ues, and the streets were laid with gold. So that the rays of
light which shone on Christian were too bright for him to bear, and he
fell sick, and Hopeful had a fit of the same kind. So they lay by for a
time, and wept, for their joy was too much for them.

At length, step by step, they drew near to Zion, and saw that the gates
were flung back.

A man stood in the way, to whom Christian and Hopeful said: Whose vines
and crops are these?

He told them they were the king's and were put there to give joy to
those who should go on the road. So he bade them eat what fruit they
chose, and took them to see the king's walks; where they slept.

Now I saw in my dream that they spoke more in their sleep than they had
done all the rest of the way, and I could but muse at this, but the man
said: Why do you muse at it? The juice from the grapes of this vine is
so sweet as to cause the lips of them that sleep to speak.

I then saw that when they woke, they would fain go up to Zion; but as I
said, the sun threw off such bright rays from The Celestial City, which
was built of pure gold, that they could not, as yet, look on it, save
through a glass made for that end.

Now as they went, they met with two men in white robes, and the face of
each shone bright as the light.

These men said: Whence come you? And when they had been told they said:
You have but one thing more to do, which is a hard one, and then you are
in Zion.

Christian and Hopeful did then beg of the two men to go with them; which
they did. But, said they, It is by your own faith that you must gain it.

Now 'twixt them and the gate was a fierce stream which was broad and
deep; it had no bridge, and the mere sight of it did so stun Christian
and Hopeful that they could not move.

But the men who went with them said: You can not come to the gate but
through this stream.

Is there no way but this one to the gate? said poor Christian.

Yes, quoth they, but there have been but two men, to wit, Enoch and
Elijah who have trod that path since the world was made.

When Christian and Hopeful cast their eyes on the stream once more, they
felt their hearts sink with fear, and gave a look this way and that
in much dread of the waves. Yet through it lay the way to Zion. Is the
stream all of one depth? said Christian. He was told that it was not,
yet that in that there was no help, for he would find the stream more or
less deep, as he had faith in the King of the place. So