ONE THOUSAND FAMOUS THINGS 161

Vanity Fair

I SAW in my dream that when they were got out of the wilderness
they saw a town before them ; the town is Vanity, and there is a
fair kept, called Vanity Fair. It is kept all the year long.

The fair is no new-erected business, but a thing of ancient stand-
ing ; I will show you the original of it. Almost five thousand years
agone there were pilgrims walking to the Celestial City, as these two
honest persons are : and Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their
companions, perceiving by the path that their way to the city lay
through this town of Vanity, contrived here to set up a fair, wherein
should be sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year
long. At this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands,
trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms,
pleasures ; and delights of all sorts. And moreover at this fair there
are at all times to be seen jugglings, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes,
knaves, and rogues, and that of every kind.

Now the way to the Celestial City lies just through the town
where this fair is kept, and he that will go to the city, and yet not go
through this town, must needs go out of the world.

These pilgrims must needs go through this fair, but behold, even
as they entered, all the people in the fair were moved, and the town
itself in a hubbub about them, and that for several reasons.

First, the pilgrims were clothed with such raiment as was diverse
from the raiment of any that traded in that fair. Secondly, as they
wondered at their apparel, so they did likewise at their speech, for
few could understand what they said. Thirdly, that which did not a
little amuse the merchandisers was that these pilgrims set very light
by all their wares ; they cared not so much as to look upon them ;
and if they called upon them to buy they would put their fingers in
their ears, and cry, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity!
and look upwards, signifying that their trade and traffic was in heaven.

One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriages of the men, to
say unto them, What will ye buy ? but they, looking gravely upon
him, said, We buy the truth. At that there was an occasion taken to
despise the men the more, some mocking, some taunting, some
calling upon others to smite them. Pilgrim's Progress

Stars of the Night

noonday never knows
1 What names immortal are,
Tis night alone that shows
How star surpasseth star.

John Bannister Tabb

F.T.—11