{ The Delectable Mountains }

They went then till they came to the Delectable Mountains, which
mountains belong to the Lord of that hill of which we have
spoken before; so they went up to the mountains, to behold the
gardens and orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water;
where also they drank and washed themselves, and did freely eat
of the vineyards. Now there were on the tops of these mountains
Shepherds feeding their flocks, and they stood by the highway
side. The Pilgrims therefore went to them, and leaning upon
their staves (as is common with weary pilgrims when they stand
to talk with any by the way), they asked, "Whose Delectable
Mountains are these? And whose be the sheep that feed upon
them?"



      Mountains delectable they now ascend,
      Where Shepherds be, which to them do commend
      Alluring things, and things that cautious are,
      Pilgrims are steady kept by faith and fear.



SHEP. These mountains are Immanuel's Land, and they are within
sight of his city; and the sheep also are his, and he laid down
his life for them.

CHR. Is this the way to the Celestial City?

SHEP. You are just in your way.

CHR. How far is it thither?

SHEP. Too far for any but those that shall get thither indeed.

CHR. Is the way safe or dangerous?

SHEP. Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; but the
transgressors shall fall therein.

CHR. Is there, in this place, any relief for pilgrims that are
weary and faint in the way?

SHEP. The Lord of these mountains hath given us a charge not to
be forgetful to entertain strangers, therefore the good of the
place is before you.


I saw also in my dream, that when the Shepherds perceived that
they were wayfaring men, they also put questions to them, to
which they made answer as in other places; as, "Whence came you?"
and, "How got you into the way?" and, "By what means have you so
persevered therein? For but few of them that begin to come
hither do shew their face on these mountains." But when the
Shepherds heard their answers, being pleased therewith, they
looked very lovingly upon them, and said, "Welcome to the
Delectable Mountains."

The Shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience,
Watchful, and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to
their tents, and made them partake of that which was ready at
present. They said, moreover, "We would that ye should stay here
awhile, to be acquainted with us; and yet more to solace
yourselves with the good of these Delectable Mountains." They
then told them, that they were content to stay; so they went to
their rest that night, because it was very late.


Then I saw in my dream, that in the morning the Shepherds
called up to Christian and Hopeful to walk with them upon the
mountains; so they went forth with them, and walked a while,
having a pleasant prospect on every side. Then said the
Shepherds one to another, "Shall we shew these pilgrims some
wonders?" So when they had concluded to do it, they had them
first to the top of a hill called Error, which was very steep on
the furthest side, and bid them look down to the bottom. So
Christian and Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several
men dashed all to pieces by a fall that they had from the top.
Then said Christian, "What meaneth this?" The Shepherds answered,
"Have you not heard of them that were made to err by hearkening
to Hymeneus and Philetus as concerning the faith of the
resurrection of the body?" They answered, "Yes." Then said the
Shepherds, "Those that you see lie dashed in pieces at the bottom
of this mountain are they; and they have continued to this day
unburied, as you see, for an example to others to take heed how
they clamber too high, or how they come too near the brink of
this mountain."


Then I saw that they had them to the top of another mountain,
and the name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off;
which, when they did, they perceived, as they thought, several
men walking up and down among the tombs that were there; and they 
perceived that the men were blind, because they stumbled
sometimes upon the tombs, and because they could not get out
from among them. Then said Christian, "What means this?" The
Shepherds then answered, "Did you not see a little below these
mountains a stile, that led into a meadow, on the left hand of
this way?" They answered, "Yes." Then said the Shepherds, "From
that stile there goes a path that leads directly to Doubting
Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, and these,
pointing to them among the tombs, came once on pilgrimage, as
you do now, even till they came to that same stile; and because
the right way was rough in that place, they chose to go out of
it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant Despair, and
cast into Doubting Castle; where, after they had been a while
kept in the dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led
them among those tombs, where he has left them to wander to this
very day, that the saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, He
that wandereth out of the way of understanding, shall remain in
the congregation of the dead.¹ Then Christian and Hopeful looked
upon one another, with tears gushing out, but yet said nothing
to the Shepherds. [¹Proverbs 21:16]


Then I saw in my dream, that the Shepherds had them to another
place, in a bottom, where was a door in the side of a hill, and
they opened the door, and bid them look in. They looked in,
therefore, and saw that within it was very dark and smoky; they
also thought that they heard there a rumbling noise as of fire,
and a cry of some tormented, and that they smelt the scent of
brimstone. Then said Christian, "What means this?" The Shepherds
told them, "This is a by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites go
in at; namely, such as sell their birthright, with Esau; such as
sell their master, with Judas; such as blaspheme the gospel,
with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias and
Sapphira his wife." Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds, "I
perceive that these had on them, even every one, a show of
pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not?"

SHEP. Yes, and held it a long time too.

HOPE. How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their day, since
they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away?

SHEP. Some further, and some not so far, as these mountains.

Then said the Pilgrims one to another, "We have need to cry to
the Strong for strength."

SHEP. Ay, and you will have need to use it, when you have it,
too.

By this time the Pilgrims had a desire to go forward, and the
Shepherds a desire they should; so they walked together towards
the end of the mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to 
another, "Let us here shew to the Pilgrims the gates of the
Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our
perspective glass." The Pilgrims then lovingly accepted the
motion; so they had them to the top of a high hill, called
Clear, and gave them their glass to look.

Then they essayed to look, but the remembrance of that last
thing that the Shepherds had shewn them, made their hands shake;
by means of which impediment, they could not look steadily
through the glass; yet they thought they saw something like the
gate, and also some of the glory of the place. Then they went
away, and sang this song:

      Thus, by the Shepherds, secrets are reveal'd,
      Which from all other men are kept conceal'd.
      Come to the Shepherds, then, if you would see
      Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be.


When they were about to depart, one of the Shepherds gave them
a note of the way. Another of them bid them beware of the
Flatterer. The third bid them take heed that they sleep not upon
the Enchanted Ground. And the fourth bid them God-speed. So I
awoke from my dream.

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