298 THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

Great. But how did they make that out?

Vartant. They told me that Mr. Worldly Wiseman did there lie in wait to deceive.
They also said that there were F ormality and Hypocrisy continually on the road
They said also that By-ends, Talkative, or Demas would go near to gather me up;
that the Flatterer would catch me in his net; or that, with green-headed Ignorance, I
would presume to go on to the gate, from whence he was sent back to the hole that
was in the side of the hill, and made to go the by-way to hell.

Great. I promise you, this was enough to discourage you; but did they make an
end here?

Variant. No stay. They told me also of many that had tried that way of old, and
that had gone a great way therein, to see if they could find something of the glory
there that so many had so much talked of from time to time; and how they came
back again, and befooled themselves for setting a foot out of doors in that path, to the
satisfaction of all the country. And they named several that did so, as Obstinate and
Pliable, Mistrust and Timorous, Turn-away and old Atheist; with several more, who,
they said, had some of them gone far to see what they could find, but not one of them
found so much advantage by going as amounted to the weight of a feather.

Great. Said they anything more to discourage you?

Vattant. Yes; they told me of one Mr. F earing, who was a pilgrim, and how he
found this way so solitary, that he never had a comfortable hour therein ; also that
Mr. Despondency had like to have been starved therein ; yea, and also (which I had
almost forgot) that Christian himself, about whom there had been such a noise, after
all his ventures for a celestial crown, was certainly drowned in the Black River, and
never went a foot farther, however it was smothered up.

Great. And did none of these things discourage you ?

Vatrant. No; they seemed but as so many nothings to me.

Great. How came that about?

Vatrant. Why, I still believed what Mr. Tell-truth had said; and that carried me
beyond them all.

Great. Then this was your victory, even your faith.

Vattant. It was so. I believed, and therefore came out, got into the way, fought
all that set themselves against me, and, by believing, am come to this place.

“Who would true valor see,
Let him come hither :
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather ;