ng
the rough and stony way, they came at last to the Delectable Mountains.
And going up the mountains they beheld the gardens and orchards, the
vineyards, the fountains of water; and here they drank and washed
themselves, and freely ate of the pleasant grapes of the vineyards. Now,
on top of the mountains there were four shepherds feeding their flocks,
and the pilgrims went to them, and, leaning upon their staffs, they
asked them the way to the Celestial City. And the shepherds took them by
the hand and led them to the top of Clear, the highest of all the
Delectable Mountains, and the pilgrims looked and saw, faintly and very
far off, the gate and the glory of the Celestial City.

And I saw in my dream that the two pilgrims went down the Delectable
Mountains along the narrow way, and after walking some distance they
came to a place where the path branched. Here they stood still for a
while, considering which way to take, for both ways seemed right. And as
they were considering, behold, a man black of flesh and covered with a
white robe, came up to them, and offered to lead them down the true way.
But when they had followed him for some time they found that he had led
them into a crooked road, and there they were entangled in a net.

Here they lay bewailing themselves, and at last they espied a Shining
One coming toward them, with a whip in his hand.

"We are poor pilgrims going to the Celestial City," said Christian and
Hopeful. "A black man clothed in white offered to lead us there, but
entangled us instead in this net."

"It was Flatterer that did this," said the Shining One. "He is a false
apostle that hath transformed himself into an angel."

I saw in my dream that he then rent the net and let the pilgrims out.
Then he commanded them to lie down, and when they did so, he chastised
them with his whip of cords, to teach them to walk in the good way, and
refrain from following the advice of evil flatterers. And they thanked
him for his kindness, and went softly along the right path, singing for
very joy; and after passing through the Enchanted Land, which was full
of vapours that made them dull and sleepy, they came to the sweet and
pleasant country of Beulah. In this country the sun shone night and day,
and the air was so bright and clear that they could see the Celestial
City to which they were going. Yea, they met there some of the
inhabitants, for the Shining Ones often walked in the Land of Beulah,
because it