kills another can but commit murder on his body, but for one to kill himself, is to kill body and soul at once. And, moreover, my brother, thou talkest of ease in the grave; but hast thou forgotten the hell, whither for certain the murderers go? For no murderer hath eternal life. And let us consider again, that all laws are not in the hand of Giant Despair; others, so far as I can understand, have been taken by him, as well as we, and yet have escaped out of his hands. 7. Who knows but that God, who made the world, may cause that Giant Despair may die, or that at some time or other he may forget to lock us in; or that he may in a short time have another of his fits before us, and may lose the use of his limbs? And if ever that should come to pass again, for my part I am resolved to pluck up the heart of a man and try my utmost to get from under his hand. I was a fool that I did not try to do it before; but, however, my brother, let us be patient, and endure a while; the time may come that may give us a happy release; but let us not be our own murderers. With these words Hopeful did at present moderate the mind of his brother; so they continued together (in the dark) that day in their sad and doleful condition. LVI-THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. 1. Well, towards evening, the giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see if the prisoners had taken his counsel; but when he came there he found them alive; and truly, alive was all; for now, what for want of bread and water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them, they could do little but breathe. But I say he found them alive; at which he fell into a grievous rage, and told them that, seeing they had disobeyed his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had never been born. 2. At this they trembled greatly, and I think Christian fell into a swoon; but, coming a little to himself again, they renewed their discourse about the giant's counsel, and whether yet they had best take it or no. Now, Christian again seemed to be for doing it; but Hopeful made his second reply as followeth : 3. Hope. My brother, said he, rememberest thou not how valiant thou hast been heretofore? Apollyon could not crush thee, nor could all that thou didst hear or see or feel in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; what hardships, terror, and amazement hast thou already gone through, and art thou now nothing but fears? Thou seest that I am in the dungeon with thee, a far weaker man by nature than thou art; also, this giant hath wounded me as well as thee, and hath also cut off the bread and water from my mouth, and with thee I mourn without the light. But let us exercise a little more patience; remember how thou playedst the man at Vanity Fair, and wast neither afraid of the chain nor the cage, nor yet of bloody death; wherefore let us (at least to avoid the shame which becomes not a Christian to be found in) bear up with patience as well as we can. 4. Now, night being come again, and the giant and his wife being abed, she asked concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counsel; to which he replied, They are sturdy rogues; they choose rather to bear all hardships than to make away with themselves. Then said she, Take them into the castle-yard to-morrow and show them the bones and skulls of those thou hast already despatched, and make them believe, ere a week comes to an end thou wilt also tear them in pieces, as thou hast done their fellows before them. 5. So when the morning was come, the giant goes to them again, and takes them into the castle-yard, and shows them as his wife had bidden him. These, said he, were pilgrims, as you are, once; and they trespassed in my grounds as you have done; and when I thought fit I tore them in pieces; and so within ten days I will do you; go, get ye down to your den again; and with that he beat them all the way thither. 6. They lay, therefore, all day on Saturday in a lamentable case, as before. Now, when night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; and withal, the old giant wondered that he could neither by his blows nor counsel bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied, I fear, said she, that they live in hope that some one will come to relieve them, or that they have picklocks about them, by the means of which they hope to escape. And sayest thou so, my dear? said the giant; I will therefore search them in the morning. 7. 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 into 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's good news, good brother; pluck it out of thy bosom and try. with ease, and Chris 8. Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt (as he turned the key) gave back, and the door flew open tian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outer door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also. After, he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened too; but that lock went very hard, yet the key did open it. Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate made such a creaking that it waked Giant Despair, who, rising hastily 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 high-way, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction. 9. Now, when they were gone over the stile, they began to contrive with themselves what they should do at that stile to prevent those who should come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair. So they consented to crect there a pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof this sentence: "Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the king of the celestial country, and seeks to destroy his holy pilgrims." Many, therefore, that followed after, read what was written and escaped the danger. LVII.-ROCK ME TO SLEEP. MRS. ELIZABETH AKERS. 1. Backward, turn backward, O Time! in your flight, 2. Backward, flow backward, O swift tide of years! I have grown weary of dust and decay, 3. Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue, 4. Over my heart, in the days that are flown, No love like mother-love ever has shone. No other worship abides and endures None like a mother can charm away pain From the sorrowing soul and the world-weary brain; Slumber's soft calm o'er my heavy lids creep; Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep! 5. Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold, Fall on your shoulders again as of old; Let it fall over my forehead to-night, 6. Mother, dear mother! the years have been long Since last I was. hushed by your lullaby song; |