But some of the better sort were moved to take their part; and this so
angered the chief men in the town that they resolved to put the pilgrims
to death. They were therefore indicted before the Lord Chief Justice
Hategood with having disturbed the trade of Vanity Fair, and won a party
over to their own pernicious way of thinking, in contempt of the law of
Prince Beelzebub. Mr. Envy, Mr. Superstition, and Mr. Pickthank bore
witness against them; and the jurymen, on hearing Faithful affirm that
the customs of their town of Vanity were opposed to the spirit of
Christianity, brought him in guilty of high treason to Beelzebub. No
doubt, they would have condemned Christian also; but, by the mercy of
God, he escaped from prison, being assisted by one of the men of the
town, named Hopeful, who had come over to his way of thinking.
Faithful was tied to a stake, and scourged, and stoned, and burnt to
death. But I saw in my dream that the Shining Ones came with a chariot
and horses, and made their way through the multitude to the flames in
which Faithful was burning, and put him in the chariot, and, with the
sound of trumpets, carried him up through the clouds, and on to the gate
of the Celestial City.
So Christian was left alone to continue his journey; but I saw in my
dream that, as he was going out of the town of Vanity, Hopeful came up
to him and said that he would be his companion. And thus it ever is.
Whenever a man dies to bear testimony to the truth, another rises out of
his ashes to carry on his work.
Christian was in no wise cast down by the death of Faithful, but went on
his way, singing,
Hail, Faithful, hail! Thy goodly works survive;
And though they killed thee, thou art still alive.
And he was especially comforted by Hopeful telling him that there were a
great many men of the better sort in Vanity Fair who were now resolved
to undertake the pilgrimage to the Celestial City. Some way beyond
Vanity Fair was a delicate plain, called Ease, where Christian and
Hopeful went with much content. But at the farther side of that plain
was a little hill, which was named Lucre. In this hill was a silver-mine
which was very dangerous to enter, for many men who had gone to dig
silver there had been smothered in the bottom by damps and noisome airs.
Four men from Vanity Fair--Mr. Money-love, Mr. Hold-the-World, Mr.
By-Ends, and Mr. Save-All--were going into the silver-mine as Christian
and Hopeful passed by.
"Tarry for us," said Mr. Money-love; "and when we have got a little
riches to take us on our journey, we will come with you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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