Now in this place Chriftian had double forrow, because 'twas thro' his unadvised hafte that they were brought into this distress.

Now Giant Defpair had a wife, and her name was Diffidence: fo when he was gone to bed, he told his wife what he had done, to wit, that he had taken a couple of prisoners, and caft them into his dungeon, for trefpaffing on his grounds. Then he asked her alfo, what he had beft to do further to them. So she asked him what they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound? and he told her. Then the counselled him, that when he arose in the morning, he should beat them without mercy fo when he arofe, he getteth him a grievous crab-tree cudgel, and goes down into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them as if they were dogs, although they gave him never a word of dif taste: then he falls upon them, and beat them fearfully, in fuch fort, that they were not able to help themselves, or turn them upon the floor. This done, he withdraws, and leaves them there to condole their misery, and to mourn under their distress: fo all that day they spent their time in nothing but fighs and bitter lamentations. The next night the talked with her husband about them further, and understanding that they were yet alive, did advise him to counsel them to make away themfelves: fo when morning was come, he goes to them in a furly manner, as before, and perceiving them to be very fore with the ftripes that he had given them the day before, he told them, That fince they were never like

to

promifes, and to apply to the blood of fprinkling: Here the weary foul finds reft: Here the doubting, diftreffed, tempted mind, is eased; and, by the peace-procuring blood of Jefus, enabled to rest upon him; and, as a brand fnatched from the burning, to fet up an Ebenezer of praife, and fay, Hitherto the Lord hath helped me.

to come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves, either with knife, halter, or poifon : For why, faid he, fhould you chufe life, feeing it is attended with fo much bitterness? But they defired him to let them go; with which he looked ugly upon them, and rufhing to them, had doubtlefs made an end of them himfelf, but that he fell into one of his fits (for he sometimes, in fun-fhiny weather, fell into fits), and loft for a time the ufe of his hand: wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before, to confider what to do. Then did the prifoners confult between themfelvefs, whether it was beft to take his counfel or no; and thus they began to difcourfe:

Chr. Brother, said Chriftian, what fhall we do? The life that we now live is miserable! For my part, I know not whether 'tis beft to live thus, or die out of hand. My foul chufeth ftrangling rather than life, (Job vii. 5.) and the grave is more eafy for me than this dungeon! Shall we be ruled by the Giant?

Hope. Indeed our prefent condition is dreadful, and death would be far more welcome to me, than thus for ever to abide: but yet let us confider, the Lord of the country to which we are going, hath faid, Thou fhalt do no murder; no, not to another man's perfon; much more then are we forbidden to take his counfel, to kill ourselves. Befides, he that kills another, can but commit murder upon his body: but for one to kill himself, is to kill body and foul at once. And moreover, my brother, thou talkeft of eafe in the grave, but haft thou forgotten the hell, whither for certain the murderers go? for no murderer hath eternal life, &c. And let us confider again, that all the law is not in the hand of Giant Defpair: others, fo far as I can underftand, have been taken. by him, as well as we; and yet have escaped out of

U 2

his

Part I. his hands. Who knows, but that God, who made the world, may cause that Giant Despair may die, or that, at fome time or other, he may forget to lock us in; or that he may in a fhort time have another of his fits before us, and may lose the use of his limbs: and if ever that fhould come to pafs again, for my part, I am refolved to pluck up the heart of a man, and to try my utmost to get from under his hand. I was a fool that I did not try to do it before; but, however, my brother, let's be patient, and endure a while, the time may come that may give us a happy release but let us not be our own murderers. With these words, Hopeful at prefent did moderate the mind of his brother: fo they continued together (in the dark) that day, in their fad and doleful condition.

Well, towards evening, the Giant goes down into the dungeon again, to fee if his prifoners had taken his counfel; but when he came there, he found them alive, and truly, alive was all; for now, what for want of bread and water, and by reafon of the wounds they received when be beat them, they could do little but breathe. But, I fay, he found them alive; at which he fell into a grievous rage, and told them, that feeing they had difobeyed his counfel, it fhould be worse with them than if they had never been born.

At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Chriftian fell into a fwoon; but coming a little to himself again, they renewed their discourse about the giant's counsel, and whether yet they had beft take it or no. Now Chriftian again feemed to be for doing it; but Hopeful made his fecond reply as follow

eth.

Hope. My brother, faid he, remembereft thou not how valiant thou haft been heretofore; Apollyon could not crush thee, nor could all that thou didst

hear,

=

hear, or fee, or feel in the valley of the shadow of
death. What hardships, terror and amazement aft
thou already gone through, and art thou now no-
thing but fear? Thou feeft that I am in the dun-
geon
with thee, a far weaker man by nature than
thou art. Alfo this Giant has wounded me as well
as thee, and hath alfo cut off the bread and water
from my mouth, and with thee I mourn without the
light but let us exercife a little more patience.
Remember how thou playedft the man at Vanity-Fair,
and waft neither afraid of the chain nor cage, nor
yet of bloody death. Wherefore let us, at leaft, to
avoid the fhame that becomes not a Chriftian to be
found in, bear up with patience as well as we can.

Now, night being come again, and the Giant and his wife being in bed, she asked him concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counfel; to which he replied, They are sturdy rogues, they chufe rather to bear all hardships, than to make away themselves. Then faid fhe, take them into the caftle-yard to-morrow, and fhew them the bones and fkulls of those that thou haft already dispatched; and make them believe, ere a week comes to an end, thou wilt also tear them in pieces, as thou haft done their fellows before them.

So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes them into the castle-yard, and fhews them as his wife had bidden him. These, said he, were once pilgrims, as you are, and they trefpaffed in my grounds as you have done, and when I thought fit I tore them in pieces, and fo within ten days I will do you. Go get you down to your den again; and with that he beat them all the way thither; they lay therefore all day on Saturday in lamentable cafe, as before. Now when night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence, and her husband

the

the Giant were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prifoners; and withal the old Giant wondered, that he could neither by his blows nor counsel, bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied, I fear, faid fhe, that they live in hopes that fome will come to relieve them, or that they have pick-locks about them, by the means of which they hope to escape. And fayeft thou fo, my dear, faid the Giant; I will therefore fearch them in the morning.

Well, on Saturday about midnight they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almoft break of day.

Now a little before it was day, good Chriftian, as one half amazed, brake out in this paffionate speech, What a fool (quoth he) am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promife, that will I am perfuaded open any lock in Doubting-Castle. Then faid Hopeful, that's good news, good brother, pluck it out of thy bofom, and try: Then Chriftian pulled it out of his bofom, and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door, that leads into the castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also. After he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened too, but that lock went very hard, yet the key did open it; then they thruft open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate, as it opened, made fuch a cracking, that it waked Giant Despair, who haftily rifing to pursue his prifoners, felt his limbs to fail; for his fits took him again, fo that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the King's highway, and fo were fafe, because they were out of his jurifdiction.

Now