Chr.  With a very good will, and I am glad that you are so well disposed.

{117} Piety.  What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim’s life?

Chr.  I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in mine ears:  to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend me, if I abode in that place where I was.

Piety.  But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?

Chr.  It was as God would have it; for when I was under the fears of destruction, I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man, even to me, as I was trembling and weeping, whose name is Evangelist, and he directed me to the wicket-gate, which else I should never have found, and so set me into the way that hath led me directly to this house.

{118} Piety.  But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter?

Chr.  Yes, and did see such things there, the remembrance of which will stick by me as long as I live; especially three things:  to wit, how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite out of hopes of God’s mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep the day of judgement was come.

Piety.  Why, did you hear him tell his dream?

Chr.  Yes, and a dreadful one it was.  I thought it made my heart ache as he was telling of it; but yet I am glad I heard it.

{119} Piety.  Was that all that you saw at the house of the Interpreter?

Chr.  No; he took me and had me where he shewed me a stately palace, and how the people were clad in gold that were in it; and how there came a venturous man and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door to keep him out, and how he was bid to come in, and win eternal glory.  Methought those things did ravish my heart!  I would have stayed at that good man’s house a twelvemonth, but that I knew I had further to go.

{120} Piety.  And what saw you else in the way?

Chr.  Saw! why, I went but a little further, and I saw one, as I thought in my mind, hang bleeding upon the tree; and the very sight of him made my burden fall off my back, (for I groaned under a very heavy burden,) but then it fell down from off me.  It was a strange thing to me, for I never saw such a thing before; yea, and while I stood looking up, for then I could not forbear looking, three Shining Ones came to me.  One of them testified that my sins were forgiven me; another stripped me of my rags, and gave me this broidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll. (And with that he plucked it out of his bosom.)

{121} Piety.  But you saw more than this, did you not?