hath He strengthened in His Way.

Now while he was thus in Discourse, his Countenance changed, his
strong man bowed under him, and after he had said, _Take me, for I
come unto Thee_, he ceased to be seen of them.

But glorious it was to see how the open Region was filled with Horses
and Chariots, with Trumpeters and Pipers, with Singers and Players on
Stringed Instruments, to welcome the Pilgrims as they went up, and
followed one another in at the beautiful Gate of the City.

III

ANCIENT VANITY FAIR[99]

Then I saw in my Dream, that when they were got out of the Wilderness,
they presently saw a Town before them, and the name of that Town is
_Vanity_; and at the Town there is a Fair kept, called _Vanity Fair_:
it is kept all the year long; it beareth the name of _Vanity Fair_,
because the Town where 'tis kept is _lighter than Vanity_; and also
because all that is there sold, or that cometh thither, is _Vanity_.
As is the saying of the wise, _All that cometh is Vanity_.

This Fair is no new erected business, but a thing of ancient standing;
I will shew you the original of it.

Almost five thousand years agone, there were Pilgrims walking to the
Celestial City, as these two honest persons are; and _Beelzebub_,
_Apollyon_, and _Legion_, with their Companions, perceiving by the
path that the Pilgrims made, that their way to the city lay through
this Town of _Vanity_, they contrived here to set up a Fair; a Fair
wherein should be sold of _all sorts of Vanity_, and that it should
last all the year long: therefore at this Fair are all such
Merchandise sold, as Houses, Lands, Trades, Places, Honors,
Preferments, Titles, Countries, Kingdoms, Lusts, Pleasures, and
Delights of all sorts, as Whores, Bawds, Wives, Husbands, Children,
Masters, Servants, Lives, Blood, Bodies, Souls, Silver, Gold, Pearls,
Precious Stones, and what not....

Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this
Town where this lusty Fair is kept; and he that will go to the City,
and yet not go through this Town, must needs _go out of the World_.
The Prince of Princes himself, when here, went through this Town to
his own Country, and that upon a _Fair-day_ too; yea, and as I think,
it was _Beelzebub_, the chief Lord of this Fair, that invited him to
buy of his Vanities: yea, would have made him Lord of the Fair, would
he but have done him reverence as he went through the Town. Yea,
because he was such a person of honor, _B