Page:The Pilgrims Progress (1890).djvu/127

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
85

Then said Byends, I shall never desert my old principles, since they are harmless and profitable. If I may not go with you, I must do as I did before you overtook me, even go by myself, until some overtake me that will be glad of my company.

Now, I saw in my dream, that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept their distance before him; but one of them, looking back, saw three men following Mr. Byends; and, behold, as they came up with him, he made them a very low bow; and they also gave him a compliment. The men’s names were, Mr. Holdtheworld, Mr. Moneylove, and Mr. Saveall, men that Mr. Byends had formerly been acquainted with; for when children they were schoolfellows, and were taught by one Mr. Gripeman, a schoolmaster in Lovegain, which is a market-town in the county of Coveting, in the North. The schoolmaster taught them the art of getting, either by violence, cheating, flattering, lying, or by putting on a guise of religion; and these four gentlemen had attained much of the art of their master, so that they could each of them have kept such a school themselves.

Well, when they had, as I said, thus saluted each other, Mr. Moneylove said to Mr. Byends, Who are they upon the road before us? For Christian and Hopeful were yet within view.

By. They are a couple of fellow-countrymen, that, after their mode, are going on pilgrimage.

Money. Alas! why did they not stay, that we might have had their good company? for they, and we, and you, sir, I hope, are all going on pilgrimage.

By. We are so, indeed; but the men before us are so rigid, and love so much their own notions, and do also so lightly esteem the opinions of others, that let a