tly saw a town before them, and the name of that town is
Vanity; and at the town there is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair. It is
kept all the year long. It beareth the name of Vanity Fair because the
town where it is kept is lighter than vanity, and also, because all that
is there sold, or that cometh thither, is vanity; as is the saying of
the wise, "All that cometh is vanity."

This fair is no new erected business, but a thing of ancient standing. I
will show you the original of it.

Almost five thousand years ago there were pilgrims walking to the
Celestial City, as these two honest persons are; and Beelzebub,
Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, perceiving by the path that
the pilgrims made, that their way to the city lay through this town of
Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair wherein should be
sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long.
Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands,
trades, places, honors, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts,
pleasures; and delights of all sorts, such as harlots, wives, husbands,
children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold,
pearls, precious stones, and what not.

And moreover, at this fair there are at all times to be seen jugglings,
cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of every
kind.

Here are to be seen, too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders,
adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red color.

And as, in other fairs of less moment, there are the several rows and
streets under their proper names, where such and such wares are vended:
so here likewise you have the proper places, rows, streets, namely,
countries and kingdoms, where the wares of this fair are soonest to be
found. Here is the Britain Row, the French Row, the Italian Row, the
Spanish Row, the German Row, where several sorts of vanities are to be
sold. But as in other fairs some one commodity is as the chief of all
the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in
this fair; only our English nation, with some others, have taken a
dislike thereat.

Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this
town where this lusty fair is kept; and he that would go to the city,
and yet not go through this town, "must needs go out of the world." The
Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to his own
country, and t