, as you do now, even till they
came to that same stile; and because the right way was rough in
that place, they chose to go out of it into that meadow, and there
were taken by Giant Despair, and cast into Doubting Castle; where,
after they had been a while kept in the dungeon, he at last did put
out their eyes, and led them among those tombs, where he has left
them to wander to this very day, that the saying of the wise man might
be fulfilled, "He that wandereth out of the way of understanding,
shall remain in the congregation of the dead." [Pro. 21:16] Then
Christian and Hopeful looked upon one another, with tears gushing
out, but yet said nothing to the Shepherds.
{302} Then I saw in my dream, that the Shepherds had them to another
place, in a bottom, where was a door in the side of a hill, and they
opened the door, and bid them look in. They looked in, therefore,
and saw that within it was very dark and smoky; they also thought
that they heard there a rumbling noise as of fire, and a cry of
some tormented, and that they smelt the scent of brimstone. Then
said Christian, What means this? The Shepherds told them, This is
a by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites go in at; namely, such as
sell their birthright, with Esau; such as sell their master, with
Judas; such as blaspheme the gospel, with Alexander; and that
lie and dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira his wife. Then said
Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, even
every one, a show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not?
{303} SHEP. Yes, and held it a long time too.
HOPE. How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their day, since
they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away?
SHEP. Some further, and some not so far, as these mountains.
Then said the Pilgrims one to another, We have need to cry to the
Strong for strength.
SHEP. Ay, and you will have need to use it, when you have it, too.
{304} By this time the Pilgrims had a desire to go forward, and
the Shepherds a desire they should; so they walked together towards
the end of the mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another,
Let us here show to the Pilgrims the gates of the Celestial City,
if they have skill to look through our perspective glass. The
Pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion; so they had them to
the top of a high hill, called Clear, and gave them their glass to
look.
{305} Then they essayed to look, but the remembrance of that last
t
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