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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, James, and Joseph: 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.'f

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So Mr. Great-Heart, old Honest, and the four young men, went to go up to Doubting Castle, to 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 GreatHeart make me afraid? So he harnessed himself, and went out. He had a cap of steel upon his head, a breast-plate of fire girded to him, and he came out in iron shoes, with a great club in his hand.

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 loth 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 daugh

* 1 John ii. 13, 14.

† Isaiah xi. G.

ter; these two they saved alive. But it would have made you wonder to have seen the dead bodies that lay here 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 had buried under a heap of stones;) and down to the road, and to their companions they came, and showed them what they had done.

Now when Feeble-Mind and Ready-to-halt saw that it was the head of the 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, they played them a lesson; and Readyto-halt would dance: so he took Despondency's daughter, 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 so 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 the 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 verses following:

[A monument of deliverance.]

This is the head of him, whose name only
In former times 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 the man has play'd.

Who hereof doubts; if he'll but cast his eye
Up hither, may his scruples satisfy.

This head, also, where doubting cripples dance,

Doth show from fears they have deliverance.

When these men had thus bravely showed themselves against Doubting Castle, and had slain Giant 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 sons, and her sons' wives, who, like the Wain,
Keep by the Pole, and do my 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 was not willing to be left behind:
Despondency, good man, is coming after;
And so also is Much-afraid, his daughter.
May we have entertainment here, or must
We farther 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. 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. Feeble-Mind; come in, Mr. Readyto-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

Matt. xxv. 40.

neither with side nor shoulder;* but have rather strewed their way into the palace with flowers as you should."

So the feeble and weak went in; and Mr. Great-Heart and the rest did follow. When they were all sat down, the Shepherds said to those of the weaker sort, "What is it 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 show 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 showed them first, what they had showed to Christian before.

Then they had them to some new places. The first was Mount-Marvel; where they looked and beheld 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 was the son of one Mr. GreatGrace; (of whom you read in the first part of the records of the Pilgrim's Progress :) and he is set there, to teach pilgrims how to believe down, or to tumble out of their ways, what difficulties they should meet with, by faith." Then said Mr. Great-Heart, "I know him; he is a man above many."

Then they had them to another place called Mount Innocence; and where they saw a man clothed all in white; and two men, Prejudice and Ill-will, continually casting dirt upon him. Now, behold, the dirt, whatsoever they cast at him, would in a little time fall off again, and his garment would look as clear as if no dirt had been cast thereat.

Then said the pilgrims, "What means this?" The Shepherds answered; "This man is named Godly-man; and the garment is to show the innocency of his life. Now, those that throw dirt at him, are such as hate his well-doing; but, as you see, the dirt will not stick upon his clothes: so it shall be with him that lives innocently in the world. Whoever they be that would make such men dirty, they labor all in vain; for God, by that a little time is spent, will cause

Ezek. xxxiv. 21.

† Mark xi. 23, 24.

that their innocence shall break forth as the light, and their righteousness as the noon-day.

Then they took them, and had them to Mount Charity; where they showed them a man that had a bundle of cloth lying before him; out of which he cut coats and garments for the poor that stood about him; yet his bundle or roll of cloth was never the less.

Then said they, "What should this be?" "This is (said the Shepherds) to show you that he that has a heart to give of his labor to the poor, shall never want wherewithal. He that watereth, shall be watered himself. And the cake that the widow gave to the prophet, did not cause that she had ever the less in her barrel."

They had them also to the place, where they saw one Fool, and one Want-wit, washing of an Ethiopian, with an intention to make him white: but the more they washed him, the blacker he was. Then they asked the Shepherds what that should mean? So they told them; saying, “Thus it is with the vile person; all means used to get such a one a good name, shall in conclusion tend but to make him more abominable. Thus it was with the Pharisees; and so it shall be with all hypocrites.

Then said Mercy, the wife of Matthew, to Christiana her mother; "I would, if it might be, see the hole in the hill; or that commonly called the By-way to hell.”

So her mother brake her mind to the Shepherds. Then they went to the door; it was on the side of a hill; and they opened it, and bade Mercy hearken a while. So she hearkened; and heard one saying, "Cursed be my father for holding of my feet back from the way of peace and life;" and another said; "O! that I had been torn in pieces, before I had, to save my life, lost my soul;" and another said; "If I were to live again; how would I deny myself rather than come to this place!" Then there was, as if the very earth groaned and quaked under the feet of this young woman for fear; so she looked white, and came trembling away; saying, "Blessed be he and she that is delivered from this place!"

Now, when the Shepherds had shown them all these things; then they had them back to the palace, and entertained them with what the house would afford.

But Mercy, being a young and breeding woman, longed for something that she saw there, but was ashamed to ask. Her mother-in-law then asked her, what she ailed? for she looked as one not well. Then said Mercy, "There is a looking-glass hangs up in the dining room, off which I cannot take my mind: if therefore I have it not, I think I shall

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