ed in his contemplation, as in other places he is apt to This is a valley that no o y walks in but those that a oilgrim's life. And tho' Christian had the hip to it with Apollyon, and to enter with hinta a brifka nter, yet must te'l you. that in forme times men have with ange's here, have found pearls here, and have in place found the words of life. Did I fay, our Lord had here in former Hosea 12. 4. 5. is his country-houfe, and that he loved e to walk? I will add, in this place, and the people thas e and trace these grounds, he has left a yearly revenue be taithfully paid them at certain featons, for their tintenance by the way, and for their farther encourageint to go on pilgrimage. Samuel Now as they went on, Samuel faid to Mr. Greate art, Sir, I perceive that in this valley my father and A ollyon had their battle: But whereabout was the fight, I perceive that this valley is very large? Great-beart. Your father had the battle with Apollyen a place yonder before us, in a narro aflage just beyond Forgetful Green. deed that place is the most dangerous place And Forgerful Green. all these parts; for if at any time pilgrims meet with my brunt, it is when they forger what favors they have crived, and how unworthy they are of them: This is the Hace alfo where others have been hard put to it: But more f the place when we are come to it; for I perfuade myelf that, to this day, there remains either fome fign of he battle, or some monument to teftity that fuch a battle There was fought. Mercy. Then said Mercy, I think I am as well in this alley as I have been any where else in all our journey s The place, methinks, suits with my spirit. love to be in such places where there is Humility a o rattling with coaches, nor rumbling sweet grace. with wheels. Methinks here one may, without much molestation, be thinking what he is, whence he came, what he has done, and to what the King has called him: Here one may think and break at heart, and melt n one's fpirit, until one's eyes become as Song 7.5. the fish-pools of Heshbon. They that go p/845 -ightly through this valley of Baca make it well; the rain that God feads down from Hara 2. 150 6,7 heaven upon them that are here also filleth the pools: Thi valley is that from whence also the King will give to thei vineyards; and they that go through it hall fing, as Chrif tian did for all he met with Apollyon. Great-heart. It is true, faid their guine I have gone thro' this valley many a time and never was better than when here. An experiment of it. I have also been a conductor to several pilgrims, an they have confefsed the fame: To this man will I look faith the King, even to him that is poor, and of a contrit spirit, and that trembleth at my word. Now they were come to the place wher The place where the aforementioned battle was. fought Christian and Then said the guide to Chriftiana, he the fiend did children, and Mercy, This is the place fight: Some on this ground Christian food, and u figus of the bat- there came Apollyon against him: An ale remain. look, did not I tell you, here is some o your husband's blood upon these stones te this day: Behold, also, how here and there are yet to be feen upon the place fome of the shivers of Apollyon's bro ken darts: See also how they did beat the ground with thei feet, as they fought, to make good their places against eac other; how also, with their bye-blows, they Lid split th very stenes in pieces: Verily, Chriftian aid here play th man, and shewed himself as stout as Hercules could, ba he been there, even he himfer-When Apellyon was beat he made his retreat to the next valley, that is called the valley of the Shadow of death, unto which we shall com anon. A monument of Lo, yonder also stands a monument, on the batile. which is engraven this battle, and Chrifti an's victory, to his fame, throughout a ages: So, because it flood just on the way-side before them they ftepped to it, and read the writing, which word fo word was this: A Monument of Christian's Victory. Part I. Chriftian and Apollyon fought Th ; The man so bravely play'd the man, When they had passed by this place, they came upon the lers of the Shadow of death; and this valley was longer the other, a place also most strangely haunted with things, as many are able to testify: But these women children the better through it, because they had dayt, and because Mr. Great-heart was their conductor. Then they were entered upon this valley, they thought they heard a groaning as of dead men; a very great ning. They thought also they did hear words of latation, spoken as of fome in extreme torment-These gs made the boys to quake, the women also looked and wan; but their guide bid them be of good com o they went on a little further, and thought that they the ground begin to shake under them, as if tome holplace was there; they heard also a kind of hissing, as erpents, but nothing as yet appeared. Then said the Are we not yet at the end of this doleful place? Bat guide also bid them be of good courage and look well heir feet, lest haply, faid he, ye be taken in some snare. ow James began to be fick, but I think the cause cof was fear; r; so his mother gave him some of that glass pirits that she had given her at the Interpreter's house, three of the pills that Mr. Skill had prepared, and the began to revive. Thus they went on, till they came bout the middle of the valley; and then iftiana faid, Methinks I see something A fiend appears. der upon the road before us, a thing of a shape as I have not seen. Then said Joseph, Mother, at is it? An ugly thing, child; an ugly thing, faid But, mother, what is it like, said he? 'Tis like I not tell what, faid the, and now it is a little way off: Then faid she, it is The pilgrims Well, faid Mr. Great-heart, Let them are most afraid keep close to me: So the fiend came and the conductor met it; but when it was just come to him, it vanished to all their fights; Then remember they what had been faid some time ago Refift the dev Great beart en and he will flee from you. They went therefore on, as being a F courages them. refteshed; but they had not gone far fore Mercy, looking behind ber, faw, The thought, fomething almost like a he lion. and it came a great padding pace after; it had a hollow voice of roaring: and at every roar tha gave it made the valley eccho, and all their hearts to a lave the heart of him that was their guide. So it came and Mr. Great-heat went behind, and put the pilgr all before him. The lion also came on apace, and Great-heart addressed himself to give him battle; but wh he saw that it was determined that refistance should be ma he also drew back, and came no farther. Then they went on again, and their conductor did before them, till they came to a place where was caft p pit before they prepared to go over that, a great mift darkness fell upon them, so that they could not fee. T Taid the pilgrims, alas! now what shall we do? But th guide made anfwer Fear not, itand still, and fee what end will be put to this also so they staid there, beca their path was marred. They then also thought that th did hear more apparently the noite and rushing of the e mies; the fire also, and smoke of the pit, was much ea to be difcerned.- Then faid Chriftiana to Mercy. Now see what my poor husband went through, I have he much of this place, but I never was here before now: p man, he went here all alone in the night, He had n almost quite thro' the way, also these her Chriftiana now were busy about him, as if they w knows what ber have torn him in pieces Many have busband felt. ken of it, but none can tell what the ley of the Shadow of dear thould me until they came into it themselves. The heart knows own bitterness a stranger intermeddled not with its To be here is a fearful thing. Great-beart This is like doing business in great wala or like going down into the deep: Thi Great-beart's like being in the heart of the fea, and going down to the bottoms of the mo ains: Now it seems as if the earth with its bars were about for ever; but let them that walk in darkness, and have o light, truft in the name of the Lord, and stay upon theis lod. For my part, as I have told you already, Thave one often through this valley, and have been much harder ut to it than now I am, and yet you see I am alive. I ould not boaft, for that I am not my own faviour: But I uft we shall have a good deliverance. Come, pray fot ght to him that can lighten our darkness, and that can buke not only these, but all the fatans in hell. So they cried and prayed, and God sent light and delierance, for there was now no let in their way; not not here, where but just now they were stopt with a pit: Yet hey were not got through the valley; so they went on still, nd behold great flinks and lothsome smells to the great nnoyance of them. Then faid Mercy to Chriftiana, There not fuch pleasant being here as at the gate, or at the Inerpreter's, or at the house where we lay last. O but, laid one of the boys, it is not fo Dad to go through here, as it is to abide One of the boys tere always; and, for ought I know, one reply. eafon why we must go this way to the house prepared for us, is, that our home might be made the weeter to us, Well, faid Samuel, quoth the guide, thou hast now spoke like a man. Why, if ever I get out here again, faid the boy, I think I shall prize light and good way better than ever I did in all my life. Then faid the guide, we shall be out by and by. So on they went, and Joseph faid, Cannot we fee to the end of this valley as yet? Then said the guide, Look to your feet, for we shall presently be among snares: So they looked to their feet and went on; but they were much troubled with the snares. Now when they were come among the snares, they espied a man caft into the ditch on the left hand, with his fiesh all rent and torn. Then faid the guide, This is one Heedless that Was going this way; he has lain there Heedless flain a great while: There was one Takeheed and Takebeed with him when he was taken and flain; but preserved. he escaped their hands. You cannot imagine how many are flain hereabouts, and yet men are fo foolish |