red in his contemplation, as in other places he is apt to This is a valley that no soy walks in but thofe that ve a oilgrim's life. And tho' Christian had the bp to tet with Apollyon, and to enter with him in a brisk -ne unter, yet mul tell you, that in forme times men have t with angels 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. ys his country-houfe, and that he loved re to walk? I will add, in this place, and the prople thas fe and trace thefe grounds, he has left a yearly revenue be taithfully paid them at certain featens, for their aintenance by the way, and for their farther encourage ent 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. lyon had their battle: But whereabout was the fight, I perceive that this valley is very large? Great-heart. Your father had the battle with Apollyon La place yonder before us, in a narro flage just beyond Forgetful Green. And Forgarful Green, deed that place is the most dangerous place all these parts; for if at any time pilgrims meet with hy brunt, it is when they forger what favors they have crived, and how unworthy they are of them: This is the lace 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 teftify that such a battle here was fought. Mercy. Then faid Mercy, I think I am well in this alley as I have been any where elie in all our journey & The place, methinks, fuits with my spirit. love to be in such places where there is Humility a 10 rattling with coaches, nor rumbling fweet 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 the fish-pools of Hefabon. They that go P. 84.5.6,7s Song 7.5. rightly through this valley of Baca make it well; the rain that God fends down from Hofea 2. 15. 2 heaven upon them that are here alfo filleth the pools: Thi valley is that from whence alfo the King will give to the vineyards; and they that go through it hall fing, as Chri tian did for all he met with Apollyon. Great beart. It is true, faid their gui I have gone thro' this valley many a tim and never was better than when here. ་ An experiment of it. I have also been a conductor to feveral pilgrims, an they have confeffed the fame: To this man will I loo faith the King, even to him that is poor, and of a contr fpirit, and that trembleth at my word. Now they were come to the place whe The place where the aforementioned battle was fough Chriftian and Then faid the guide to Chriftiana, the fiend did children, and Mercy, This is the place fight: Some on this ground Chriftian food, and figns of the bat there came Apollyon against him: An ale remain. look, did not I tell you, here is fome your husband's blood upon these stones this day: Behold, alfo, how here and there are yet to feen upon the place fome of the fhivers of Apollyon's bro ken darts: See alfo how they did beat the ground with the feet, as they fought, to make good their places aint ead other; how alfo, with their bye-blows, they id fplit th very ftones in pieces: Verily, Chriftian did here play th man, and fhewed himself as ftout as Hercules could, ba he been there, even he himft.--When Apollyon was beat he made his retreat to the next valley, that is called the valley of the Shadow of death, unto which we fhall com 1 anon. Lo, yonder also ftands a monument, which is engraven this battle, and Christi an's victory, to his fame, throughout ages: So, because it flood just on the way-fide before them, they ftepped to it, and read the writing, which word for word was this: A monument of the battle. A Monument of Chriftian's Victory. Part I. Hard by here was a battle fought, The man fo bravely play'd the man, Of which a monument I Rand, When they had paffed by this place, they came upon the lers of the Shadow of death; and this valley was longer the other, a place alfo moft ftrangely haunted with things, as many are able to teftify: But these women children the better through it, because they had dayt, and because Mr. Great-heart was their conductor. When they were entered upon this valley, they thought they heard a groaning as of dead men; a very great ming. They thought alfo they did hear words of la itation, spoken as of fome in extreme torment. These gs made the boys to quake, the women alfo 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 fome holplace was there; they heard alfo a kind of hifling, as erpents, but nothing as yet appeared. Then fail the $, Are we not yet at the end of this doleful place? But guide alfo bid them be of good courage and look well heir feet, left haply, faid he, ye be taken in fome fnare. Tow James began to be fick, but I think the cause eof was fear; fo his mother gave him fome of that glass fpirits that he 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 riftiana faid, Methinks I fee fomething A fiend appears. ider upon the road before us, a thing of h a shape as I have not feen. Then said Jofeph, Mother, at is it? An ugly thing, child; an ugly thing, faid - But, mother, what is it like, faid he? 'Tis like I not tell what, faid fhe, and now it is a little way off: Then faid fhe, it is The pilgrims ze enough. are afraid. Well, faid Mr. Great-heart, Let them t are most afraid keep clofe to me: So the fiend came and the conductor met it; but when it was just come to him, it vanifhed to all their fights; Then remember they what had been faid fome time ago Refift the de and he will flee from you. They went therefore on, as being a li refreshed; but they had, not gone far fore Mercy, looking behind ber, saw, fhe thought, fomething almost like a li and it came a great padding pace after; it had a hollow voice of roaring and at every roar that gave it made the valley eccho, and all their hearts to Tave 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 alfo came on apace, and Great-heart addreffed himself to give him battle; but w he faw that it was determined that refiftance fhould be ma he alfo drew back, and came no farther. Great beart encourages them Alion. Then they went on again, and their conductor did Before them, till they came to a place where was caft pit before they prepared to go over that, a great mift darkness fell upon them, so that they could not fee. T faid the pilgrims, alas! now what fhall we do? But guide made anfwer Fear not, itand still, and fee what end will be put to this alfo; fo they ftaid there, beca their path was marred. They then also thought that did hear more apparently the noile and rushing of the mies; the fire alfo, and smoke of the pit, was much ear to be difcerned.-Then faid Chriftiana to Mercy. Now fee what my poor husband went though; 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 nig almolt quite thro' the way, also these hes Chriftiana now were bufy about him, as if they wou knows what ber have torn him in pieces Many have p bufband fel. ken of it, but none can tell what the ley of the Shadow of dearb should me until they came into it themselves, The beart knows own bitterness a ranger intermeddled not with its To be here is a fearful thing. Great-beart This is like doing bufinefs in great wate or like going down into the deep: This like being in the heart of the fea, and i going down to the bottoms of the mo Great-beart's waply. ins: Now it feems as if the earth with its bars were about for ever; but let them that walk in darkness, and have light, truft in the name of the Lord, and stay upon thei od. For my part, as I have told you already, have one often through this valley, and have been much harder ut to it than now I am, and yet you fee I am alive. I ould not boaft, for that I am not my own faviour: But I uft we fhall have a good deliverance. Come, pray for ght to him that can lighten our darknefs, and that can buke not only thefe, but all the fitans in hell. So they cried and prayed, and God fent light and delierance, for there was now no let in their way; not not ere, where but juft now they were fitopt with a pit: Yet ey were not got through the valley; fo they. went on still, nd behold great flinks and loth fome fmells to the great nnoyance of them. Then faid Mercy to Chriftiana, There not fuch pleafant being here as at the gate, or at the Inerpreter's, or at the houfe where we lay laft. O but, faid one of the boys, it is not fo ad to go through here, as it is to abide One of the boys ere always; and, for ought I know, one reply. eafon why we must go this way to the house repared for us, is, that our home might be. made the weeter to us, Well, faid Samuel, quoth the guide, thou haft now fpske ike a man. Why, if ever I get out here again, faid the boy, I think I fhall prize light and good way better than ever I did in all my life. Then faid the guide, we fhall be out by and by. So on they went, and Jofeph faid, Cannot we fee to the end of this valley as yet? Then faid the guide, Look to your feet, for we fhall prefently be among fnares: So they looked to their feet and went on; but they were much troubled with the fnares. Now when they were come among the fnares, they efpied a man caft into the ditch on the left hand, with his fiefh all rent and torn. Then faid the guide, This is one Heedlefs that Was going this way; he has lain there Heedles flain how many are flain hereabouts, and yet men are fo foolish Ju |