I

54 ONE THOUSAND FAMOUS THINGS
John Prints It
SET my pen to paper with delight,
And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.
For having now my method by the end,
Still as I pulled it came ; and so I penned
It down, until at last it came to be,
For length and breadth the bigness which you see.
Well, when I had thus put my ends together,
I showed them others, that I might see whether
They would condemn them or them justify ;
And some said Let them live ; sonic Let them die :
Some said John, print it ; others said Not so :
Some said It might do good ; others said No.
Now I was in a strait* and did not see
Which was the best thing to be done by me :
At last I thought, Since you are thus divided,
I print it will; and so the case decided.
John Bunyan
Who Would True Valour See
WHO would true valour see,
Let him come hither ;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather:
There no discouragement
Shall make him once relent,
His first avowed intent,
To be a pilgrim*
Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound,
His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright,
He'll with a giant fight,
But he will have a right
To be a pilgrim*
Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit;
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away,
Hell not fear what men say,
He'll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.
John JZunyan