more from the direct road, up an ascent that was so gradual, that the pilgrims did not perceive it. Then said Ardent,

What are the new privileges which the Lord of the way is about to bestow upon us?

Fl. They are privileges granted to but few pilgrims, to such only as he regards with peculiar affection, and intends for distinguished usefulness. Yonder is a high tower, from which is a most delightful prospect. You can look down from it on all the country round for many leagues; and with the aid of a perspective glass, you can see the Celestial City, and all the road thither, together with all the by-paths that turn out of it: so that, after having had this discovery, you will be eminently qualified to be guides to other pilgrims, for which I am persuaded the Lord of the way intends you.

Th. We are not worthy of being distinguished above others; but if the Lord of the way has need of us, in any station, we ought not to decline it.

Fl. I admire your humility. It is a most excellent qualification for a place of high distinction.

So Flatterwell hurried them along, till they reached the tower, and began to ascend by a flight of steps that wound round in the inside; and I observed that there were no windows in it, only a small sky-light at the top. So they ascended, for some time, Flatterwell keeping before, and continually talking to them, in the manner he had done, of the great regard their Lord had for them, and of the high honor to which he was now admitting them, in favoring them to visit this tower, and enjoy the discoveries which were to be made when they arrived at the top. Now, when they had reached a great height, I saw that Flatterwell, in his eagerness to hurry them along, not taking heed to his own steps, made a slip with his feet, and fell to the bottom, where he was dashed in pieces. At this the pilgrims stopped in great amazement, and sat down on the steps, to prevent falling themselves, for their heads grew dizzy.

Then said Thoughtful to his companion, What does this mean?

Then said Ardent, I cannot tell; I fear I shall fall too; for my head is very dizzy.

Th. And so is mine. I fear to look down. do?

What shall we

Ard. I know not. This is a fearful place. Shall we try to go down?

Th. Ah me! I have forgotten to look in my book to-day. But I know not whether I can see to read, there is so little light here, and my head is so much affected.

Ard. I have forgotten too. But let us try to read a little. Perhaps we shall get some direction.

So Thoughtful plucked his book out of his bosom, and opened it, and read therein as follows: "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Then his

hand shook, and his head was affected again, so that he could not see for some time. And Ardent looked into the book, and found where it was written, "The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things." Then Thoughtful looked again and read, "Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.'

Then I perceived that the pilgrims were sore amazed, and trembled for fear. For they began to be sensible that they must have got out of the right road, and had been flattered by the man they had followed, who had now met with the destruction he was probably intending for them. So they crept down the steps, as well as they could, which they now perceived to be very slight, and threatening every moment to give way and precipitate them upon the pavement below, where Flatterwell had been dashed in pieces.

So, after a long time, I saw that they had reached the bottom in safety, and having earnestly besought their Lord and King to forgive them for hearkening to this deceiver, and turning out of the right path; and having begged for direction and deliverance, and further consulted their books, they found written therein, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings."

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Then, after they were a little revived (for their heads were still much affected), they considered the tower and its situation, and found written over the door by which they had entered, The Tower of Spiritual Pride." They saw, moreover, that it stood upon the brink of a precipice, on looking down which, they saw the bones of many who had been led up to the top of the tower, and thrown down from thence, by Flatterwell and his companions. Then they remembered that it was written, "Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of Hosts; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up."

Now I observed, that though their heads were less giddy since they had reached the ground, they complained to each other of a violent pain in the breast, attended with distressing faintness, so that they could scarcely stand upon their feet. Yet after reading a while in their books, they recovered a little, so that they began to return by the way that they came, creep

ing on softly, as well as they could, till at length they reached the high road. Here they kneeled down and gave thanks to the Lord of the way, for their deliverance from this, so great a danger, and for restoring them to the right way; and then they went forward, carefully pondering the path of their feet. So, taking heed to their steps, they went down into the valley of Humiliation, without getting any slip by the way. Now the air of this valley was very agreeable and refreshing to them, and they had not been long in it before they found themselves much recovered from the sickness they had felt. The dizziness in their heads was gone, the pain in their breasts was greatly relieved, and they had no more turns of faintness.

CHAPTER XIII.

So they went on, conversing of the dangers of the way, and of the terrible conflict which the pilgrim Christian had here with the fiend Apollyon; and of the slips he got in going down into the valley, which were the occasion of it, till they came to a place where another road came into their way from the left-hand, which appeared to be much more beaten than their own path. And as they were considering it, they saw three men coming along this road, whom they thought they knew by their gait. So they stopped till they came up, and they proved to be, as they had supposed, their old companions, whom they had left behind at the village of Careless, to-wit: Feel-well, Love-self, and No-law.

Then Feel-well, who was the foremost, came forward and shook them cordially by the hand, saying,

How do you do, brethren? I am glad to see you again. We have overtaken you, it seems, though we staid behind a little. I conclude we walk faster than you.

Ardent. That may be indeed; for we have made but poor progress to-day.

No-law. Aye, aye, I understand it. You that will be so precise, are likely to be stumbled at every stone in your path. But we get along bravely.

F. W. Yes, that we do. And we have had a charming time since we saw you. I wish you had been with us to share our enjoyments.

Th. We have had some enjoyments too, such as the world

cannot give nor take away. But we have had some trials through our own folly, and have been led out of our path, to our great hindrance and damage. But the Lord of the way has mercifully delivered us, and restored us to the right way again. You seem to have been led out of the way too; for you came in now by another road from the left-hand.

F. W. We have not come by your path, indeed. And it was well we have not, as appears by your account; for we have had no trouble at all, except coming up the hill Difficulty, which we found rather steep. But we took our own time for it, and got up without much fatigue.

L. S. I am very glad we were not in company with you in your troubles. Perhaps we should have been involved in them too. But we have got along very well so far.

Ard. But where did you get into this road by which you came, if you ascended the hill Difficulty? I had thought it was the same that turned out on the left hand, at the other side of that hill.

F. W. No, that is the path to Destruction. We had no inclination to go in that. But this leads from the house Beautiful, where we lodged last night.

Ard. You mean the new house on the left hand, a little out of the road just after you had got up the steepest part of the hill, with the name on it in large letters.

F. W. Yes: the ladies told us that the old house had gone to decay, and they had built this new one, for the better accommodation of pilgrims.

Ard. They are deceivers. Their true names are Hypocrisy, Carnal-Policy, and Heresy. The old house is not decayed at all, and is never likely to decay, being built of living stones. We lodged one night at each house, and found a vast difference between them.

F. W. I cannot believe they are deceivers. Their conversation suited me very well; and I enjoyed myself in their company remarkably. I could have been willing to spend my days there, but only that I wish to be going on to the Celestial City.

L. S. I cannot believe they are deceivers. It must be some slander upon them. They certainly keep a very good house. N. L. I care not who they are, since I had a very pleasant evening, a good supper, and a comfortable night's lodging.

Th. But how came you into this road? Why did you not keep along to the summit of the hill? You would then have seen that the old house Beautiful yet stands, without any ap pearance of decay.

F. W. The ladies told us that path was bad, and travelled

by none but a few bigoted people who were for having every thing after the old way. They put us into this road which leads, with a slight bend to the left, from the back part of their house, and which is travelled, as we perceive, much more than the way you came. The descent, too, into the valley of Humiliation, is not so great, they said, by this path, and is, moreover, as we found, provided with good steps, so that there is no danger of slipping, as there is in the old path, which has often proved so disastrous to pilgrims. We have found it safe and easy. And as it has led us here to the same place where you are, I see no reason why we should not prefer it. There are more ways than one to the Celestial City.

N. L. Yes: there are a great many ways to the Celestial City; and if I get there, as I am well assured I shall, I do not see what difference it will make by what path I came.

L. S. I do not like to go far from the straight path, lest I should lose my way entirely, and never reach the City. But while I keep as near it as we have this time, even if your path is the right one, it gives me no trouble.

Th. From your loose manner of talking about the way, I should conclude you had been at the new house, and received some lessons from her that assumes the name of Charity. You talk very much in her manner.

F. W. We did indeed discourse with her, as well as with Piety and Prudence; and were well pleased with the instructions they gave us. I know not which I liked best, Piety or

Charity.

Th. What did you like so well in her that was called Piety? F. W. Oh, I liked every thing. She spoke to my heart. She cautioned us against entering into any unprofitable discussions; and requested us to talk only of those things which would increase our good feelings. And this was just what I wished to do. So we had a charming time of it.

Th. What did you understand her to mean by good feelings?

F. W. Oh, just such feelings as I have; happy feelings, joyful feelings. I know nothing about any other good feelings

but such as these.

Th. No inquiry was made, I suppose, into the nature of those feelings, nor from what principles they proceed, nor to what actions they tend, in order to ascertain whether they are genuine or spurious.

F. W. Genuine or mean by such terms.

spurious! I do not know what you Good feelings are good feelings; and

no inquiry needs to be made about them. The great thing is to have them. If you only experience them, you will know