They arrive at By-Path Meadow.

at the charge of the King; and so was an hospital to young children and orphans.

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 further. So one said one thing, and another said to 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 of faith, 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 we will too," said Christiana's four sons, Matthew, Samuel, James, and Joseph: for· they were young men and strong'.

So they left the women on 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, though 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 to go up to Doubting Castle, to

Mr. Great-Heart and the Pilgrims attack Doubting Castle.

look for giant Despair. When they came at the castle gate, they knocked for entrance with an unusual noise. With that the old giant comes to the gate, and Diffidence his wife follows. Then said he, "Who and what is he that is so hardy, as after this manner to molest the giant Despair?" Mr. GreatHeart replied, "It is I, Great-Heart, one of the King of the celestial country's conductors of pilgrims to their place and I demand of thee, that thou open thy gates for my entrance; prepare thyself also to fight, for I am come to take away thy head, and to demolish Doubting Castle."

Now giant Despair, because he was a giant, thought no man could overcome him; and again, thought he," Since heretofore I have made a conquest of angels, shall Great-Heart make me afraid?” So he harnessed himself, and went out he had a cap of steel upon his head, a breastplate of fire girded to him, and he came out in iron shoes, with a great club in his hands.Then these six men made up to him, and beset him behind and before: also when Diffidence, the giantess, came up to help him, old Mr. Honest cut her down at one blow. Then they fought for their lives, and giant Despair was brought down to the ground, but was very loath to die; he struggled hard, and had, as they say, as many lives as a cat: but Great- Heart was his death; for he left him not till he had severed his head from his shoulders.

Then they fell to demolishing Doubting Castle; and that you know, might with ease be done, since giant Despair was dead. They were seven days in destroying of that: and in it, of pilgrims, they found one Mr. Despondency, almost starved to death, and one Much-Afraid his daughter; these two they saved alive. But it would have made you have wondered to have seen the dead bodies that lay here

Mr. Great-Heart releases Mr. Despondency and his Daughter.

and there in the castle-yard, and how full of dead men's bones the dungeon was.

When Mr. Great-Heart and his companions had performed this exploit, they took Mr. Despondency, and his daughter Much-Afraid, into their protection, for they were honest people, though they were prisoners in Doubting Castle to that giant Despair. They therefore, I say, took with them the head of the giant, for his body they hid under a heap of stones; and down to the road and to their companions they came, and shewed them what they had done. Now when Feeble-Mind and Ready-to-Halt saw that it was the head of giant Despair indeed, they were very jocund and merry. Now Christiana, if need was, could play upon the viol, and her daughter Mercy upon the lute: so since they were so merry disposed, she played them a lesson, and Ready-toHalt would dance. So he took Despondency's daughter, named Much-Afraid, by the hand, and to dancing they went, in the road. True, he could not dance without one crutch in his hand; but I promise you he footed it well: also the girl was to be commended, for she answered the music handsomely.

As for Mr. Despondency, the music was not much to him he was for feeding, rather than dancing, for that he was almost starved. So Christiana gave him some of her bottle of spirits, for present relief, and then prepared him something to eat; and in a little time the old gentleman came to himself, and began to be finely revived.

Now I saw in my dream, when all these things were finished, Mr. Great-Heart took the head of giant Despair, and set it upon a pole by the highway side, right over against a pillar that Christian erected for a caution to pilgrims that came after, to take heed of entering into his grounds.

Then he writ under it, upon a marble stone, these rveses following:

The Pilgrims arrive at the Delectable Mountains.

[A Monument of Deliverance.]
"This is the head of him, whose name only,
In former time, did pilgrims terrify.

His castle's down, and Diffidence, his wife,
Brave master Great-Heart has bereft of life.
Despondency, his daughter Much-Afraid,
Great-Heart for them also a man has play'd.
Who hereof doubts, if he'll but cast his eye
Up hither, may his scruples satisfy.

This head also, when doubting cripples dance,
Doth shew from fears they have deliverance."

When those men had thus bravely shewed themselves against Doubting Castle, and had slain Despair, they went forward, and went on till they came to the Delectable Mountains, where Christian and Hopeful refreshed themselves with the varieties of the place. They also acquainted themselves with the Shepherds there, who welcomed them, as they had done Christian before, unto the Delectable Mountains.

Now the Shepherds, seeing so great a train follow Mr. Great-Heart, (for with him they were well acquainted,) they said unto him, "Good Sir, you have got a goodly company here; pray where did you find all these "

[The Guide's Speech to the Shepherds.]

"First, here is Christiana and her train,

Her, and her sons' wives, who, like the wain,
Keep by the pole, and do by compass steer
From sin to grace, else they had not been here.
Next, here's old Honest come on pilgrimage;
Ready-to-Halt too, who, I dare engage,
True-hearted is, and so is Feeble-Mind,
Who willing was not to be left behind;
Despondency, good man, is coming after,
And so is also Much-Afraid his daughter.-
May we have entertainment here, or must

We further go? Let's know whereon to trust."

Then said the Shepherds, This is a comfortable company; you are welcome to us, for we have for the feeble, as for the strong: our Prince has an eye to what is done to the least of these, Matt. xxv. 40:

The Pilgrims are welcomed by the Shepherds.

therefore infirmity must not be a block to our entertainment. So they had them to the palace doors, and then said unto them, "Come in, Mr. FeebleMind; come in, Mr. Ready-to-Halt; come in, Mr. Despondency, and Mrs. Much-Afraid his daughter; these, Mr. Great-Heart," said the Shepherds to the guide, "we call in by name, for that they are most subject to draw back; but as for you, and the rest that are strong, we leave you to your wonted liberty." Then said Mr. Great-Heart, "This day I see that grace doth shine in your faces, and that you are my Lord's shepherds indeed; for that you have not pushed these diseased neither with side nor shoulder, but have rather strewed their way into their palace with flowers, as you should." Ezek. xxxiv. 21.

So the feeble and weak went in, and Mr. GreatHeart and the rest did follow. When they were also sat down, the Shepherds said to those of the weaker sort, What is that you would have? For, said they, all things must be managed here to the supporting of the weak, as well as the warning of the unruly.

So they made them a feast of things easy of digestion, and that were pleasant to the palate, and nourishing: the which when they had received, they went to their rest, each one respectively unto his proper place. When morning was come, because the mountains were high, and the day clear; and because it was the custom of the Shepherds to shew the pilgrims, before their departure, some rarities; therefore, after they were ready, and had refreshed themselves, the Shepherds took them out into the fields, and shewed them first what they had shewed to Christian before. See Part I.

Then they had them to some new places. The first was mount Marvel, where they looked, and behold a man at a distance, that tumbled the hills about with words. Then they asked the Shepherds what that should mean? So they told them that that man