Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/63

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The Pilgrim's Progress.
59

friends to the gate; and, there he asked the porter if he saw any pilgrim; pass by. Then the porter answered, Yes,

Chr. Pray, did you know him? said he.

Port. I asked his name, and he told me it was Faithful.

Chr. Oh, said Christian, I know him; he is my townsman, my near neighbour; he comes from the place where I was born. How far do you think he may be before?

Port. He has got by this time below the hill.

Chr. Well, Said Christian, good porter, the Lord be with thee, and add to all thy blessings much increase for the kindness thou hast showed to me.

Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence would accompany him down the foot of the hill. So they went on together reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go down the hill. Then said Christian, As it was difficult coming up, so, so far as I can see, it is dangerous going down. Yes, said Prudence, so it is; for it is a hard matter for a men to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, as thou, art now, end to catch no slip by the way; therefore, said they, are we come out to accompany thee down the hill. So he began to go down the hill, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two.

Then I saw in my dream, that these good companions, when Christian was gone down to the bottom of the hill, gave him at loaf of bread, a, bottle of Wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he went his way.

Whilst Christian is among his godly friends,
Their golden mouths make him sufficient 'mends
For all his griefs; and when they let him go,
He's clad with northern steel from top to toe.

But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to it; for he haul gone but a little way before he espied a, foul field coming over the field to meet him: his, name is Apollyon. Then. did Christian, begin to be afraid, and to cast in his, mind whether, to go back or to