Then I saw in my dream, that almost as soon he had left them, they came in sight of a town called Vanity, where a great fair is kept all the year long, called Vanity-fair.
At this fair are sold houses, lands, trade, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms; delights of all sorts, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, silver, gold, precious stones, blood, lives, bodies and souls of men.
Moreover, here are at all times to be seen jugglings, cheats, games, plays, fools, knaves, and those of every kind. Here are to be seen too, and that for nothing, extortion, rapine, revenge, thefts, murders, adulterers, false swearers, and that of a blood-red colour.
Now the way to mount Zion lies just thro’ the place where this fair is kept; and he that would not go thro’ this fair, must needs go out of the world. Hither therefore Christian and Faithful came: but no sooner did they appear, than all the people in the fair were moved, and the town itself was in an uproar; and that for several reasons: for, 1. Their raiment was quite different from that of any that traded in the fair. 2. So was their speech; for they spoke the language of Canaan, which few there understood: so that from one end of the fair to the other, the men of the fair and they seemed barbarians to each other: and, 3. They set light by all that was sold there; they cared not so much as to look upon it; and if any called to them, they looked up and cried, Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity.
To one who mocking, asked them, “What will you buy?” They answered, “We buy the truth.” At that the uproar increased; some taunting, some railing, and some calling upon others to smite them. Now was word brought to the great one of the fair, who sent some of his trusty friends, to enquire what these men were. So they were brought before him and asked, Whence they came? Whither they went, and what they did there in such an unusual garb? The men answered, “That they were strangers and pilgrims in the world; that they were going to their own country; and that they had given no occasion to the men of the town thus to abuse and stop them in their journey.” But the examiners said, “Either they were stark mad, or that they came on purpose to put all things into confusion.” Therefore they took them, and besmeared them with dirt, and then put them into the cage, to be a spectacle to all. But the men being patient, and not rendering railing for railing, but contrarywise blessing, some less prejudiced men began to check the baser sort, for their continual abuses to them. These flew at them again, telling them they were as bad as the men in the cage, and ought to be put with them. The others replied. “That, for ought they could see, the men meant no body any harm; and that there were many in the fair who deserved to be punished more than those they thus abused.” After many words, they fell to blows among themselves. Then were these two examined again, and charged with being the authors of all this mischief. So they beat them, and led them in chains up and down the fair, for a terror to others, least they should again speak in their behalf. But Christian and Faithful behaved yet more wisely, and received all the contempt that was put upon them with such meekness, that it won to their side several of the men in the fair. This put the others into a still greater rage, so that they concluded upon their death. Mean while they remanded them to the cage, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
When a convenient time was come, they were brought forth, and arraigned. The judge’s name was Lord Hategood. The substance of their indictment was this “That they were enemies to, and disturbers of their trade; that they had made commotions and divisions in the town, and won over some to their own pestilent opinions.”
The first witness against Faithful was Envy, who spoke to this effect. “My Lord, this man is one of the vilest men in our country. He neither regards prince nor people, law nor customs; but is continually turning the world upside down. And I myself heard him affirm, that the customs of our town and Christianity could not be reconciled.”
They then called Superstition, who spake thus: “My Lord, I have not much knowledge of this man, neither do I desire it; but this I know, [♦]that he is a pestilent fellow, and of very dangerous principles. I heard him say, that our religion was naught, and such as it was impossible to please God by. And your lordship very well knows, what must follow from thence: that we worship in vain, and are still in our sins.”
[♦] duplicate word “that” removed
Then was Pickthank called, and deposed as follows: