THE HEAD OF THE GIANT DESPAIR.

was for feeding rather than dancing, for that he was almost starved. So Christiana gave him some of her bottle of spirits for present relief, and then prepared him something to eat; and in a little time, the old gentleman came to himself, and began to be finely revived.

Now, I saw in my dream, when all these things were finished, Mr. Great-heart took the head of Giant Despair, and set it upon a pole by the highway side, right over against the pillar that Christian erected for a caution to pilgrims that came after to take heed of entering into his grounds.

Then he writ under it, upon a marble stone, these verses following:

"This is the head of him whose name only

In former times did pilgrims terrify.

His castle's down, and Diffidence his wife
Brave Mr. Great-heart has bereft of life.
Despondency, his daughter Much-afraid,
Great-heart for them also the man has played.
Who hereof doubts, if he'll but cast his eye
Up hither may his scruples satisfy.

This head also, when doubting cripples dance,
Doth show from fears they have deliverance.'

When these men had thus bravely showed themselves against Doubting Castle, and had slain Giant Despair, they went forward, and went on till they came to the Delectable Mountains, where Christian and Hopeful refreshed themselves with the varieties of the place. They also acquainted themselves with the shepherds there, who welcomed them as they had done Christian before, unto the Delectable Mountains.

Now, the shepherds seeing so great a train follow Mr. Greatheart (for with him they were well acquainted), they said unto him, "Good, sir, you have got a goodly company here; pray, where did you find all these ?"

Then Mr. Great-heart replied :

'First, here is Christiana and her train,

Her sons, and her sons' wives, who, like the wain,
Keep by the pole, and do by compass steer

From sin to grace! else they had not been here.
Next, here's old Honest come on pilgrimage,
Ready-to-halt too, who I dare engage
True-hearted is, and so is Feeble-mind,
Who willing was not to be left behind.
Despondency, good man, is coming after,
And so also, is Much-afraid, his daughter.
May we have entertainment here, or must

We farther go? Let's know whereon to trust."

Then said the shepherds, "This is a comfortable company. You are welcome to us; for we have for the feeble, as well as for the strong. Our Prince has an eye to what is done to the least of these; therefore infirmity must not be a block to our entertainment." (Matt. xxv. 40.) So they had them to the palace door, and then said unto them, "Come in, Mr. Feeble-mind; come in, Mr. Ready-to-halt; come in, Mr. Despondency, and Mrs. Muchafraid, his daughter. These, Mr. Great-heart," said the shepherds to the guide, we call in by name, for that they are most subject to draw back: but, as for you and the rest that are strong, we leave you to your wonted liberty." Then said Mr. Great-heart, "This day I see that grace doth shine in your faces, and that you are my Lord's shepherds indeed; for that you have not pushed these diseased neither with side nor shoulder, but have rather strewed their way into the palace with flowers, as you should.” (Ezek. xxxiv. 21.)

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So the feeble and weak went in, and Mr. Great-heart and the rest did follow. When they were also sat down, the shepherds said to those of the weaker sort, "What is it that you would have?

for," said they, "all things must be managed here for the supporting of the weak, as well as the warning of the unruly." So they made them a feast of things easy of digestion, and that were pleasant to the palate, and nourishing; the which when they had. received, they went to their rest, each one respectively unto his proper place.

When morning was come, because the mountains were high and the day clear, and because it was the custom of the shepherds to show the pilgrims before their departure some rarities, therefore, after they were ready and had refreshed themselves, the shepherds took them out into the fields, and showed them first what they had showed to Christian before.

Then they had them to some new places. The first was to Mount Marvel, where they looked, and beheld a man at a distance, that tumbled the hills about with words, Then they asked the shepherds what that should mean. So they told them that that man was the son of one Mr. Great-grace, of whom you read in the First Part of the records of the " Pilgrim's Progress;" and he is set down there to teach the pilgrims how to believe, or to tumble out of their ways what difficulties they should meet with, by faith. (Mark xi. 23, 24.) Then said Mr. Great-heart, "I know him; he is a man above many."

Then they had them to another place, called Mount Innocence. And there they saw a man clothed all in white, and two men, Prejudice and Ill-will, continually casting dirt upon him, Now, behold the dirt, whatsoever they cast at him, would in a little time fall off again, and his garment would look as clear as if no dirt had been cast thereat. Then said the pilgrims, "What means this?" The shepherds answered, "This man is named Godly-man, and this garment is to show the innocency of his life. Now, those that throw dirt at him, are such as hate his well-doing; but, as you see, the dirt will not stick upon his clothes; so it shall be with him that liveth truly innocently in the world. Whoever they be that would make such men dirty, they labour all in vain; for God, by that a little time spent, will cause that their innocence shall break forth as the light, and their righteousness as the noonday."

They then took them, and had them to Mount Charity, where they showed them a man that had a bundle of cloth lying before him, out of which he cut coats and garments for the poor that stood about him; yet his bundle or roll of cloth was never the less. Then said they, "What should this be?" This is," said the shepherds, "to show you, that he who has a heart to give of his labour to the poor, shall never want wherewithal. He that watereth, shall be watered himself. And the cake that the widow gave to the Prophet, did not cause that she had ever the less in her barrel."

They had them also to a place where they saw one Fool, and one Want-wit, washing of an Ethiopian, with intention to make him white; but the more they washed him, the blacker he was. They then asked the shepherds what that should mean. So they told them, saying, "Thus shall it be with the vile person; all means used to get such an one a good name, shall, in conclusion, tend but to make him more abominable. Thus it was with the Pharisees; and so shall it be with all hypocrites."

Then said Mercy, the wife of Matthew, to Christiana, her mother, "Mother, I would if it might be, see the hole in the hill, or that commonly called the By-way to Hell." So her mother brake her mind to the shepherds. Then they went to the door; it was in the side of a hill; and they opened it, and bid Mercy hearken awhile. So she hearkened, and heard one saying, "Cursed be my

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father for holding of my feet back from the way of peace and life." And another said, "Oh, that I had been torn in pieces before I had, to save my life, lost my soul !" And another said, "If I were to live again, how would I deny myself rather than come to this place!" Then there was as if the very earth groaned and quaked under the feet of this young woman for fear: so she looked white, and came trembling away, saying, 'Blessed be he and she that are delivered from this place.'

Now, when the shepherds had shown them all these things, then they had them back to the palace, and entertained them with what the house would afford. But Mercy, being a young and breeding woman, longed for something that she saw there, but was ashamed to ask. Her mother-in-law then asked her what she ailed, for she looked as one not well. Then said Mercy, "There is a looking