newed their Difcourfe about the Giant's Counsel; and whether yet they had best take + Chrifti it or no. + Now Chriftian again feemed to an fill d- be for doing it, but Hopeful made his fecond jected. Reply, as followeth : * Hopeful Hope. My Brother, faid be, remembreft comforts thou how valiant thou haft been hererofore ? bim again Apollyon could not crufh thee, nor could all by calling that thou didst hear or fee, or feel in didit the former Valley of the Shadow of Death; what HardThings to hip, lerror, and Amazements haft thou alrea Remem dy gone thro', and art thou now nothing but brance. Fears? Thou feeft that I am in the Dungeon with thee, a far weaker Man by Nature than thou art: Alfe the Giant has wounded me as well as thee; and hath alfo cut off the Bread and Water from my Mouth, and that I mourn without the Light: But let's exercise a little more Patience. Remember how thou play'dft the Man at Vanity Fair, and neither afraid of the, Chain or Cage; nor yet of bloody Death: Wherefore let us (at least I avoid the Shame that becomes not a Chriftian to be found in) bear up with with Patience as well as we can. Now Night being come again, and the Giant and his Wife being a-bed, the asked him concerning the Prifoners, and if they had taken his Counfel: To which he replied, They are furdy Rogues, they chufe rather to bear all Hardship than to make away themselves.. Then faid fhe, Take them into the Caftle-yard to morrow, and bew them the Bones and Skulls of thofe that thou haft already dispatch'd, and make them believe e'er a Week comes to an End, thou alfo wilt tear them in Pieces as thou haft done their Fellows before them. Sa So when the Morning was come, the Giant goes to them again: And takes them into the Caftle-Yard, and fhews them as his Wife had bidden him. Thefe, faid he, were Pilgrims, -is you are once, and they trefpaffed in my Grounds, as you have done, and when I thought fit, On Satur. tore them in Pieces; and fo within Days I will do you, get you down into your Den again: And day the with that he beat them ail the Way thither. threatned They lay therefore all Day on Saturday in them that a lamentable Cafe, as before Now when Giant pieces. Shortly be Night was come, and when Mrs Diffidence and would pull her Husband, the Giant, were got to Bed, them in they began to renew their Difcourte of their Prifoners; and withal, the Giant wondred that he could neither by his Blows, nor Counfel 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 fay ft thou Jo, 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 A Key in Chriftian, as one half amazed, broke but in Chritian's this paffionate Speech. What Fool, quoth he, Bofom cal am I this to live in a ftinking Dungeon, when led BrcI may as well walk at Liberty!I have a Key in mife, opens my Bofom called Promife, that will, I am per- any Lock fuaded, open my Lock in Doubting Cafle. Then in Doubtfaid Hopeful, That's good News, good Brother, ing-Cattlethen pluck it out of thy Boom, and try. Then Christian Then Chriftian, pulled it out of his Bofom, and begun to try at the Dungeon door, whose Bolt (as he turned to the Key) gave back and the door flew open with ease, and Chriflian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door, that leads into the Caftle-Yard, and with his Key open'd that door alfo. After he went to the IronGate, 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 Efcape with Speed; but that Gate as it opened made fuch a Creeking, that it waked Giant Defpair, who hastily ri fing to pursue his Prifoners, felt his Limbs to fail, for his Fits took him again, so that. they went on, and came to the King's Highway, and fo were fafe, because they were out of his Jurifdiction. " Now, when they were gone over the Stile, they began to contrive with themfelves what they should do at th the Stile to prevent thofe that fhould come after, from falling into the Hands of Giant-Defpair. So. A Pillar they confented to erect there a Pillar and erected by to engrave upon the Side thereof, this SenOver this Stile is the Way to Doubttence, ⚫ing-Cattle, which is kept by Giant. Defpair, • who defpifeth the King of the Caeleftial Country, and feeks to defroy the Holy Pilgrims. Many therefore that followed after, read what was written, and efcaped the Danger. This done, they fang as fol lows: and bis Fellove. Out of the Way we went, and then we found And And let them that come after, have a care They went then till they came to the De- The delectlectable Mountains, which Mountains belong able Mounto the Lord of the Hill, of which we have tains fpoken before; fo they went up to the Mountains, to behold the Gardens and Orcharde,. the Vineyards, the Fountains of Waters, 1 where also they drank aud washed themselves, They are and did freely eat of the Vineyards. Now refresh'd on there was on the Tops of thefe Mountains the Moun. Shepherds feeding their Flocks, and they flood tains. by the High-way Side. The Pilgrims there. fore went to them, and leaning upon their Staves, (as it is common with weary Pilgrims when they stand to Talk with any in the Way, they asked, Whofe dele&able Mountains are They Talk Chr. Is this the Way to the Cœleftial City ? Chr. How far is it thither ? Shep. Too far for any, but thofe that fhall get thither indeed. Chr. Is the Way fafe or dangerous? Shep. Safe for thofe for whom it is to be fafe, but Tranfgreffors fhall fall therein. Chr. Is there in this Place any Relief for Pilgrims that are weary and faint in the way, Hof. 149 Shep. The Lord of thefe Mountains hath gi ven us a Charge, not to be forgetful to entertain Strangers; therefore the Good of the Place is Heb. 1. 2. before you. I |