92 THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS.

petty faults, or to make restitution where I had taken from any. He said also that
religion made a man grow strange to the great, because of a few vices (which he called
by finer names), and made him own and respect the base, because of the same religious
fraternity ; “and is not this,” said he, “a shame?”

Curis. And what did you say to him?

Farru. Say? I could not tell what to say at first. Yea, he put me so to it that my
blood came up in my face; even this Shame fetched it up, and had almost beat me
quite off. But at last I began to consider that that which is highly esteemed among
men is had in abomination with God. And I thought again, This Shame tells me
what men are, but it tells me nothing what God, or the Word of God, is. And I
thought, moreover, that at the day of doom we shall not be doomed to death or life
according to the hectoring spirits of the world, but according to the wisdom and law
of the Highest. Therefore, thought I, what God says is best—is best, though all the
men in the world are against it. Seeing, then, that God prefers His religion ; seeing
God prefers a tender conscience ; seeing they that make themselves fools for the king-
dom of heaven are wisest, and that the poor man that loveth Christ is richer than the
greatest man in the world that hates Him; Shame, depart! thou art an enemy to my
salvation. Shall I entertain thee against my sovereign Lord? how, then, shall I look
Him in the face at His coming?™ Should I now be ashamed of His way and ser-
vants, how can I expect the blessing? But, indeed, this Shame was a bold villain: I
could scarce shake him out of my company ; yea, he would be haunting of me, and
continually whispering me in the ear with some one or other of the infirmities that
attend religion. But at last I told him it was but in vain to attempt further in this
business ; for those things that he disdained, in those did I see most glory; and so, at
last, I got past this importunate one. And when I had shaken him off, then I began
to sing,

“The trials that those men do meet withal,
That are obedient to the heavenly call,
Are manifold, and suited to the flesh,
And come, and come, and come again afresh :
That now, or some time else, we by them may
Be taken, overcome, and cast away.

Oh, I-t the pilgrims, let the pilgrims then,
Be vigilant and quit themselves like men le

Curis. I am glad, my brother, that thou didst withstand this villain so bravely : for
of all,as thou sayest, I think he has the wrong name; for he is so bold as to follow us
in the streets, and to attempt to put us to shame before all men ; that is, to make us