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Christiana takes her leave of the Porter.

The Porter's blessing. Eccles. ix. 8.

Deut. xxxiii. 6.

2 Tim. ii. 22.

were afraid; but Matthew said, Mother, fear nothing as long as Mr. Great-heart is to go with us, and to be our conductor.

Then said Christiana to the Porter, Sir, I am much obliged to you for all the kindnesses that you have showed me since I came hither; and also for that you have been so loving and kind to my children. I know not how to gratify your kindness; wherefore, pray, as a token of my respect to you, accept of this small mite. So she put a gold angel in his hand, and he made her low obeisance, and said, Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head want no ointment. Let Mercy live and not die, and let not her works be few. And to the boys he said, Do you flee youthful lusts, and follow after godliness with them that are grave and wise; so shall you put gladness into your mother's heart, and obtain praise of all that are sober-minded. So they thanked the Porter, and departed.

Now I saw in my dream that they went forward until they were come to the brow of the hill; where Piety bethinking herself, cried out, Alas! I have forgot what I intended to bestow upon Christiana and her companions: I will go back and fetch it. So she ran and fetched it. While she was gone, Christiana thought she heard in a grove a little way off on the right hand, a most curious melodious note, with words much like these:

Through all my life thy favour is

So frankly show'd to me,

That in thy house for evermore

My dwelling-place shall be.

And listening still, she thought she heard another answer it,

saying,

For why? The Lord our God is good ;

His mercy is for ever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure.

So Christiana asked Prudence who it was that made those curious notes. They are, answered she, our country birds: they sing these notes but seldom, except it be at the spring, when the flowers appear, and the sun shines warm, and then you may hear them all day long. I often, said she, go out to hear them; we also ofttimes keep them tame in our house. They are very fine company for us when we are melancholy: also they make the woods, and groves, and solitary places desirous to be in.

By this time Piety was come again. So she said to Christiana, Look here, I have brought thee a scheme of all those things that thou hast seen at our house, upon which thou mayest look when thou findest thyself forgetful, and call those things again to remembrance for thy edification and comfort.

Now they began to go down the hill into the Valley of Humiliation. It was a steep hill, and the way was slippery; but they were very careful; so they got down pretty well. When they were down in the valley, Piety said to Christiana, This is the place where your husband met with the foul fiend Apollyon, and where they had that dreadful fight that they had: I know you cannot but have heard thereof. But be of good courage; as long as you have here Mr. Great-heart to be your guide and conductor, we hope you will fare the better. So when these two had committed the pilgrims unto the conduct of their guide, he went forward, and they went after.

GREAT-HEART. Then said Mr. Great-heart, We need not be so afraid of this valley, for here is nothing to hurt us, unless we procure it to ourselves. It is true that Christian here did meet with Apollyon, with whom he had also a sore combat; but that fray was the fruit of those slips which he got in his going down the hill; for they that get slips there, must look for combats here. And hence it is, that this valley has got so hard a name. For the common people, when they hear that some frightful

Song ii. 11, 12.

Piety bestoweth something on them at parting.

Mr. Great-beart at the Valley of Humiliation.

The reason why Christian was beset in the Valley of Humiliation.

A pillar with an inscription on it.

This balley a brave place.

Men thrive in the
Valley of Humi-

liation.

thing has befallen such a one in such a place, are of opinion that that place is haunted with some foul fiend or evil spirit; when, alas! it is for the fruit of their own doing that such things do befall them there. This Valley of Humiliation is of itself as fruitful a place as any the crow flies over; and I am persuaded, if we could hit upon it, we might find somewhere hereabout something that might give us an account why Christian was so hardly beset in this place.

Then James said to his mother, Lo, yonder stands a pillar, and it looks as if something was written thereon; let us go and see what it is. So they went, and found there written, Let Christian's slips before he came hither, and the battles that he met with in this place, be a warning to those that come after. Lo, said their guide, did not I tell you that there was something hereabouts that would give intimation of the reason why Christian was so hard beset in this place? Then turning himself to Christiana, he said, No disparagement to Christian more than to many others whose hap and lot it was. For it is easier going up than down this hill, and that can be said but of few hills in all these parts of the world. But we will leave the good man; he is at rest; he also had a brave victory over his enemy. Let Him grant that dwelleth above that we fare no worse, when we come to be tried, than he.

But we will come again to this Valley of Humiliation. It is the best and most fruitful piece of ground in all these parts. It is fat ground, and, as you see, consisteth much in meadows; and if a man was to come here in summer-time, as we do now, if he knew not any thing before thereof, and if he also delighteth himself in the sight of his eyes, he might see that which would be delightful to him. Behold how green this valley is; also how beautiful with lilies. I have known many labouring men that have got good estates in this Valley of Humiliation; for God

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resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

Indeed it is a very fruitful soil, and doth bring forth by handfuls. Some also have wished that the next way to their Father's house were here, that they might be troubled no more with either hills or mountains to go over, but the way is the way, and there's an end.

Now as they were going along and talking, they espied a boy feeding his father's sheep. The boy was in very mean clothes, but of a fresh and well-favoured countenance; and as he sat by himself he sung. Hark, said Mr. Great-heart, to what the shepherd's boy saith. So they hearkened, and he said,

He that is down needs fear no fall;

He that is low, no pride:

He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.

I am content with what I have,
Little be it or much;

And, Lord, contentment still I crave,

Because thou savest such.

Fulness to such a burden is,

That go on pilgrimage;

Here little, and hereafter bliss,

Is best from age to age.

James w. 6; 1 Pet. v. 5.

Then said their guide, Do you hear him? I will dare to say this boy lives a merrier life, and wears more of that herb called heart's ease in his bosom, than he that is clad in silk and velvet. But we will proceed in our discourse.

In this valley our Lord formerly had his country-house: he loved much to be here. He loved also to walk these meadows, for he found the air was pleasant. Besides, here a man shall be free from the noise and from the hurryings of this life: all states are full of noise and confusion; only the Valley of Humiliation

Christ when in the flesh had his coun try-bouse in the Valley of Humiliation.

is that empty and solitary place. Here a man shall not be so let and hindered in his contemplation as in other places he is apt to be. This is a valley that nobody walks in but those that love a pilgrim's life. And though Christian had the hard hap

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Hos. xii. 4, 5;
Matt. xiii. 46;
Prov. viii. 35.

to meet here with Apollyon, and to enter with him into a brisk encounter, yet I must tell you, that in former times men have met with angels here, have found pearls here, and have in this place found the words of life.

Did I say our Lord had here in former days his countryhouse, and that he loved here to walk? I will add ;-in this place, and to the people that love and trace these grounds, he has left a yearly revenue, to be faithfully paid them at certain

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