The Pilgrim's Regress

Vertue, John, and Drudge discuss the best way to descend into the canyon. Drudge insists that there is no way down within 30 miles and suggests sticking to the road. Although Vertue is skeptical, he agrees for now. The trio then crosses a bleak and gradually rising landscape. John struggles to keep pace, and Vertue and Drudge help him. As evening approaches, they hear a seagull, which gives them hope that they are near the coast. Drudge cautions that seagulls travel inland in bad weather. As night falls, they stop at a small hut beside the road.

The trio finds shelter in the shack occupied by three thin young men: Mr. Neo-Angular, Mr. Neo-Classical, and Mr. Humanist. Mr. Neo-Angular shares his food with the travelers but says that he does so out of duty. During the meal, it becomes clear that, despite differing beliefs about the Landlord, they are united against Mr. Halfways, Eschropolis, and the giant. The three men reveal their lineage—they are sons of Mr. Enlightenment and share a stepbrother, Sigismund, who influenced their education. Vertue says that he is related to them through their father’s second wife, Euphuia, which is met with mixed reactions.