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easy and safe; and that he could furnish me with a guide called Repentance who would accompany me as far as I had need of him. Then he called one to be my guide, whose name I afterwards learned was False-repentance. So I thanked him for his kindness, and set out. My guide then conducted me through a by-path, up the hill of Selfish-sorrow, in the neighborhood of Mount Sinai, and led me to a village which he called Peace-in-believing, near the town of Morality, into which I entered by a gate which was called the gate of Experience, but I have since learned that the true name of the village is False-peace, and of the gate Delusion. Here my conductor left me, telling me that I was now in the way into the way, and advising me to remain here for a season at the house of Mr. Self-confidence, with whom he assured me I should spend my time very agreeably. So I remained at the house of Mr. Self-confidence for some time, in company with many others, who, like me, had set out on pilgrimage, but who seemed to be well satisfied for the present with having gone so far. At length I thought I would return privately, for a short space, to our city, to attend to some affairs which I had left abruptly my haste to depart. So I returned to my house, whence I had gone out, and found it empty, swept and garnished. Then I sent and invited seven of my old companions, more wicked than myself, who came and welcomed my return, with great cordiality, and spent the evening with me in drinking and making merry, and in scoffing at pilgrims, and ridiculing the warnings of Evangelist. After they were gone, and I had retired to my chamber, and was endeavoring to compose myself to rest, one rudely burst in upon me, and cried with a voice of thunder, "Where art thou, Ardent ?" I knew by his voice that it was Conscience, though I had not seen him before since I had resolved to set out on pilgrimage. And as his voice had always appeared terrible to me, so now it was far more terrible. He then set before me the folly and wickedness of my past life, in such a manner as I had never seen it before. He reminded me of my former resolution to go on pilgrimage; and threatened me with the vengeance of the King, if I tarried another day in the city. So I spent the remainder of the night in great agony of mind, and as soon as it was light I opened the book which Evangelist had given me, but which I had long neglected, hoping to find something to alleviate my distress: but the first sentence that met my eyes was the following: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh."

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greatly increased my distress; for it seemed to seal my condemnation. I then wandered out into the streets, scarcely knowing whither I went, till whom should I meet but Evangelist himself. At the sight of him my confusion was increased, and I was disposed to avoid him. But the thought occurred to me that probably he could tell whether it were now too late to set out on pilgrimage; and that the certainty of death would not be worse to me than my present fearful apprehensions. So I stood still, till he came up to me; and having told him where I had been, and what I had done, he told me that I did indeed deserve to be cast off; but he advised me to go to the gate, to throw myself down at the feet of him that kept it, acknowledge my guilt, and submit myself to his disposal. Accordingly I did so; and to my surprise and joy, Goodwill said to me, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." And so I am here, a monument of mercy. Oh, how vile I am! how astonishing it is that I am not now in the pit!

So saying he sung as follows:

"My crimes are great, but don't surpass
The power and glory of thy grace;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pardoning love be found.

"Oh wash my soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here on my heart the burden lies,
And past offences pain my eyes.

"My lips with shame my sins confess
Against thy law, against thy grace;
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe
I am condemned, but thou art clear."

So they went on, conversing together, and sometimes reading in their books, till they came to a place where stood a little shed by the road side, under which sat a man in the same dress which Evangelist wore, but of a younger look, and less gravity of countenance, and before him lay a number of books resembling those which Evangelist had given to the pilgrims. On seeing the pilgrims, the man, whose name was Plausible, rose up and came out to meet them, with a smiling countenance; and, bowing to them, said:

Plausible. Your servant, gentlemen! I perceive by your garb that you are pilgrims. I am truly glad to see you. I am stationed here by the Lord of the way for the accommodation of pilgrims. My business is to furnish them with correct copies of the King's statute book. Those you have were furnished, I presume, by him that is called Evangelist. He is a good man,

and means well, but is not very enlightened. If you will give them to me I will give you more correct copies instead of them, made by very worthy, learned, and excellent men.

Th. We did indeed receive our copies from Evangelist, and we have not discovered any thing in them but what is worthy of the King; and we are not inclined to part with them.

Pl. But you surely would wish to have correct copies. You doubtless wish to know what the King has indeed commanded, that you may in all things walk according to his will, and meet his approbation. If you have an incorrect copy, and do according to what you find written therein, you will do wrong while you think you are doing right.

Th. That is true. It is indeed important that we have correct copies. But we are not yet convinced that our copies are incorrect. If you can make it appear that your copies are more correct than ours, we may be willing to exchange.

Pl. The copies we now make use of, are only translations from the languages in which the King's scribes wrote. And if the copies from which your translation was made had been correct, the translation is very defective. Those who made it did not well understand those languages, and they have translated many passages wrong in order to favor their own sectarian notions. And besides, the copies they translated from, were not correct. Learned and excellent men, of modern times, have made a thorough examination, and have found a great number of errors in the common copies. I can furnish you with an Improved Version, made from a corrected copy, on which you may depend.

Ard. Brother, had we not better make the exchange? I should be sorry to depend upon an old and incorrect copy, when we may have an improved one.

Th. Let me look at one of your books?

So Plausible gave him one; and, on turning it over a little, he perceived that the part called the Old Testament was not in it at all, and in the part called the New Testament many alterations were made. Then he said:

Th. This book does not contain all that ours does. Why is so much of it omitted?

Pl. The New Testament contains the faith of Pilgrims. The Old may be of some use, but it is not necessary for pilgrims now. If they have the New, they have all the instructions of the Prince Immanuel, and the writings of the scribes who were immediately taught by him.

Th. But I remember that the Prince Immanuel commanded men to "search the Scriptures," meaning those which had been written before that time; and that certain people were after

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wards highly commended, because they searched the same Scriptures daily, to see whether what they heard was true. am not yet prepared to renounce the authority, or despise the use of those Scriptures which were thus spoken of by the Prince Immanuel himself, and his intimate friends.

Pl. But if you do not choose to part with your old books, at least be persuaded to take each of you one of my copies. You will find them very useful, I assure you. They were made by men of great learning and abilities.

Ard. Had we not better take them, brother? if they do not prove useful to us, they can do us no harm.

Th. I see so many parts left out, and so many alterations made, that I suspect there is some design to deceive us. I have understood that the King's corporations circulate none but such copies as we have: and there are as learned and good men belonging to those corporations as any in the world. They would know if there were any important defects in those copies, and would not circulate such as were materially incorrect. I am disposed to have nothing to do with any of these pretended improved versions.

Pl. But if you are displeased with the omission of which you speak, I have other copies in which there are no omissions. They are only improved translations made from the same original copies as those which you have. Here is one made by John the Itinerant, a famous pilgrim, which is in high esteem among his followers. He made this translation on purpose to avoid some of those gloomy doctrines which your copies teach, which are so dishonorable to the Lord of the way, and so discouraging to many pilgrims. And where he could not wholly avoid them by altering the translation, he has explained them away by his notes. At least, be prevailed upon to take one of these. It is much more agreeable to many pilgrims than those you have. And, indeed, those you have can never be of much use, for you can never understand them.

Th. I have not yet discovered any doctrines in my book which appear to me dishonorable to the Lord of the way, nor otherwise than comforting and encouraging to the true pilgrim. I say again, I am disposed to have nothing to do with these pretended improved versions. Come, brother, let us be going. Goodwill said to me, "Take heed that no man deceive you.? I think it safest not to listen to this stranger. He bid me, moreover, to "search the Scriptures."

So saying, he opened his book, and read towards the close of it: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this

prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

So they left the man, and went on their way.

CHAPTER IV.

Now I beheld that the pilgrims had arrived at the house of the Interpreter, where they knocked, and one opened the door and inquired who they were, and what they wanted. Then Thoughtful told him they were pilgrims who entered this way at the Wicket-gate, and were bid to call at the house of the Interpreter, to be more fully instructed in the King's statutes. So they were desired to walk in, and were introduced into the presence of the Interpreter, a venerable old man, of a grave, but pleasant countenance, who desired them to be seated, and then inquired who they were, and how they had come in at the gate, and what they had met with by the way; and they told him. Then he said:

Interpreter. You did well in not exchanging your books with Mr. Plausible. He is an impostor, and an enemy to pilgrims; and by good words and fair speeches he deceiveth the hearts of the simple. He knows that none are approved by the Lord of the way, but such as love his statutes, and obey them. He desires, therefore, to keep them ignorant of these, or to make them believe they are different from what they are. For this purpose he wishes to deprive them of their books, or destroy their confidence in them. And if he cannot prevail upon them to take his mutilated and erroneous copies, he often fills their minds with doubts as to the correctness of those they have, and greatly hinders their improvement and comfort in perusing them. As for his pretended Improved Version, it was indeed made by men of learning and abilities; but they were men who wished to degrade the character of the Prince Immanuel, and rob him of his honors. They wished also to misrepresent the character, and government, and designs of the King, and to make it appear that he would not destroy his enemies, and burn up their cities with unquenchable fire. His other copies are more or less erroneous, in order to suit the different inclinations of those who may be willing to exchange. That made by John the Itinerant, does not indeed, like some of them, de