THE Pilgrim's Progress, FROM THIS WORLD TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME. BY JOHN BUNYAN. PART I. WHEREIN ARE DISCOVERED THE MANNER OF HIS SETTING OUT, HIS PART II.-WHEREIN IS SET FORTH THE MANNER OF THE SETTING OUT OF AND SAFE ARRIVAL AT THE DESIRED COUNTRY. WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES BY MASON. London: THOMAS NELSON, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND EDINBURGH. MDCCCXLVII. THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY FOR HIS BOOK. WHEN at the first I took my pen in hand, And thus it was: I, writing of the way About their journey, and the way to glory, Like sparks that from the coals of fire do fly. Well, so I did; but yet I did not think Neither did I but vacant seasons spend From worser thoughts, which make me do amiss. Thus I set pen to paper with delight, And quickly had my thoughts in black and white. For having now my method by the end, Still as I pull'd, it came; and so I penn'd It down; until at last it came to be, For length and breadth, the bigness which you see. Well, when I had thus put my ends together, And some said, Let them live; some, Let them die : Now was I in a strait, and did not see For, thought I, some I see would have it done, I further thought, if now I did deny If that thou wilt not read, let it alone; Some love the meat, some love to pick the bone; May I not write in such a style as this? You see the ways the fisherman doth take To catch the fish; what engines doth he make. |