ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the 'The Trial of Faithful'. Faithful and Christian are no longer citizens of the City of Destruction, they are pilgrims and strangers in it. Their own tongue has become a place of hostility and persecution. There is something of the character of Stephen evident in Faithful's stance here, namely a spirit that is utterly honest and forthright, and a lance that sorely wounds diseased souls. Judge Lord Hategood delivers a verbal lashing to Faithful that lacks any semblance of expected impartiality and self-control. It is reminiscent of the many depreciating terms that were used to belittle Bunyan when on trial, especially with regard to his unlearned tinker status. As Hammond remindsus: 'Bunyan says in his prologue, some experiences invite both a comic and a tragic response.
