and. But he had in his pocket a map of
all ways leading to or from the Celestial City, wherefore he struck a
light (for he never goes also without his tinder-box), and takes a view
of his book or map, which bids him be careful in that place to turn to
the right-hand way. Then I thought with myself, who that goeth on
pilgrimage but would have one of those maps about him, that he may look
when he is at a stand, which is the way to take?"

1. "But what is the meaning of all this?" asked Christiana of the guide.
"This Enchanted Ground,"--her able and experienced friend answered her,
"this is one of the last refuges that the enemy to pilgrims has;
wherefore it is, as you see, placed almost at the end of the way, and so
it standeth against us with the more advantage. For when, thinks the
enemy, will these fools be so desirous to sit down as when they are
weary, and when so like to be weary as when almost at their journey's
end? Therefore it is, I say, that the Enchanted Ground is placed so nigh
to the land Beulah and so near the end of their race; wherefore let
pilgrims look to themselves lest they fall asleep till none can waken
them." "That masterpiece of Bunyan's insight into life, the Enchanted
Ground," says Mr. Louis Stevenson, "where his allegory cuts so deep to
people looking seriously on life." Yes, indeed, Bunyan's insight into
life! And his allegory that cuts so deep! For a neophyte, and one with
little insight into life, or into himself, would go to look for this land
of darkness and thorns and pitfalls, alternated with arbours and settles
and soft couches--one new to life and to himself, I say, would naturally
expect to see all that confined to the region between the City of
Destruction and the Slough of Despond; or, at the worst, long before, and
never after, the House Beautiful. But Bunyan looked too straight at life
and too unflinchingly into his own heart to lay down his sub-Celestial
lands in that way; and when we begin to look with a like seriousness on
the religious life, and especially when we begin to look bold enough and
deep enough into our own heart, then we too shall freely acknowledge the
splendid master-stroke of Bunyan in the Enchanted Ground. That this so
terrible experience is laid down almost at the end of the Celestial
way--the blaze of light that pours upon our heads fairly startles us,
while at the same time it comforts us and assures us. That this
Enchanted Ground, which has prove