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Now as Christian went on in the light of day, he found there was a rise in the road, which had been built so that the path might be clear to all those who were bound for Zion.

Up this road Christian went, and saw his old friend Faithful a short way off.

Then said Christian, "Ha! My friend! You are here? Stay, and I will join you."

 

 

 

 

 

    Thus they went on talking of what they had seen by the way, and so made that way easy which would otherwise, no doubt, have been tedious to them; for now they went through a wilderness.

Then Christian looked, and said, It is my good friend Evangelist. Now was Evangelist come up to them, and thus saluted them:

Evan:... How hath it fared with you, my friends, since the time of our last parting?

My sons, you have heard, in the words of the truth of the gospel, that you must, through many tribulations, enter in the kingdom of heaven. And, again, that in every city bonds and afflictions abide in you; and therefore you cannot expect that you should go long on your pilgrimage without them, in some sort or other. You have found something of the truth of these testimonies upon you already, and more will immediately follow; for now, you see, you are almost out of the wilderness, and therefore you will soon come into a town that you will by and by see before you; and in that town you will be hardly beset with enemies, who will strain hard but they will kill you; and be sure that one or both of you must seal the testimony which you hold with blood; but be you faithful unto death, and the king will give you a crown of life.

    In the course of time the road they took brought them to a town, the name of which is Vanity, where there is a fair kept through the whole year, called Vanity Fair, and all that is bought or sold there is vain and void of worth. At all times, there are to be seen cheats, games, plays, fools, knaves, and rogues, of every kind. Here too can be found rows and streets were the sales of the fair can be found. yet he that will go to the Celestial City, "must needs go out of the world," and pass through this fair.

    Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this town where this lusty fair is kept; and he that will go to the city, and yet not go through this town, must needs "go out of the world."    (1Cor. v. 10.) 

    One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto them, What will ye buy? But they, looking upon him, answered, "We buy the truth." (Prov.xxiii.23.) At that there was an occasion taken to despise the men the more; some mocking, some taunting, some speaking reproachfully, and some calling upon others to smite them.

So the men were brought to examination; and they that sat upon them asked them whence they came, whither they went, and what they did there, in such an unusual garb. The men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the world, and that they were going to their own country, which was the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb .ix. 13-16); and that they had given no occasion to the men of the town, nor yet to the merchandisers, thus to abuse them, and to let them in their journey, except it was for that, when one asked them what they would buy, they said they would buy the truth. But they that were appointed to examine them did not believe them...

Therefore they took them and beat them, and besmeared them with dirt, and put them into the cage, that they might be made a spectacle to all the men of the fair. 

 

Then a convenient time being appointed, they brought them forth to their trial, in order to their condemnation. When the time was come, they were brought before their enemies and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hate-good.

Their indictment was one and the same in substance...  "That they were enemies to and disturbers of their trade; that they had made commotions and divisions in the town, and had won a party to their own most dangerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their prince."

    Then Faithful began to answer, that he had only set himself against that which hath set itself against him that is higher than the highest. And, said he, as for disturbance, I make none, being myself a man of peace... And as to the king you talk of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our lord, I defy him and all his angels.

Then the Judge called to the jury (who all this while stood by, to hear and observe)

The Jury- Mr. blind-man, Mr. No-good, Mr. malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Live-loose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hate-light, and Mr. Implacable

    

Then went the jury out...

 

   They, therefore, brought him (Faithful) out, to do with him according to their law; and, first, they scourged him, then they buffeted him, then they lanced his flesh with knives; after that, they stoned him with stones, then pricked him with their swords; and, last of all, they burned him to ashes at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end.

 

    Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses, waiting for Faithful, who was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds, with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the celestial gate.

...Christian for that time escaped them, and went his way...

 

Table Of Contents  Dream begins, A Man with a Burden Evangelist & the Slough of Despond Worldly Wiseman & Entering the Wicket-Gate The House of Interpreter  The Burden meets the Cross, The Shining Ones  Formalist, Hypocrisy, The Hill Difficulty, Arbor, Mistrust&Timorous The Palace Beautiful, Chained Lions,  Lessons from Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence Valley of Humiliation Battle with Apollyon, Valley of Shadow of Death, Faithful  Vanity Fair, The Trial, Burned at the Stake  Hopeful, Pillar of Salt, River of God, Vain-confidence Doubting Castle, Giant Despair, Delectable Mountains   Atheist, Enchanted Ground Passing Through The Waters Of Death Entering the Gates of Heaven 

The Dream