ter than I, because he dwelt thereabout; so we looked and looked, till at last we discerned the mouth of his cave; then we were glad, and plucked up our spirits. So we approached up to his den, and lo, when we came there, he had dragged by mere force, into his net, this poor man Mr. Feeble-mind, and was about to bring him to his end. But when he saw us, supposing, as we thought, he had had another prey, he left the poor man in his hole, and came out. So we fell to it full sore, and he lustily laid about him; but, in conclusion, he was brought down to the ground, and his head cut off, and set up by the wayside for a terror to such as should after practice such ungodliness. That I tell you the truth, here is the man himself to affirm it, who was as a lamb taken out of the mouth of the lion.

Then said Mr. Feeble-mind, I found this true to my cost and comfort; to my cost, when he threatened to pick my bones every moment; and to my comfort, when I saw Mr. Great-heart and his friends, with their weapons, approach so near for my deliverance. Then said Mr. Holy-man, There are two things Mr. Holy-man's that they have need to be possessed with that go speech. on pilgrimage, courage and an unspotted life. If they have not courage, they can never hold on their way; and if their lives be loose, they will make the very name of a Pilgrim stink. Then said Mr. Love-saints, I hope this caution

Mr. Love-saint's

is not needful amongst you. But truly there are speech. many that go upon the road that rather declare themselves strangers to pilgrimage, than strangers and Pilgrims on the earth. Then said Mr. Dare-not-lie, 'Tis true, they nei Mr. Dare-not-lie, ther have the Pilgrim's weed, nor the Pilgrim's his speech. courage; they go not uprightly, but all awry with their feet; one shoe goes inward, another outward, and their hosen out behind; here a rag, and there a rent, to the disparagement of their Lord.

These things, said Mr. Penitent, they ought to Mr. Penitent, his be troubled for; nor are the Pilgrims like to have speech. that grace put upon them, and their Pilgrim's Progress as they desire, until the way is cleared of such spots and blemishes.

Thus they sat talking and spending the time, until supper was set upon the table; unto which they went, and refreshed their weary bodies; so they went to rest. Now they stayed in the Fair a great while, at the house of this Mr. Mnason, who, in process of time, gave his daughter Grace unto Samuel, Christiana's son, to wife, and his daughter Martha to Joseph.

The time, as I said, that they lay here, was long, (for it was not now as in former times ;) wherefore the Pilgrims grew acquainted

with many of the good people of the town, and did them what service they could. Mercy, as she was wont, laboured much for the poor; wherefore their bellies and backs blessed her, and she was there an ornament to her profession. And, to say the truth, for Grace, Phebe, and Martha, they were all of a very good nature, and did much good in their places. They were also all of them very fruitful; so that Christian's name, as was said before, was like to live in the world.

A Monster.

While they lay here, there came a Monster out of the woods, and slew many of the people of the town. It would also carry away their children, and teach them to suck its whelps. Now, no man in the town durst so much as face this Monster; but all fled when they heard the noise of his coming.

His shape.

The Monster was like unto no one beast on the earth.* Its body was like a dragon, and it had seven heads and ten horns. It made great havoc of children, and yet it was governed by a woman.

His nature.

This Monster

propounded conditions to men; and such men as loved their lives more than their souls accepted of those conditions. So they came under.

Now Mr. Great-heart, together with those who came to visit the Pilgrims at Mr. Mnason's house, entered into a covenant to go and engage this beast, if perhaps they might deliver the people of this town from the paws and mouths of this so devouring a serpent.

Then did Mr. Great-heart, Mr. Contrite, Mr. Holy-man, Mr. Dare-not-lie, and Mr. Penitent, with their weapons, go forth to meet him. Now the Monster at first was very rampant, and looked upon these enemies with great disdain; but they so belaboured him, being sturdy men at arms, that they made him make a retreat; so they came home to Mr. Mnason's house again.

How he is engaged.

The Monster, you must know, had his certain seasons to come out in, and to make his attempts upon the children of the people of the town. At these seasons did these valiant worthies watch him in, and did still continually assault him; insomuch that, in process of time, he became not only wounded, but lame; also he has not made that havoc of the townsmen's children, as formerly he had done. And it is verily believed by some that this beast will die of his wounds.

This, therefore, made Mr. Great-heart and his fellows of great fame in this town; so that many of the people, that wanted their taste of things, yet had a reverend esteem and respect for them. Upon this account, therefore, it was that these Pilgrims got not

• Rev. xiii. 1.-xvii. 3,

much hurt here. True, there were some of the baser sort, that could see no more than a mole, nor understand no more than a beast; these had no reverence for these men, nor took they notice of their valour and adventures.

Well, the time grew on that the Pilgrims must go on their way, wherefore they prepared for their journey. They sent for their friends; they conferred with them; they had some time set apart therein to commit each other to the protection of their Prince. They were again that brought them of such things as they had, that were fit for the weak and the strong, for the women and the men; and so laded them with such things as were necessary.*

Then they set forward on their way; and their friends accompanying them so far as was convenient, they again committed each other to the protection of their King, and parted.

They, therefore, that were of the Pilgrim's company, went on, and Mr. Great-heart went before them. Now, the women and children being weakly, they were forced to go as they could bear; by this means Mr. Ready-to-halt and Mr. Feeble-mind had more to sympathize with their condition.

When they were gone from the townsmen, and when their friends had bid them farewell, they quickly came to the place where Faithful was put to death; therefore they made a stand, and thanked Him that had enabled him to bear his cross so well; and the rather, because they now found that they had a benefit by such a manly suffering as his was.

They went on, therefore, after this, a good way farther, talking of Christian and Faithful, and how Hopeful joined himself to Christian after that Faithful was dead.

Now they were come up with the hill Lucre, where the silver mine was, which took Demas off from his pilgrimage, and into which, as some think, By-ends fell and perished; wherefore they considered that. But when they were come to the old monument tnat stood over against the hill Lucre, to wit, to the pillar of salt, that stood also within view of Sodom and its stinking lake, they marvelled, as did Christian before, that men of that knowledge and ripeness of wit, as they were, should be so blinded as to turn aside here. Only they considered again, that nature is not affected with the harms that others have met with, especially if that thing upon which they look has an attracting virtue upon the foolish eye.

I saw now that they went on till they came to the river that was on this side of the Delectable mountains; to the river where the fine trees grow on both sides, and whose leaves if taken inwardly,

Acts xxviii. 10.

are good against surfeits; where the meadows are green all the year long, and where they might lie down safely.* By this riverside, in the meadows, there were cotes and folds for sheep, a house built for the nourishing and bringing up of those lambs, the babes of those women that go on pilgrimage.† Also there was here one that was intrusted with them, who could have compassion, and that could "gather these lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom," and that could "gently lead those that are with young." Now, to the care of this Man Christiana admonished her four daughters to commit their little ones, that, by these waters, they might be housed, harboured, succoured, and nourished, and that none of them might be lacking in time to come. This man, if any of them go astray or be lost, he will bring them again; he will

'Psalm xxiii.

† Heb. v. 2.

Isa. xl. 11.

§ Jer. xxiii. 4.

also "bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen them that are sick."* Here they will never want meat, drink, and clothing; here they will be kept from thieves and robbers; for this Man will die before one of those committed to his trust shall be lost. Besides, here they shall be sure to have good nurtriture and admonition, and shall be taught to walk in right paths, and that, you know, is a favour of no small account. Also here, as you see, are delicate waters, pleasant meadows, dainty flowers, variety of trees, and such as bear wholesome fruit; fruit not like that which Matthew ate of, that fell over the wall, out of Beelzebub's garden; but fruit that procureth health where there is none, and that continueth and increaseth it where it is.

So they were content to commit their little ones to him; and that which was also an encouragement to them so to do was, for that all this was to be at the charge of the King; and so was as an hospital to young children and orphans.

They being come

to By-path stile have a mind to Giant Despair.

have a pluck with

Now they went on, and when they were come to By-path-meadow, to the stile over which Christian went with his fellow Hopeful, when they were taken by Giant Despair, and put into Doubting Castle, they sat down and consulted what was best to be done; to wit, now they were so strong, and had got such a man as Mr. Great-heart for their conductor,whether they had not best to make an attempt upon the Giant, demolish his Castle, and if there were any Pilgrims in it, to set them at liberty, before they went any farther. So one said one thing, and another said the contrary. One questioned if it was lawful to go upon unconsecrated ground; another said they might, provided their end was good; but Mr. Great-heart said, Though that assertion offered last cannot be universally true, yet I have a commandment to resist sin, to overcome evil, to fight the good fight of faith; and, I pray, with whom should I fight this good fight, if not with Giant Despair? I will therefore attempt the taking away of his life, and the demolishing of Doubting Castle. Then said he, Who will go with me? Then said old Honest, I will; and so will we, too, said Christiana's four sons, Matthew, Samuel, Joseph, and James, for they were young men, and strong. So they left the women in the road, and with them Mr. Feeble-mind, and Mr. Ready-to-halt, with his crutches, to be their guard until they came back; for in that place the Giant Despair dwelt so near, they keeping in the road, a little child might lead them."

So Mr. Great-heart, old Honest, and the four young men, went

* Jer. xxiii. 4. Ezek. xxxiv. 11–16. † 1 John ii. 13, 14. + Isaiah xi. 6