Chr. "The way of transgressors is hard."* It is a wonder that they can get into these ways without danger of breaking their necks.

Great-heart. They will venture; yea, if at any time any of the King's servants doth happen to see them, and doth call upon them, and tell them that they are in the wrong way, and do bid them beware of the danger, then they will railingly return them answer, and say, CC As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the King, we will not hearken unto thee; but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouths."† Nay, if you look a little farther, you shall see that these ways are made cautionary enough, not only by these posts, and ditch, and chain, but also by being hedged up; yet they will choose to go there.

Chr. They are idle, they love not to take pains; The reason why up-hill way is unpleasant to them. So it is fulfill- some do choose to ed unto them, as it is written, "The way of the go in by-ways. slothful man is as a hedge of thorns." Yea, they will rather choose to walk upon a snare than to go up this hill, and the rest of this way to the city.

The hill puts the

Then they set forward, and began to go up the hill; and up the hill they went; but, before they Pilgrims to it. got to the top, Christiana began to pant, and said,

I dare say this is a breathing hill: no marvel if they that love their ease more than their souls choose to themselves a smoother way. Then said Mercy, I must sit down; also the least of the children began to cry. Come, come, said Great-heart, sit not down here, for a little above is the Prince's Arbour. Then took he the little boy by the hand, and led him up thereto.

They sit in the
Arbour.

the Prince of pilOf this Arbour I

When they were come to the Arbour, they were very willing to sit down, for they were all in a pelting heat. Then said Mercy, "How sweet is rest to them that labour !"§ And how good is grims to provide such resting-places for them! have heard much; but I never saw it before. But here let us beware of sleeping; for, as I have heard, it cost poor Christian dear. Then said Mr. Great-heart to the little ones, Come, my pretty boys, how do you do? What think you now of The little boys angoing on pilgrimage? Sir, said the least, I was swer to the guide, almost beat out of heart; but I thank you for lend

and also to Mercy. ing me a hand at my need. And I remember now what my mother hath told me, namely, that the way to heaven is as a ladder, and + Prov. xv. 19. § Matth. xi. 28.

* Prov. xiii. 15. ↑ Jer. xliv. 16, 17.

the way to hell is as down a hill. But I had rather go up the ladder to life, than down the hill to death.

Then said Mercy, but the proverb is, "To go down the hill is easy." But James said, (for that was his name.) The day is coming, when, in my opinion, going down the hill will be the hardest of all. 'Tis a good boy, said his master; thou hast given her a right answer. Then Mercy smiled; but the little boy did blush.

They refresh themselves.

Come, said Christiana, will you eat a bit, a little to sweeten your mouths, while you sit here to rest your legs? for I have here a piece of pomegranate, which Mr. Interpreter put into my hand just when I came out of his door; he gave me also a piece of a honeycomb, and a little bottle of spirits. I thought he gave you something, said Mercy, *because he called you aside. Yes, so he did, said the other; but, said Christiana, it shall be still as I said it should, when at first we came from home: thou shalt be a sharer in all the good that I have, because thou so willingly didst become my companion. Then she gave to them, and they did eat, both Mercy and the boys. And, said Christiana to Mr. Great-heart, Sir, will you do as we? But he answered, You are going on pilgrimage, and presently I shall return; much good may what you have do to you! at home I eat the same every day. Now, when they had eaten and drank, and had chatted a little longer, their guide said to them, The day wears away; if you think good, let us prepare to be going. So Christiana forgets they got up to go, and the little boys went before: but Christiana forgot to take her bottle of spirits with her; so she sent her little boy back to fetch it. Then said Mercy, I think this is a losing place. Here Christian lost his Roll; and here Christiana left her bottle behind her. Sir, what is the cause of this? So their guide made answer, and said, The cause is sleep, or forgetfulness: some sleep when they should keep awake, and some forget when they should remember: and this is the very cause why often, at the resting-places, some Pilgrims, in some things, come off losers. Pilgrims should watch, and remember what they have already received under their greatest enjoyments; but, for want of doing so, ofttimes their rejoicing ends in tears, and their sunshine in a cloud; witness the story of Christian at this place.

hei bottle of spir

its.

Mark this.

When they were come to the place where Mistrust and Timorous met Christian to persuade him to go back for fear of the Lions, they perceived as it were a stage, and before it, towards the road, a broad plate, with a copy of verses written thereon, and underneath

the reason of raising up that stage in that place rendered. The verses were these :

Let him that sees this stage, take heed

Unto his heart and tongue;

Lest, if he do not, here he speed

As some have long agone.

The words underneath the verses were:-" This stage was built to punish those upon, who, through timorousness or mistrust, shall be afraid to go farther on pilgrimage. Also, on this stage, both Mistrust and Timorous were burned through the tongue with a hot iron, for endeavouring to hinder Christian on his journey."

Then said Mercy, This is much like to the saying of the beloved,* "What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue! Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper."

An emblem of those that bravely go on when there is no danger, but

So they went on till they came within sight of the Lions. Now Mr. Great-heart was a strong man, so he was not afraid of a Lion: but yet, when they were come up to the place where the Lions were, the boys that went before were now glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the Lions; so they stepped back, and went behind. At this their guide smiled, and said, How now, my boys; do you love to go before when no danger doth approach, and love to come behind so soon as the Lions appear?

shrink when trou

bles come.

sword, with an

Of Grim the Giant, and of his backing the Lions.

Now, as they went on, Mr. Great-heart drew his intent to make a way for the Pilgrims in spite of the Lions. Then there appeared one that, it seems, had taken upon him to back the Lions; and he said to the Pilgrims' guide, What is the cause of your coming hither? Now the name of that man was Grim, or Bloody-man, because of his slaying of Pilgrims, and he was of the race of the Giants.

Then said the Pilgrims' guide, These women and children are going on pilgrimage, and this is the way they must go; and go it they shall, in spite of thee and the Lions.

Grim. This is not their way, neither shall they go therein. I am come forth to withstand them, and to that end will back the Lions.

Now, to say truth, by reason of the fierceness of the Lions, and of the grim carriage of him that did back them, this way of late had been much unoccupied, and was almost all grown over with grass.

* Psalm cxx. 3, 4.

Then said Christiana, Though the highways have been unoccupied heretofore, and though the travellers have been made, in times past, to walk through by-paths, it must not be so, now I am risen ; "Now I am risen a mother in Israel."*

Then he swore by the Lions that it should; and therefore bid them turn aside, for they should not have passage there.

A fight betwixt

Grim and Great

heart.

But Great-heart, their guide, made first his approach unto Grim and laid so heavily at him with his sword, that he forced him to a retreat. Then said he that attempted to back the Lions, Will you slay me upon my own ground?

Great-heart. 'Tis the King's highway that we are in, and in his way it is that thou hast placed the Lions; but these women, and

these children, though weak, shall hold on their way in spite of thy Lions. And with that he gave him again a downright blow, and brought him upon his knees. With this blow also he broke his helmet; and with the next he cut off an arm. Then did the Giant roar so hideously, that his voice frightened the wo- The victory. men; and yet they were glad to see him lie sprawl

ing upon the ground. Now, the Lions were chained, and so of themselves could do nothing; wherefore, when old Grim, that intended to back them, was dead, Mr. Great-heart said to the Pilgrims, Come now, and follow me, and no hurt shall happen to you from the Lions. They therefore went on ; but the women trembled as they passed by them; and the They pass by the boys also looked as if they would die; but they all got by without further hurt.

Lions.

They come to the

porter's lodge.

Now, when they were within sight of the porter's lodge, they soon came up unto it; but they made the more haste after this to go thither, because it is dangerous travelling there in the night. So when they were come to the Gate, the guide knocked, and the porter cried, Who is there? but as soon as the guide had said, It is I, he knew his voice, and came down; for the guide had oft before that come thither as a conductor of Pilgrims. When he was come down, he opened the Gate, and seeing the guide standing just before it, (for he saw not the women, for they were behind him,) he said unto him, How now, Mr. Great-heart? What is your business here so late to-night? I have brought, said he, some Pilgrims hither, where, by my Lord's commandment, they must lodge. I had been here some time ago, had I not been opposed by the Giant that did use to back the Lions; but I, after a long and tedious combat with him, have cut him off, and have brought the Pilgrims hither in safety.

Porter. Will you not go in and stay till morning? Great-heart. No; I will return to my Lord tonight.

Great-heart attempts to go back.

Chr. Oh, sir! I know not how to be willing you should leave us in our pilgrimage; you have been so faithful and so loving to us, you have fought so stoutly for us, you have been so hearty in counselling of us, that I shall never forget your favour towards us. Then said Mercy, O that we might have thy The Pilgrims imcompany to our journey's end! How can such poor plore his company women as we hold out in a way so full of troubles still as this way is, without a friend and defender?

Then said James, the youngest of the boys, Pray, sir, be per