Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/96

92 such wares are vended so here, likewise, you have the proper places, rows, streets (via, countries and kingdoms), where the wares of this fair are soonest to he found. Here is the Britain How, the French Row, the Italian Row, the Spanish Row, the German Row, where several sorts of vanities are to he sold. But as in other fairs some one commodity is the chief of all the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in this fair; only our English nation, with some others, have taken a dislike thereat.

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, he 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 honour, Beelzehub had him from street to street, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities. But he had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the town, without laying cut so much as one farthing upon these vanities. (Matt. iv. 8, 9. Luke iv. 5–4.) This fair, therefore, is an ancient thing, of long standing, and a very great fair.

Now these pilgrims, as said, must needs go through this fair. Well, so they did;. but, behold, even as they entered into the, fair, all the people in the fair were moved and the town itself, as it were, in a hubbub about them, and-that for several reasons: for,—

First, The pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment as was diverse from, the raiment of any that traded in that fair. The people, therefore, of the fair made a great gazing