Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/251

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The Pilgrim's Progress.
247

them, they Stepped to it, and read the writing, which, word for word, was this:—

Hard by here was a battle fought,
Most strange, and yet mast true;
Christian and Apollyon sought
Each other to subdue.

The man so bravely played the man,
He made the fiend to fly;
Of which a monument I stand,
The same to testify.

When they had passed by this place, they came upon the borders of the Shadow of Death. And the valley was longer than the other; a place, also, meet strangely haunted with evil things, many are able to testify, But these women children went the better through it because they had daylight, and because Mr. Great-heart was their conductor.

When they were entered upon this valley, they thought that they heard a groaning as of dying men—a very great groaning. Their thought also, that they did hear words of lamentation, spoken as of some in extreme torment; These things made the boys to quake, the women also looked pale and wan; but their guide bid them be of good comfort.

So they went on a little further, and they thought that they felt the ground begin to shake under them, as if some hollow place was there; they heard also a kind of hissing as of serpents, but nothing as yet appeared. Then said the boys, Are we not yet at the end of this doleful place? But the guide also bid them be of good courage, and look well to their feet, lest haply, said he, you be taken in some snare.

Now James began to the be sick, but I think the cause thereof was fear to mother gave him some of that glass, of spirits that had been given her at the Interpreter's house, and three of the pills, that Mr, Skill had prepared, and the boy, began to revive. Thus they went on, till they came