240 THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

mother, if thou lovest thy brothers, if thou lovest Mercy, if thou lovest thy life, take
i

So, with much ado, after a short prayer for the blessing of God upon it, he took it,
and it wrought kindly with him. It caused him to purge, it caused him to sleep and
rest quietly ; it put him into a fine heat and breathing sweat, and did quite rid him of
his gripes. So, in a little time he got up, and walked about with a staff, and would
go from room to room, and talk with Prudence, Piety, and Charity, of his distemper,
and how he was healed.

So, when the boy was healed, Christiana asked Mr. Skill, saying, “Sir, what will
content you for your pains and care to and of my child?”

And he said, “You must pay the Master of the College of Physicians, according
to the rules made in that case and provided.”

Cur. “But, sir,” said she, “what is this pill good for else?”

Sxitx. It is an universal pill: it is good against all the diseases that pilgrims are
incident to; and when it is well prepared, it will keep good time out of mind.

Cur. Pray, sir, make me up twelve boxes of them; for if I can get these, I will
never take other physic.

Skit. These pills are good to prevent diseases, as well as to cure when one is
sick. Yea, I dare say it, and stand to it, that if a man will but use this physie as he
should, it wiil make him live for ever.* But, good Christiana, .1ou must give these
pulls no other way than as I have prescribed; for if you do, they will do no good.
So he gave unto Christiana physic for herself and her boys, and for Mercy; and
bid Matthew take heed how he ate any more green plums; and kissed them and went
his way. :

It was told you before, that Prudence bid the boys, if at any time they would, they
should ask her some questions that might be profitable, and she would say something
to them.

Marr. Then Matthew, who had been sick, asked her, “Why, for the most part,
physic should be bitter to our palates?”

Prup. To show how unwelcome the Word of God, and the effects thereof, are to a
carnal heart.

Marr. Why does physic, if it does good, purge and cause that we vomit?

Prup. To show that the Word, when it works effectually, cleanseth the heart and
mind. For look, what the one doth to the body, the other doth to the soul.

Marr. What should we learn by seeing the flame of our fire go upwards, and by
seeing the beams and: sweet influences of the sun strike downwards?