Page 12

Wherefore, at last, lighting under a little shelter, they sat down there until the day-break; but, being weary, they fell sleep. 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.

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 you must go along with me. So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. 

The Giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his castle, into a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men. (Psalm lxxxviii. 18.) 

...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 likely to come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves...

Chr: Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that we now live is miserable. For my part I know not whether is best, to live thus, or to die out of hand.

Hope: Indeed, our present condition is dreadful, and death would be far more welcome to me than thus for ever to abide; but yet, let us consider, the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, Thou shalt do no murder...

So they continued together in the dark that day, in their sad and doleful condition.

Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day.

 Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech: What a fool , quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle, Then said Hopeful, That is good news, good Brother; pluck it out of thy bosom, and try.

Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed, but that gate, as it opened, made such a creaking, that it waked Giant Despair, who, hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail, for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the King's highway, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction.

    They went then till they came to the Delectable Mountains...

where also they drank and washed themselves, and did freely eat of the vineyards. Now there were on the tops of these mountains shepherds feeding their flocks...

Shep: These mountains are Immanuel's Land, and they are within sight of his city; and the sheep also are his, and he laid down his life for them. (John x.11.)

The Shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere, took them by the hand...

Then said the Shepherds one to another, Let us here show to the pilgrims the gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our perspective glass. The pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion; so they had them to the top of the high hill, called Clear, and gave them their glass to look.