212

THE SHEPHERD S BOY SINGING.

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.

Then said their guide, Do you hear him? 1 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.

Christ when in the

try-house in the Val

In this valley our Lord formerly had his countryflesh had his coun- house: he loved much to be here. He loved also to ley of Humiliation. 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 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 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, Hos. xii. 4, 5, have found pearls here, Matt. xiii. 46, and have in this place found the words of life, Prov. viii. 35.

Did I say our Lord had here in former days his country-house, 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 seasons, for their maintenance by the way, and for their further encouragement to go on in their pilgrim

age.

SAM. Now as they went on, Samuel said to Mr Great-heart, Sir, I perceive that in this valley my father and Apollyon had their battle; but whereabout was the fight? for I perceive this valley is large. GREAT. Your father had the battle with Apollyon at a place yonder before us, in a narrow passage, just beyond Forgetful Forgetful Green. Green. And indeed that place is the most dangerous place in all these parts. For if at any time pilgrims meet with any brunt, it is when they forget what favours they have received, and how unworthy they are of them. This is the place also where others have been hard put to it. But more of the place when we are come to it; for I persuade myself, that to this day there remains either some sign of the battle, or some monument to testify that such a battle there was fought.

MER. Then said Mercy, I think I am as well in this valley as I Humility a sweet have been any where else in all our journey: the place methinks, suits with my spirit. I love to be in such

grace.

A MONUMENT OF CHRISTIAN'S VICTORY.

213

places, where there is no rattling with coaches, nor rumbling 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 in one's spirit, until one's eyes become as the fishpools in Heshbon, Song. vii. 4. They that go rightly through this valley of Baca, make it a well; the rain that God sends down from heaven upon them that are here, also filleth the pools. This valley is that from whence also the King will give to his their vineyards, and they that go through it shall sing, as Christian did for all he met with Apollyon, Psa. lxxxiv. 5-7; Hos. ii. 15.

GREAT. 'Tis true, said their guide; I have gone through this valley many a time, and never was better than when here. An experiment I have also been a conductor to several pilgrims, and upon it.

66

they have confessed the same. "To this man will I look," saith the King, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word," Isa. lxvi. 2.

The place where fiend did fight.

Christian and the

Now they were come to the place where the afore-mentioned battle was fought. Then said the guide to Christiana, her children, and Mercy, This is the place; on this ground Christian stood, and up there came Apollyon against him. And, look, did not I tell you, here is some of your husband's blood upon these stones to this day. Behold, also, how here and there are yet to be seen upon the place some of the shivers of Apollyon's broken darts. See also how they did beat the ground Some signs of the with their feet as they fought, to make good their places battle remain. against each other; how also with their by-blows they did split the very stones in pieces. Verily, Christian did here play the man, and showed himself as stout as Hercules could, had he been here, even he himself. 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 shall come anon. Lo, yonder also stands a monument on which is engraven this battle and Christian's victory, to his A monument of fame throughout all ages. So because it stood just on Christian's victory. the way-side before them, they stepped to it, and read the writing, which word for word was this:

Hard by here was a battle fought,
Most strange, and yet most true.
Christian and Apollyon sought
Each other to subdue.

The man so bravely played the man,
He made the fiend to fly;

Of which a monument I stand,
The same to testify.

When they had passed by this place, they came upon the borders of the Shadow of Death (q). This valley was longer than the other; a place also most strangely haunted with evil things, as many are able to testify: but these women and children went the better through it, because they had daylight, and because Mr Great-heart was their conductor.

(q) The Valley of the Shadow of Death.-We cannot assign a definite meaning to the individual sights and sounds of this valley. They are designed, as a whole, to describe the inner spiritual conflicts of believers; and how, in answer to faith and prayer they may all be removed.

214

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

When they were entered upon this valley, they thought that they heard a groaning as of dying men; a very great groanGroanings heard. ing. They thought also that they did hear words of lamentation, spoken as of some in extreme torment. These things made the boys to quake; the women also looked pale and wan: but their guide bid them be of good comfort.

So they went on a little further, and they thought that they felt the ground begin to shake under them, as if some hollow The ground shakes place was there; they heard also a kind of hissing, as of serpents, but nothing as yet appeared. Then said the boys, Are we not yet at the end of this doleful place? But the guide also bid them

be of good courage, and look well to their feet; lest haply, said he, you be taken in some snare.

fear.

Now James began to be sick; but I think the cause thereof was James sick with fear: so his mother gave him some of that glass of spirits that had been given her at the Interpreter's house, and three of the pills that Mr Skill had prepared, and the boy began to revive. Thus they went on till they came to about the middle of the valley; and then Christiana said, Methinks I see something yonder upon the road before us, a

The fiend appears.

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

215

thing of such a shape as I have not seen. Then said Joseph, Mother, what is it? An ugly thing, child; an ugly thing, said she. But mother, what is it like? said he. 'Tis like I cannot

The pilgrims are

tell what, said she; and now it is but a little way off. afraid. Then said she, It is nigh.

Well, well, said Mr Great-heart, let them that are most afraid keep close to me. So the fiend came on, and the conductor Great-heart encourmet it; but when it was just come to him, it vanished ages them. to all their sights. Then remembered they what had been said some time ago, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," James iv. 7. They went therefore on, as being a little refreshed. But they had not gone far before Mercy, looking behind her, saw, as she thought, something-most like a lion, and it came a great padding pace after; and it had a hollow voice of roaring; and at every roar that it gave, it made all the valley echo, and all their hearts to ache, save the heart of him that was their guide. So it came up, and Mr Great-heart went behind, and put the pilgrims all before him. The lion also came on apace, and Mr Great-heart addressed himself to give him battle, 1 Pet. v. 8, 9. But when he saw that it was determined that resistance should be made, he also drew back and came no further.

see.

A lion.

A pit and darkness.

Then they went on again, and their conductor went before them, till they came to a place where was cast up a pit the whole breadth of the way; and before they could be prepared to go over that, a great mist and a darkness fell upon them, so that they could not Then said the pilgrims, Alas! what now shall we do? But their guide made answer, Fear not, stand still, and see what an end will be put to this also so they stayed there, because their path was marred. They then also thought that they did hear more apparently the noise and rushing of the enemies; the fire also, and smoke of the pit, were much easier to be discerned (r). Then said Christiana to Mercy, Now I see what my poor husband went through. I have heard much of

(r) The terrors of the Valley.—

"As oft with worn and weary feet,

We tread earth's rugged valley o er,
The thought, how comforting, how sweet,
Christ trod the weary path before.,
Our wants and weaknesses he knows,
From life's first dawning to its close.
"If Satan tempt the heart to stray,
And whisper evil things within,
So did he in the desert way

Assail our Lord with thoughts of sin.
When worn and in a feeble hour,
The tempter came with all his power.
"Just such as I this earth he trod

With every human ill but sin,
And though, indeed, the very God
As I am now, so He has been.
My God, my Saviour, look on me
With pity, love, and sympathy"

Christiana now

knows what her husband felt.

216

THEY PRAY IN THE VALLEY.

this place, but I never was here before. Poor man! he went here all alone in the night; he had night almost quite through the way; also these fiends were busy about him, as if they would have torn him in pieces. Many have spoken of it; but none can tell what the Valley of the Shadow of Death should mean until they come in themselves. The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy, Prov. xiv. 10. To be here is a fearful thing.

GREAT. This is like doing business in great waters, or like going down into the deep. This is like being in the heart of the sea, and like going down to the bottoms of the mountains. Now it seems as if the earth, with its bars, were about us for ever. But let them that walk in darkness and have no light, trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon their God, Isa. 1. 10. For my part, as I have told you already, I have gone often through this valley, and have been much harder put to it than now I am and yet you see I am alive. I would not boast, for that I am not my own saviour; but I trust we shall have a good deliverance. Come, let us pray for light to Him that can lighten our darkness, and that can rebuke not only these, but all the satans in hell.

They pray.

So they cried and prayed, and God sent light and deliverance, for there was now no let in their way: no, not there, where but now they were stopped with a pit. Yet they were not got through the valley. So they went on still, and beheld great stinks and loathsome smells, to the great annoyance of them. Then said Mercy to Christiana, It is not so pleasant being here as at the gate, or at the Interpreter's, or at the house where we lay last.

O but, said one of the boys, it is not so bad to go through here as it One of the boys is to abide here always; and for aught I know, one reason why we must go this way to the house prepared for us is, that our home might be made the sweeter to us.

reply.

Well said, Samuel, quoth the guide; thou hast now spoken like a man. Why, if ever I get out here again, said the boy, I think I shall prize light and good way better than ever I did in all my life. Then said the guide, We shall be out by and by.

Heedless is slain,

So on they went, and Joseph said, Cannot we see to the end of this valley as yet? Then said the guide, Look to your feet, for we shall presently be among the snares: so they looked to their feet, and went on; but they were troubled much with the snares. Now when they were come among the snares, they espied a man cast into the ditch on the left hand, with his flesh all rent and torn. Then and Take-heed pre- said the guide, That is one Heedless, that was going this way he has lain there a great while. There was one Take-heed with him when he was taken and slain; but he escaped their hands. You cannot imagine how many are killed hereabouts, and yet men are so foolishly venturous as to set out lightly on pilgrimage, and to come without a guide (s). Poor Christian! It was a

served.

(3) Heedless is slain.-"Let us beware," says Hamilton, "of the first wrong deviation of thought and feeling, however minute the degree; fearful may be the after deviations. The voyager enters a current which seems propitious. There is no apparent diversion