him get up. So to it they went again, and the giant missed but little of all-to-breaking Mr. Great-heart's skull with his club.

Mr. Great-heart seeing that, runs to him in the full heat of his spirit, and pierceth him under the fifth rib. He is slain, With that the giant began to faint, and and his head could hold up his club no longer. Then disposed of. Mr. Great-heart seconded his blow, and smote the head of the giant from his shoulders. Then the women and children rejoiced, and Mr. Great-heart also praised God for the deliverance he had wrought.

When this was done, they amongst them erected a pillar, and fastened 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 stopped their way, he spared none,
But did them all abuse:

Discourse of the Fight.

Until that I, Great-heart, arose,

The pilgrims' guide to be;
Until that I did him oppose
That was their enemy.

303

Now I saw that they went on to the ascent that was a little way off cast up to be a prospect for pilgrims (that was the place from whence

Part I., p. 95.

Christian had the first sight of Faithful his brother). 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 caught 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 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. (2 Cor. iv.)

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

Discourse of

Great. It is my duty, said he, to the fight. mistrust my own ability, that I may

have reliance on Him that is stronger that all.

Chr. But what did you think when he fetched you down to the ground at the first blow?

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

Matthew here admires goodness.

Matt. 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 see 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

Old Honest asleep under an oak.

and his girdle.

came to it, they found an old pilgrim fast asleep. They knew that he was a pilgrim by his clothes, and his staff,

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?

Great. Come, man, be not so hot; here are 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

One saint sometimes takes another for his enemy.

to the Celestial Country.

Talk between Greatheart and he.

Hon. Then said Mr. Honest, I cry you 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.

Great. Why, what would, or could you have done, to have 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 it; for a Christian can never be overcome unless he should yield of himself.

Great. 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 easiest overcome of any.

Great. Well, now we are so happily met, pray let me

crave your name, and the name of the place you came from.

Hon. My name I cannot: but I came from the town of Stupidity; it lieth about four degrees beyond the City of Destruction.

Great. Oh! are you that countryman?

Whence Mr. Honest came.

Then I deem I have half a guess of you: your name is Old Honesty, is it not?

Hon. So the old gentleman blushed, and said, Not Honesty in the abstract: but Honest is my name; and I wish that my nature shall agree to what I am called. But, sir, said the old gentleman, how could you guess that I am such a man, since I came from such a place? Great. I had heard of you before, by my Master; for he knows all things that are done on the earth: but I have often wondered that any should come from your place, for your town is worse than is the City of Destruction itself.

Stupified ones are worse than those merely carnal.

Hon. Yes; we lie more off from the sun, and so are more cold and senseless; but was a man in a mountain of ice, yet if the Sun of Righteousness will arise upon him, his frozen heart shall feel a thaw; and thus it has been with me.

Great. I believe it, father Honest, I believe it; for I know the thing is true.

Then the old gentleman saluted all the pilgrims with a holy kiss of charity, and asked them of their names, and how they had fared since they set out on their pilgrimage.

and

Old Honest
Christi-

ana talk.

Chr. Then said Christiana, My name, I suppose, you have heard of: good Christian was my husband, and these four were his children. But can you think how the old gentleman was taken, when she told him who she was! He skipped, he smiled, and blessed them with a thousand good wishes, saying:

306

Old Honest's Blessing.

Hon. I have heard much of your husband, and of his travels and wars, which he underwent in his days. Be it spoken to your comfort, the name of your husband rings over all these parts of the world; his faith, his courage, his enduring, and his sincerity under all, has made his name famous.

He also talks with the boys.

Old Mr. Hon

on them.

And

Then he turned him to the boys, and asked of them their names, which they told him. then said he unto them: Matthew, be thou like Matthew the publican, not in vice, but in virtue (Matt. x. 3). Samuel, said he, be thou like Samuel the prophet, a man of est's blessing faith and prayer (Ps. xcix. 6). Joseph, said he, be thou like Joseph in Potiphar's house, chaste, and one that flies from temptation (Gen. xxxix.). And James, be thou like James the Just, and like James the brother of our Lord (Acts i. 13, 14). Then they told him of Mercy, and how she had left her own town and her kindred to come along with Christiana and with her sons. At that the old honest man said, Mercy, is thy name? by mercy shalt thou be sustained, and carried through all those difficulties that shall assault thee in thy way, till thou shalt come thither where thou shalt look the Fountain of Mercy in the face with comfort. All this while the guide, Mr. Great-heart, was very much pleased, and smiled upon his companion.

He blesseth Mercy.

Talk of one Fearing.

Now, as they walked along together, the guide asked the old gentleman if he did not know one Mr. Fearing, that

came on pilgrimage out of his parts.

Hon. Yes, very well, said he. He was a man that had the root of the matter in him; but he was one of the most troublesome pilgrims that ever I met with in all my days.

Great. I perceive you knew him; for you have given a very right character of him.