le 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?

CHR. The things that I have told you were the best; yet some other
matters I saw, as, namely--I saw three men, Simple, Sloth, and
Presumption, lie asleep a little out of the way, as I came, with
irons upon their heels; but do you think I could awake them? I
also saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to
go, as they pretended, to Zion, but they were quickly lost, even
as I myself did tell them; but they would not believe. But above
all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come
by the lions' mouths, and truly if it had not been for the good
man, the porter that stands at the gate, I do not know but that
after all I might have gone back again; but now I thank God I am
here, and I thank you for receiving of me.

{122} Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and
desired his answer to them.

PRUD. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you
came?

Christian's thoughts of his native country

CHR. Yes, but with much shame and detestation: "Truly, if I had
been mindful of that country from whence I came out, I might have
had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly." [Heb. 11:15,16]

PRUD. Do you not yet bear away with you some of the things that
then you were conversant withal?