PORTER. Will you not go in and stay till morning?
GREAT-HEART. No, I will return to my Lord tonight.
CHRIST. Oh, Sir, I know not how to be willing you should leave us in our pilgrimage, you have been so faithful and so loving to us, you have fought so stoutly for us, you have been so hearty in counseling of us, that I shall never forget your favor towards us.
MERCY. Then said Mercy, O that we might have thy company to our journey's end! How can such poor women as we hold out in a way so full of troubles as this way is, without a friend and defender?
JAMES. Then said James, the youngest of the boys, Pray, Sir, be persuaded to go with us, and help us, because we are so weak, and the way so dangerous as it is.
GREAT-HEART. I am at my Lord's commandment; if He shall allot me to be your guide quite through, I will willingly wait upon you. But here you failed at first; for, when He bid me come thus far with you, then you should have begged me of Him to have gone quite through with you, and He would have granted your request. However, at present, I must withdraw; and so, good Christiana, Mercy, and my brave children, Adieu.
Then the Porter, Mr. Watchful, asked Christiana of her country, and of her kindred; and she said, I came from the City of Destruction; I am a widow woman, and my husband is dead; his name was Christian, the Pilgrim. How! said the Porter, was he your husband? Yes, said she, and these are his children; and this, pointing to Mercy, is one of my townswomen. Then the Porter rang his bell, as at such times he is wont, and there came to the door one of the damsels, whose name was Humble-mind; and to her the Porter said, Go tell it within, that Christiana, the wife of Christian, and her children, are come hither on pilgrimage. She went in, therefore, and told it. But O what noise for gladness was there within, when the damsel did but drop that word out of her mouth! So they came with haste to the Porter, for Christiana stood still at the door. Then some of the most grave said unto her, Come in, Christiana, come in, thou wife of that good man; come in, thou blessed woman; come in, with all that are with thee. So she went in, and they followed her, who were her children and her companions. Now, when they were brought in, they were brought into a very large room, where they were bidden to sit down; so they sat down, and the chief of the house was called to see and welcome the guests. Then they came in, and understanding who they were, did salute each other with a kiss, and said, Welcome, ye vessels of the grace of God; welcome to us your friends.
Now, because it was somewhat late, and because the Pilgrims were weary with their journey, and also made faint with the sight of the fight, and of the terrible lions, therefore they desired, as soon as might be, to prepare to go to rest. Nay, said those of the family, refresh yourselves first with a morsel of meat; for they had prepared for them a lamb, with the accustomed sauce belonging thereto (Exo. 12:21, 28; John 1:29); for the Porter had heard before of their coming, and had told it to them within. So when they had supped and ended their prayer with a psalm, they desired they might go to rest. But let us, said Christiana, if we may be so bold as to choose, be in that chamber that was my husband's when he was here; so they had them up thither, and they lay all in a room. When they were at rest, Christiana and Mercy entered into discourse about things that were convenient.
CHRIST. Little did I think that when my husband went on pilgrimage, I should ever follow.
MERCY. And you as little thought of lying in his bed, and in his chamber to rest, as you do now.
CHRIST. And much less did I ever think of seeing his face with comfort, and of worshipping the Lord the King with him; and yet now I believe I shall.
MERCY. Hark! Don't you hear a noise?
CHRIST. Yes, it is, as I believe, a noise of music, for joy that we are here.
MERCY. Wonderful! music in the house, music in the heart, and music also in Heaven, for joy that we are here! Thus they talked a while, and then betook themselves to sleep. So, in the morning, when they were awake, Christiana said to Mercy:
CHRIST. What was the matter that you did laugh in your sleep tonight? I suppose you were in a dream.
MERCY. So I was, and a sweet dream it was; but are you sure I laughed?
CHRIST. Yes, you laughed heartily, but, prithee, Mercy, tell me thy dream.
MERCY. I had a dream that I sat all alone in a solitary place, and was bemoaning the hardness of my heart. Now, I had not sat there long, but methought many were gathered about me, to see me, and to hear what it was that I said. So they hearkened, and I went on bemoaning the hardness of my heart. At this, some of them laughed at me, some called me a fool, and some began to thrust me about. With that, methought I looked up and saw one coming towards me with wings. So he came directly to me, and said, Mercy, what aileth thee? Now, when he had heard me make my complaint, he said, 'Peace be to thee.' He also wiped my eyes with his handkerchief and clad me in silver and gold. He put a chain about my neck, and ear-rings in my ears, and a beautiful crown upon my head (Ezek. 16:8-12). Then he took me by the hand and said, Mercy, come after me. So he went up, and I followed, till we came at a golden gate. Then he knocked, and when they within had opened, the man went in, and I followed him up to a throne, upon which one sat, and He said to me, Welcome, daughter. The place looked bright and twinkling, like the stars, or rather like the sun; and I thought that I saw your husband there. So I awoke from my dream. But did I laugh?
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