Our party of Pilgrims come to the Swamp of Despondence, which Christian had fallen into before he entered the Gate. It is in worse shape than ever. Sagacity, the narrator, speaking to the author, says that the poor shape is due to laborers who claim to be serving the King, but secretly act to bring dirt and manure into the swamp instead of stones, and thus serve to mar rather than mend it.
Christiana and her boys stop to ponder the Swamp, but Mercy says, "Come, let's go on. But let's be careful." They look for the steps which lead through the middle of the swamp, and with several close calls make it over without falling off the steps. As soon as they reach the other side, they hear a voice, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Sagacity now leaves the author to tell of his dream with no further narration, and he sees Christiana, her sons, and Mercy approach the Gate. They agree that Christiana will speak for the entire group, so she goes up and knocks. But instead of being greeted by the gatekeeper, a fierce dog begins barking. They are frightened and confused; afraid to knock, yet afraid to turn back. Eventually, they choose to knock again, and knock much louder. The Gate Keeper answers this time, and asks who they are. Christiana tells him who she is, and their quest, and he lets her in, and says "Let the little children come to me." Mercy is left outside the gate however! Christiana realizes Mercy is missing and tells the Gate Keeper there is another desiring entrance, but as she is speaking, Mercy knocks again, so loud that Christiana is startled. The Gate Keeper asks who is there, and Christiana says that it is her friend. The Gate Keeper opens the Gate, but Mercy has fallen in a swoon. She had begun to believe that she would be left behind. The Gate Keeper tells her to get up, and tell where she is from.
Mercy says that she has come without an invitation from the King, that her only invitation is from Christiana. She expresses her fear of being presumptuous. The Gate Keeper asks if Christiana asked Mercy to accompany her, and she says that is so. The Gate Keeper brings her in, saying, "I pray for alll them who believe on me regardless of what brings them to me." All the Pilgrims ask the Gate Keeper, "We're sorry for our sins and beg of our Lord His pardon and further information about what we must do." The Gate Keeper grants His pardon and speaks many more good words to them. He then leads them to a summer parlor for conversation among themselves. They discuss their fortune for being united in their pilgrimage; Mercy is especially grateful. Mercy asks if the Gate Keeper was angry when she knocked so loudly. Christiana replies, "When He heard your lumbering noise, He gave a wonderfully innocent smile. I believe what you did pleased him well enough, for He showed no sign to the contrary. But I marvel in my heart why He keeps such a dog."
The Keeper comes back down, and Mercy asks him, timidly, why He has such a cruel dog. The Keeper answers, "That dog has another owner. He is also kept close by in another man's ground so my Pilgrims hear his barking. He belongs to the castle, which you see there at a distance, but he can come up to the walls of this place..." He goes on to say that the dog sometimes gets loose, and causes trouble for His Pilgrims and scares them away from the Gate, but He provides timely help for them. Mercy acknowledges the righteousness and integrity of the Gate Keeper, and with encouraging words everyone is sent on their way.
Thoughts on this chapter
Christiana knows of the steps in the middle of the Swamp of Despondence. We will see this pattern throughout Part Two -- Christiana has foreknowledge of the path based on her husband's experience. Perhaps Bunyan meant to imply that in real life, a real Christian man would not be divorced from a non-Christian wife, and the separation existed only in the fictional realm of the allegory. In any case, it is presented as if Christiana had seen Christian's walk all the way up to the River.
Mercy is afraid she will not be invited into the Gate, but the Keeper assures her that she is welcome. Unfortunately, she has to knock a second time, maybe because of her timidity at stepping forward when Christiana is first brought in. In Part Two, we will meet many more personalities, some bold, some afraid. We have seen, in Part One, Pilgrims who turned back in fear. In Part Two, we will also meet Pilgrims who are afraid, and choose to go forward anyway. Not all of us have the same courage and boldness as Christian and Christiana.
Christian faced the prospect of being shot at by arrows from Beelzebub's castle as he knocked at the gate. Christiana and Mercy face the prospect of being attacked by Beelzebub's dog. The Gate Keeper brings them all in however.
Posted by joelfuhrmann at April 7, 2003 10:53 PM