a meadow, and a stile to go over into it, and BY-PATH that meadow is called By-path Meadow. MEADOW. Then said Christian to his fellow, If this meadow lieth along by our way-side, let's go over ONE TEMPTATION 'Tis accord into it. Then he went to the stile to see, and behold a path lay along by the way on the other side of the fence. ing to my wish, said Christian; here is the easiest going. Come, good Hopeful, and let us go over. Hope. But how if this path should lead us out of the way? STRONG CHRISTIANS OUT OF THE WAY. That's not likely, said the other. Look, doth it not go along by the way-side? So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went after him over the stile. When they were gone over, and were got into the path, they found it very easy for their feet; and withal they, looking before them, espied a man walking as they did, and his name was Vain-confidence; so they called after him, and asked him, Whither that way led? He said, To the Celestial Gate. Look, said Christian, did not I tell you so? By this you may see we are right. So they followed, and he went before them. But, behold, the night it grew very dark; so they that were behind lost sight of him that went before. SEE WHAT IT IS came on, and He, therefore, that went before (Vain- A PIT TO CATCH confidence by name), not seeing the way THE VAIN-GLObefore him, fell into a deep pit, which RIOUS IN. was on purpose there made, by the Prince of those grounds, to catch vain-glorious fools withal, and was dashed in pieces with his fall. L Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called to know the matter, but there was none to answer; only they heard a groaning. Then said Hopeful, Where are we now? Then was his fellow silent, as mistrusting that he had led him out of the way. And now it began to rain, and thunder, and lighten in a most dreadful manner, and the water rose amain. REASONING BE Then Hopeful groaned within him TWEEN CHRISTIAN self, saying, O! that I had kept on my Chr. Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of the way? Hope. I was afraid on 't at the very first, and therefore gave you that gentle caution. I would have spoke plainer, but that you are older than I. CHRISTIAN'S Chr. Good brother, be not offended: I am sorry I have brought thee out of the way, and that I have put thee into such imminent danger. Pray, my brother, forgive me; I did not do it of an evil intent. Hope. Be comforted, my brother, for I forgive thee; and believe too that this shall be for our good. Chr. I am glad I have with me a merciful brother: but we must not stand here; let us try to go back again. Hope. But, good brother, let me go before. Chr. No, if you please, let me go first, that if there be any danger, I may be first therein; because by my means we are both gone out of the way. No, said Hopeful, you shall not go first; for your mind being troubled may lead you out of the way again. THEY ARE IN DAN- Then, for their encouragement, they heard the voice of one saying, "Let thine heart be towards the highway; even the way that thou wentest, turn again."8 But by this time the waters were greatly risen; by reason of which the way of going back was very dangerous. Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way when we are in, than going in when we are out. Yet they adventured to go back; but it was so dark, and the flood was so high, that, in their going back, they had like to have been drowned nine or ten times. THEY SLEEP IN GIANT DEspair. Neither could they, with all the skill they had, get again to the stile that night. Wherefore, at last, lighting under a little shelter, they sat down there till the day brake; but, being weary, they fell asleep. Now there was, not far from the place where they lay, a castle, called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds they now were sleeping; wherefore he getting up in the morning early, and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then, with a grim and a surly voice, he bid them awake, and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his grounds? They told him they were Pilgrims, and that they had lost their way. Then said the Giant, You have this night trespassed on me, by trampling in and lying on my grounds, and therefore HE FINDS THEM IN you must go along with me. So they were forced to 8 Jer. xxxi. 21. go, because he was stronger than they. They also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault. The Giant therefore drove them before him, and put them into his Castle, in a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men. Here then they lay, from Wednesday morning till Sa THE GRIEVOUS- turday night, without one bit of bread, or drop of drink, or light, or any to ask how they did. They were therefore here in evil case, and were far from friends and acquaintance. Now, in this place, Christian had double sorrow, because 'twas through his unadvised counsel that they were brought into this distress. Now Giant Despair had a wife, and her name was Diffidence. So, when he was gone to bed, he told his wife what he had done, to wit, that he had taken a couple of prisoners, and cast them into his dungeon, for trespassing on his grounds. Then he asked her also, What he had best to do further with them? So she asked him, What they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound? and he told her. Then she counselled him, that, when he arose in the morning, he should beat them without mercy. So, when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crab-tree cudgel, and goes down into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them, as if they were dogs, although they never gave him a word of distaste; then he fell upon them, and beat them fearfully, in such sort that they were not able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done, he withdraws, and leaves them there to condole their misery, ON THURSDAY, GIANT DESPAIR SONERS. and to mourn under their distress; so all that day they spent their time in nothing but sighs and bitter lamentations. The next night she talking with her husband further about them, and, understanding that they were yet alive, did advise him to counsel them to make away with themselves; so, when morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner as before, and perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given them the day before, he told them, that since they were never like to come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves, either with knife, halter, or poi- coUNSELS THEM son: for why, said he, should you choose to live, seeing it is attended with so ON FRIDAY, TO KILL THEM- THE GIANT SOMETIMES much bitterness? But they desired him to let them go. With that he looked ugly upon them, and, rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them himself, but that he fell into one of his fits (for he sometimes, in sunshiny weather, fell into fits), and lost for a time the use of his hands; wherefore he withdrew, and left them, as before, to consider what to do. Then did the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it was best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began to discourse: CHRISTIAN Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that we now live is miserable! For CRUSHED. my part, I know not whether is best, to live thus, or to die out of hand. "My soul chooseth strangling and the Grave is more easy for rather than life;" 9 Job, vii. 15. |