seek by disguise to seem the very same, and by
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  that means have wrought themselves into the hands and houses of I know not who
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  answer tis true. Some have of late to counterfeit my pilgrim to their own
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  my title set yea others half my name and title two have stitched to their
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  books to make them do. But yet they, by their features do declare
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  themselves not mine to be whose air they are. If such thou meet'st with,
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  then thine only way before them all is to say out thy say in
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  thine own native language, which no man now useth nor with ease discemvil can.
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  If after all they still of you, shall doubt, thinking that you,
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  like gypsies, go about in naughty wise the country to defile, or
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  that you seek good people to begar with things unwarrantable. Send for me,
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  and I will testify you pilgrims. Be yea, I will testify that only
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  you, my pilgrims, are, and that alone will do objection too.
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  But yet perhaps I may inquire for him of those who wish him damned life
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  and limb? What shall I do when at such a door for pilgrims ask
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  and they shall rage them all? Answer fright, not thyself my book,
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  For such bugbears are nothing else but groundless fears. My pilgrim's book has traveled
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  sea and land. Yet could I never come to understand that it was slighted
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  or turned out of door by any kingdom? Were they rich or poor?
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  In France and Flanders where men kill each other, my pilgrims esteemed a friend
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  a brother in Holland, too, tis said, as I am told,
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  my pilgrim is with some worth more than gold. Highlanders and wild Irish can
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  agree. My Pilgrim should familiar with them. Be tis in New England under
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  such advance receives their so much loving countenance as to be trimmed, new clothed,
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  and decked with gems, that it might show its features and its limbs.
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  Yet more so, comely doth my pilgrim walk that of him thousands daily
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  sing and talk. If you draw nearer home, it will appear my pilgrim
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  knows no ground of shame or fear. City and country will him entertain with
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  welcome pilgrim. Yea, they can't refrain from smiling if my pilgrim be but
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  by or shows his head in any company. Brave gallants do my pilgrim hug
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  and love esteem it much? YEA, value it above things of greater bulk.
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  YEA, with delight, say my lark's leg is better than a kite.
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  Young ladies and young gentlewomen, too, do not small kindness to my
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  pilgrim. Show they cabinets, their bosoms, and their hearts. My pilgrim
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  has because he to them imparts his pretty riddles in such wholesome strains as yield
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  them profit double to their pains of reading. Yea, I think I may
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  be bold to say, surprize him far above their gold. The very children
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  that do walk the street, if they do, but my holy pilgrim meet
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  salute him, will will wish him well and say he is the only stripling
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  of the day. They that have never seen him yet admire what they have
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  heard of him, and much desire to have his company, and hear him
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  tell those pilgrim stories which he knows so well. Yea. Some that did
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  not love him at first, but called him fool and noddy, say they
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  must now they have seen and heard him him command, and to those whom
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  they love, they do him send. Wherefore, my second part, thou
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  needst not be afraid to show thy head. None can hurt thee that wished
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  but well to him that went before, because thou comest after with a second
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  store of things as good as rich, as profitable, for young, for
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  old, for staggering, and for stable objection. Three. But some there
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  be that say he laughs too loud, and some do say his head is
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  in a cloud. Some say his words and stories are so dark they know
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  not how by them to find his mark. Answer one may, I think
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  say, both his laughs and cries may well be guessed at by his watery
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  eyes. Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle,
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  while his heart doth ache. When Jacob saw his Rachel with the sheep,
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  he did at the same time both kiss and weep. Where As some say
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  a cloud is in his head that doth but show his wisdoms covered with its
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  own mantles, and to stir the mind to search well after what it fain
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  would find. Things that seem to be hid in words obscure do but the
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  godly mind the more allure to study what those sayings should contain that speak to
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  us in such a cloudy strain. I also know a dark similitude will long
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  the curious fancy more intrude, and will stick faster in the heart and head.
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  Then things from similes not borrowed. Wherefore my book let no discouragement hinder
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  thy travels. Behold thou art sent to friends, not foes, to friends
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  that will give place to thee thy pilgrims, and thy words embrace. Besides
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  what my first pilgrim left concealed Thou, my brave second pilgrim, hast revealed
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  what Christian left locked up, and went his way. Sweet Christiana opens with
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  her key objection four. But some love not the method of your first romance.
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  They count it, throw it away as dust. If I should meet
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  with such, what should I say? Must I slight them as they slight
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  me? Or nay? Answer, my Christiana. If with such thou meet
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  by all means, in all loving wise, then greet, render them,
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  not reviling for revile. But if they frown, I PRYTHEE on them smile.
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  Perhaps tis nature or some ill report has made them thus despise, or
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  thus retort. Some love no fish, some love no cheese, And some
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  love not their friends, nor their own house or home. Some start at
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  pig, slight chicken, love not fowl more than they love a cuckoo or
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  an owl. Leave such, my Christiana, to their choice, and seek
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  those who to find THEE will rejoice by no means, strive, but in
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  most humble wise present THEE to them in thy pilgrim's guise. Go, then,
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  my little book, and show to all that entertain and bid THEE welcome.
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  Shall what thou shalt keep close, shut up from the rest, and
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  wish what thou shalt show them may be blest to them for good, and
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  make them choose to be pilgrims by beat h to far than THEE or me.
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  Go, then, I say tell all men who thou art, say,
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  I am Christiana, and my part is now with my four sons,
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  to tell you what it is for men to take a pilgrim's lot. Go.
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  Also tell them who and what they be that now do go on pilgrimage
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  with thee. Say here is my neighbor, Mercy. She is one that
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  has long time with me, a pilgrim gone. Come see her in her
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  virgin face, and learn TwixT idle ones and pilgrims to discern. Yea,
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  let young dansels learn of her surprise. The world which is to come in
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  any wise, when little tripping maidens follow God and leave old doting sinners to
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  his rod, tis like those days wherein the young ones cried Hosanna when the
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  old ones did deride. Next, tell them of old Honest, whom you
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  found with his white hairs treading the pilgrim's ground. YEA, tell them how
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  plain hearted this man was, how after his good Lord he bare the cross,
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  perhaps with some gray head. This may prevail with Christ to fall in
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  love and sin bewail. Tell them also how Master Fearing went on pilgrimage,
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  and how the time he spent in solitariness, with fears and cries, and
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  how at last he won the joyful prize. He was a good man,
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  though much down in spirit, he is a good man, and doth life
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  inherit. Tell them of Master Feeble Mind, also, who not before but
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  still behind would go. Show them also how he had like been slain,
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  and how one great heart did his life regain. This man was true of
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  heart, though weak in grace, one might true godlyess read in his face.
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  Then tell them of Master ready to halt a man with crutches, but
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  much without fault. Tell them how Master feeble Mind and he did love and
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  in opinion much agree, And let all know, though weakness was their chance,
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  yet sometimes one could sing the other dance forget not Master Valiant, for
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  the truth, that man of courage, though a very youth, Tell every
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  one his spirit was so stout no man could ever make him face about.
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  And how great heart and he could not forbear and pull down doubting castle,
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  slay despair, overlook not master despondency, nor much afraid his daughter. Though
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  they lie under such mantles as may make them look with some as if their
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  God had them forsook. They softly went, but sure and at the end
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  found that the Lord of pilgrims was their friend. When thou hast told the
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  world of all these things. Then turn about my book and touch these strings,
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  which, if but touched, will such music make thou make a cripple
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  dance, a giant quake. Those riddles that lie couched within thy breast freely
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  propound expound, And for the rest of thy mysterious lines, let them remain
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  for those whose nimble fancies shall then gain. Now, may this little book
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  a blessing be to those who love this little book and me, And may
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  its buyer have no cause to say his money is but lost or thrown away.
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  Ye, may this second pilgrim yield that fruit as may with each good
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  pilgrim's fancy suit. And may it some persuade that go astray to turn their
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  feet and heart to the right way. Is the hearty prayer of the author
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  John Bunyan, and part two, The Author's Way