From the chapter ‘Seventeenth-Century Hymn-Writers’ of ‘Sweet Songs of Zion’ by John Betjeman.
‘John Bunyan was another preacher who fell foul of the authorities. In his case, of course, it meant a spell in Bedford Gaol – and that in turn meant Pilgrim’s Progress. He wrote the first part of it in prison and completed the second part, which is not so well known, some years later. In this sequel, Christian’s wife and children make the pilgrimage to the Holy City and it is this part, which includes the verses that can be found today in almost every hymn-book, ‘Who Would True Valour See?’ Valiant-for-Truth is recounting to Mr Greatheart how his parents had given him dire warnings of the perils he would face if he set out on his pilgrimage – including the ‘hobgoblins and foul fiends’ in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The ‘Pilgrim’s Song’ follows. Unhappily, the hobgoblins have proved too much for some hymn-book compilers, including the editors of Hymns Ancient and Modern, but we offer you the original version, hobgoblins, foul fiends and all.’
WHO WOULD TRUE VALOUR SEE,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather.
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avow’d 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 flee away,
He’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.
‘Some rather better verse of Bunyan’s in the same book is to be found in only a few hymn-books. It’s the song of a shepherd boy and it’s really a call to the simple life – very modern, I suppose, in its way.’
HE THAT IS DOWN NEEDS FEAR NO FALL,
He that is low no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
I am content with what I have,
Little be it or much;
And, Lord, contentment still I crave,
Because Thou savest such.
Fullness to such a burden is
That go on pilgrimage:
Here little, and hereafter bliss,
Is best from age to age.’