Their discourse together

APOL. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back; what our country will afford I do here promise to give thee.

CHR. But I have let myself to another, even to the KING of Princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?

APOL. Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, Changed a bad for a worse; but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after a while to give him the slip, and return again to me. Do thou so too, and all shall be well.

CHR. I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him how then can I go back from this and not be hanged as a traitor?

APOL. Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back.

CHR. What I promised thee was in my nonage; and besides, I count that the Prince under whose banner now I stand, is able to absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee and besides, O thou destroying APOLLYON, to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country better than thine; and therefore leave off to persuade me further, I am his servant, and I will follow him

APOL. Consider again, when thou art in cool

APOLLYON tempts CHRISTIAN.

blood, what thou art like to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most part, his servants come to an ill end, because they are transgressors against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful deaths?——— And besides thou countest his service better than mine, whereas he never came yet from the place where he is, to deliver any that served him out of my hands but, as for me, how many times, as all the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by them? and so I will deliver thec.

CHR. His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end: and as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account : for, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it; for they stay for their glory, and then they shall have it, when their PRINCE comes in his and the glory of his angels.

APOL. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how dost thou think to receive wages of him?

CHR. Wherein, O APOLLYON, have I been unaithful to him?

APOL. Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost choked in the gulph of DESPOND; thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas thou shouldest have stayed until thy

He attacks CHRISTIAN.

PRINCE had taken it off: thou didst sinfully sleep, and lose thy choice thing: thou wast almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions: and when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast heard and seen, thou art inwardly desirous of vain-glory in all that thou sayest or doest.

CHR. All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out: but the PRINCE, whom I serve and honour, is merciful and ready to forgive. But besides these infirmities possessed me in thy country: for there I suckt them in, and I have groaned under them, being sorry for them, and have obtained don of my PRINCE.

par

Then APOLLYON broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to this PRINCE; I hate his person, his laws, and people. I am come out on purpose to withstand thee.

CHR. APOLLYON, beware what you do: for I am in the KING's highway, the way of holiness; therefore take heed to yourself.

Then APOLLYON straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and said, I am void of fear in this matter; prepare thyself to die; for I swear by my infernal den that thou shalt go no farther: here will I spill thy soul.

And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast; but CHRISTIAN had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so prevented the danger of that.

Then did CHRISTIAN draw: for he saw 'twas

CHRISTIAN falls.---Recovers himself and wounds APOLLYON.

time to bestir him; and APOLLYON as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the which, notwithstanding all that CHRISTIAN could do to avoid it, APOLLYON wounded him in his head, his hand and foot. This made CHRISTIAN give a little back: APOLLYON, therefore, followed his work amain, and CHRISTIAN again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore combat tasted for above half a day, even till CHRISTIAN was almost quite spent; for you must know, that CHRISTIAN, by reason of his wounds, must needs grow weaker and weaker.

Then APOLLYON, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to CHRISTIAN, and wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that CHRISTIAN's sword flew out of his hand. Then said APOLLYON, I am sure of thee now and with that he had almost prest him to death; so that CHRISTIAN began to despair of life. But as GOD would have it, while APOLLYON was fetching his last blow, thereby to make an end of this good man, CHRISTIAN nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, mine enemy! when I fall, I shall arise;" Mic. vii. 8. and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back as one that had received his mortal wound. CHRISTIAN perceiving that, made at him again, saying, "Nay, in all these things we

are more than conquerors through him that loved "us." Rom. vii. 37-39. Jam. iv. 7. and with that