"those who traffic in the kind of merchandise "which is expofed in it for fale; travellers, "who are on their way to a better country, not "caring to encumber themselves with such vain "and perishable commodities. Wherefore, up<< on a time, BEELZEBUB himself called together "the chief men of his party in the town, and "bade them devise fome means of remedy; and "fome faid on this wife, and fome on that. "But when none of them could propose any ef"fectual expedient, this Lady FASHION ap❝peared, and préfented herself before the coun"cil. Now she was a perfon well known in "the town, being the daughter of Madam "BUBBLE, (fhe that had almost been too hard "for STANDFAST the pilgrim), and moreover "nearly related to all the chief families of "the place: BEELZEBUB, therefore, did readily

grant her an audience; and the represented "that the moft proper feafon to attack pilgrims, "and to strive to feduce them from their Lord,

was not when they had proceeded so far on "their journey as to have reached that place, "but rather when they were first beginning to "perceive the difficulty of the way they had "chofen; and the obferved that the path called "Danger, which turned off at the foot of this "mountain, did indeed lead to the town of "Vanity, but to a quarter of it remote from

73

wch lay the road to Sereture propofed to

In her train, and to where the met you,

pilgrims; and her

go to her prince, he

E to execute it.

as et aniwerable to her sa sufficiently near to

Carter how numerous

- . When tho

enter it, every

"had you advanced father, met with REVELLING, Dị “RELIGION, IMMORALITY “PARENTS, PRIDE, C (6 BATH-BREAKING, ÅDITH, (C more, whofe very names "Had you form a 'you would immediate

jection to the power nor wouldany po ; "ed for you, but by "rock of Repentance, "the afcent of this h pleafant. Till " which gush "wafhed aw "tracted "affoci

a:1

who follow earthDiaden paths; while ALTH is continually ighteous; who, using ing it, have alone the efs in this life, as well ory in that which is to

orror at the dangers which alfo of thankfulness to his pointed him fo excellent a NIAL. Inftead of being wea-· lty of the way, he now found ify to him, that he would have to afcend a steeper mountain, for benefits which he was fenfible he the fociety of fuch a companion. ad proceeded together as far as it ne requifite, SELF-DENIAL fhould im, they parted; and I faw in my JOOD-INTENT went onwards alone, Imoft dark, when he dimly defcried a house, at no great diftance; and dering within himself wh

houfe Beautiful, at whi

"thofe ftreets, through which lay the road to "the Coeleftial City. She therefore proposed to engage the PLEASURES in her train, and to "lie in wait near the spot where he met you, "for young and unwary pilgrims; and her "scheme proving acceptable to her prince, he "immediately empowered her to execute it. "And her fuccefs has been anfwerable to her "promises you approached fufficiently near to "the grove of Diffipation, to fee how numerous. << a company was affembled there. When thofe "whom she has feduced first enter it, every ob

ject appears to them as delightful as it seemed "to you; but the fcene foon alters, as the "PLEASURES vanish. Of those who are en"ticed thither, fome, lofing fight of thofe gay

nymphs, are met by VEXATION-OF-SPIRIT, "from whom though they fly, they find it im"poffible to avoid him; till, haraffed by his con"tinual purfuit, a few of them bethink them"felves of returning to the right way, and "having regained it, are even more zealous in "walking therein, than thofe who never have "forfaken it. But the greater part of the vota"ries of FASHION become an easy prey to that "fecond company of damfels, fent forth by "BEELZEBUB limfelf to compaís their ruin. "Those whom you faw at the entrance of the "grove, were the leaft deformed of their band:

"had

"had you advanced further, you would have "met with REVELLING, DRUNKENNESS, IR"RELIGION, IMMORALITY, CONTEMPT-OF"PARENTS, PRIDE, CONTENTION, SAB"BATH-BREAKING, ADULTERY, with many "more, whofe very names it is irkfome to report. "Had you formed any fellowship with thefe, "you would immediately have fallen under sub"jection to the power of their infernal master, (c nor wouldany poffibility of escape have remain"ed for you, but by climbing up the precipitous "rock of Repentance, in comparison with which "the afcent of this hill of Difficulty is eafy and

pleafant. Till in the fountains of water "which guh forth from its clefts, you had "washed away every stain which you had con"tracted from the VICES with whom

you

had

"affociated, the FURIES, GUILT, REMORSE, "and DESPONDENCE, would have pursued cc you with their snaky whips; and even when "you had gained the fummit, ILL-HABIT "would have affaulted you, with the intent to "hurl you backwards into the abyfs below. But "greater terrors await thofe, who either want "courage to tread the path of Repentance, or "who, delighting in the company of the VICES, "blindly follow whitherfoever they lead. As

(6

they advance farther in the way of Danger, "EXTRAVAGANCE hurries fome into the pit"falls