2. I find that men (as high as trees) will write
Dialogue-wise; yet no man doth them slight
For writing so: indeed,
if they abuse
Truth, cursed be they, and the craft they use
To that intent; but yet let truth be free
To make
her sallies upon thee and me,
Which way it pleases God; for who knows how,
Better than he that taught
us first to plough,
To guide our mind and pens for his design?
And he makes base things usher in divine.
3. I find that holy writ in many places
Hath semblance with this method, where the cases
Do call for one
thing, to set forth another;
Use it I may, then, and yet nothing smother
Truth's golden beams: nay, by this
method may
Make it cast forth its rays as light as day.
And now before I do put up my pen,
I'll shew the profit of my book, and then
Commit both thee and it
unto that Hand
That pulls the strong down, and makes weak ones stand.
This book it chalketh out before thine eyes
The man that seeks the everlasting prize;
It shews you whence
he comes, whither he goes;
What he leaves undone, also what he does;
It also shews you how he runs
and runs,
Till he unto the gate of glory comes.
It shews, too, who set out for life amain,
As if the lasting crown they would obtain;
Here also you may see
the reason why
They lose their labour, and like fools do die.
This book will make a traveller of thee,
If by its counsel thou wilt ruled be;
It will direct thee to the Holy
Land,
If thou wilt its directions understand:
Yea, it will make the slothful active be;
The blind also delightful
things to see.
Art thou for something rare and profitable?
Wouldest thou see a truth within a fable?
Art thou forgetful?
Wouldest thou remember
From New-Year's day to the last of December?
Then read my fancies; they will
stick like burs,
And may be, to the helpless, comforters.
This book is writ in such a dialect
As may the minds of listless men affect:
It seems a novelty, and yet
contains
Nothing but sound and honest gospel strains.
Wouldst thou divert thyself from melancholy?
Wouldst thou be pleasant, yet be far from folly?
Wouldst
thou read riddles, and their explanation?
Or else be drowned in thy contemplation?
Dost thou love picking
meat? Or wouldst thou see
A man i' the clouds, and hear him speak to thee?
Wouldst thou be in a dream,
and yet not sleep?
Or wouldst thou in a moment laugh and weep?
Wouldst thou lose thyself and catch no
harm,
And find thyself again without a charm?
Wouldst read thyself, and read thou knowest not what,
And
yet know whether thou art blest or not,
By reading the same lines? Oh, then come hither,
And lay my
book, thy head, and heart together.
John Bunyan.