I have heard much of this place, but I never was here before now: Poor mau! he went here, all alone in the night; he had night almost quite through the way: also these fiends were busy about him, as if they would have torn him in pieces. Many have spoke of it, but none tell what the valley of the Shadow of Death should mean until they come in themselves. "The heart knows its own bitterness; a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy." To be here is a fearful thing.

Gr.-h. This is like doing business in great waters, or like going down into the deep; this is like being in the heart of the sea, and like going down to the bottoms of the mountains; now it seems as if the earth, with its bars, were about us for ever. "But let them that walk in darkness, and have no light, trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon their God." For my part, as I have told you already, I have gone often through this valley; and have been much harder put to it than I now am; and yet you see I am alive. I would not boast, for that I am not mine own saviour. But I trust we shall have a good deliverance. Come, pray for light to Him that can lighten our darkness, and that can rebuke, not only these, but all the Satans in hell.

So they cried and prayed, and God sent light and deliverance; for there was now no let in their way, no not there, where but now they were stopt with a pit. Yet they were not got through the valley so they went on still, and beheld great stinks and loathsome smells to the great annoyance of them. Then said Mercy to Christiana, There is not such pleasant being here as at the gate, or at the Interpreter's, or at the house where we lay last.'

'O but,' said one of the boys, it is not so bad to go through here, as it is to abide here always; and, for aught I know, one reason why we must go this way to the house prepared for us is, that our home might be made the sweeter to us.'

'Well said, Samuel,' quoth the guide, thou hast now spoke like a man.' 'Why, if ever I get out here again,' said the boy, I think I shall prize light and good way, better than ever I did in all my life.' Then said the

6

guide, We shall be out by and by.'

So on they went, and Joseph said, 'Cannot we see to the end of this valley as yet?' Then said the guide, Look to your feet, for we shall presently be among the snares.' So they looked to their feet, and went on; but were much troubled with the snares.-Now when they were come among the snares, they spied a man cast into the ditch on the left hand, with his flesh all rent and torn. Then said the guide, That is one Heedless, that was going this way; he has lain there a great while There was one Take-heed with him when he was taken and slain, but he escaped their hands. You cannot imagine how many are killed hereabouts, and yet men are so foolishly venturous, as to set out lightly on pilgrimage, and to come without a guide. Poor Christian, it was a wonder that he here escaped! but he was beloved of his God: also he had a good heart of his own, or else he could never have done it.'

Now they drew towards the end of the way; and just there, where Christian had seen the cave when he went by, out thence came forth Maul, a giant.

This Maul did use to spoil young pilgrims with sophistry; and he called Great-heart by his name, and said unto him, 'How many times have you been forbidden to do these things?" Then said Mr. Great-heart, What things?' 'What things! quoth the giant; you know what things: but I will put an end to your trade.' 'But pray,' said Mr. Great-heart, before we fall to it, let us understand wherefore we must fight.' (Now the women and children

1 Part i. p. 56.

* Maul did use to spoil young pilgrims with sophistry.] The author is not so happy in the choice of his name for this giant, as he is uniformly, in every other name introduced. Sophistry from a giant is not a very natural idea; besides, the name is terrific, implying to beat or ill use. Mr. Bunyan's idea however is excellent. The pilgrims and their conductor are opposed by this giant, who, different from the rest, begins with stating his grounds, and reasons for opposing then, and endeavouring to set the pilgrims against their guide, representing him as a kidnapper; and thus Satan raises up men, who by their sophistical arguments would wish to persuade men that religion is a bugbear invented by Priests to enslave the consciences of men, or a state engine made use of to keep the people in subjection.

stood trembling, and knew not what to do.) Quoth the giant, You rob the country, and rob it with the worst of thieves.' "These are but generals,' said Mr. Greatheart, come to particulars, man.'

Then said the giant, Thou practisest the craft of a kidnapper, thou gatherest up women and children, and carriest them into a strange country, to the weakening of my master's kingdom.-But now Great-heart replied, I am a servant of the God of heaven; my business is to persuade sinners to repentance; I am commanded to do my endeavour to turn men, women, and children, "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God;" and if this be indeed the ground of thy quarrel, let us fall to it as soon as thou wilt.

Then the giant came up, and Mr. Great-heart went to meet him and as he went he drew his sword; but the giant had a club. So without more ado, they fell to it, and at the first blow the giant struck Mr. Greatheart down upon one of his knees; with that the women and children cried: so Mr. Great-heart, recovering himself, laid about him in a full lusty manner, and gave the giant a wound in his arm; that he fought for the space of an hour, to that height of heat, that the breath came out of the giant's nostrils, as the heat doth out of a boiling caldron.

Then they sat down to rest them, but Mr. Great-heart betook himself to prayer; also the women and children did nothing but sigh and cry all the time that the battle did last.

When they had rested them, and taken breath, they both fell to it again; and Mr. Great-heart with a full blow fetched the giant down to the ground. Nay, hold, let me recover,' quoth he: so Mr. Great-heart let him fairly get up. So to it they went again, and the giant missed but little of breaking Mr. Great-heart's scull with his club.

Mr. Great-heart seeing that, runs to him in the full heat of his spirit, and pierced him under the fifth rib; with that the giant began to faint, and could hold up his club no longer. Then Mr. Great-heart seconded his blow, and smote the head of the giant from his shoulders.

Then the women and children rejoiced, and Mr. Greatheart also praised God for the deliverance he had wrought.

When this was done, they among them erected a pillar, and fastered the giant's head thereon, and wrote under it in letters that passengers might read:

He that did wear this head, was one
That pilgrims did misuse;

He stopp'd their way, he spared none,
But did them all abuse:

Until that I, Great-heart, arose,
The pilgrims' guide to be;
Until that I did him oppose,
That was their enemy.'

CHAP. VIII.

The pilgrims overtake Mr. Honest, who relates his own experience, and that of Mr. Fearing.

N little way off cast up to be a prospect for pilgrims,

OW I saw that they went to the ascent, that was a

(that was the place from whence Christian had the first sight of Faithful, his brother.1) Wherefore here they

sat down and rested; they also here did eat and drink, and make merry, for that they had gotten deliverance from this so dangerous an enemy. As they sat thus and did eat, Christiana asked the guide if he had got no hurt in the battle? Then said Mr. Great-heart, No, save a little on my flesh; yet that also shall be so far from being to my detriment, that it it is at present a proof of my love to my Master and you, and shall be a means, by grace, to increase my reward at last.

Chr. But was you not afraid, good sir, when you saw him come with his club?

It is my duty, said he, to distrust my own ability, that I may have reliance on Him that is stronger than all.a Chr. But what did you think, when he fetched you down to the ground at the first blow?

Why, I thought, quoth he, that so my Master himself was served, and yet he it was that conquered at last.

Mat. When you all have thought what you please, I think God has been wonderful good unto us, both in bringing us out of this valley, and in delivering us out of the hand of this enemy; for my part, I sce no reason why we should distrust our God any more, since he has now, and in such a place as this, given us such testimony of his love as this.

Then they got up and went forward.--Now a little before them stood an oak: and under it, when they came to it, they found an old pilgrim fast asleep: they knew that he was a pilgrim by his clothes, and his staff, and his girdle.

So the guide, Mr. Great-heart, awaked him; and the old gentleman, as he lifted up his eyes, cried out, 'What's the matter? Who are you? and what is your business here?'

Gr.-h: Come, man, be not so hot, here is none but friends. Yet the old man gets up, and stands upon his guard, and will know of them what they were. Then said the guide, My name is Great-heart; I am the guide of these pilgrims, which are going to the celestial country.

Then said Mr. Honest, I cry your mercy; I feared that you had been of the company of those that some time ago did rob Little-faith of his money; but now I look better about me, I perceive you are honester people.

Gr.-h. Why, what would or could you have done, or helped yourself, if we indeed had been of that company? Hon. Done! why I would have fought as long as breath had been in me; and had I so done, I am sure you could never have given me the worst on't; for a christian can never be overcome, unless he should yield himself.

Well said, father Honest, quoth the guide; for by this I know thou art a cock of the right kind, for thou hast said the truth.

Hon. And by this also I know that thou knowest what true pilgrimage is: for all others do think, that we are the soonest overcome of any.

Gr.-h. Well, now we are happily met, let me crave your name, and the name of the place you came from?