{291} 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 you down to your den again; and with that he beat
them all the way thither. 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, the Giant, 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
his counsel bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied,
I fear, said she, that they live in hope that some 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.
{292} 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 passionate speech: What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus
to lie in a stinking Dungeon, when l 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.
A key in Christian’s bosom, called Promise, opens any lock in
Doubting Castle
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 with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out.
Then he went to the outward 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 damnable
hard, yet the Key did open it. 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 High-way again, and so were safe,
because they were out of his jurisdiction
{294} Now, when they were over the stile, they began to contrive
with themselves what they should do at that stile to prevent those
that should come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair.
So they consented to erect 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. This done, they sang as follows: –
Out of the way we went, and then we found
What ’twas to tread upon forbidden ground;
And let them that come after have a care,
Lest heedlessness makes them, as we, to fare.
Lest they for trespassing his prisoners are,
Whose castle’s Doubting, and whose name’s Despair.
{295} They went then till they came to the Delectable Mountains,
which mountains belong to the Lord of that hill of which we have
spoken before; so they went up to the mountains, to behold the
gardens and orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water; 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, and they stood by the highway side. The
Pilgrims therefore went to them, and leaning upon their staves, (as
is common with weary pilgrims when they stand to talk with any by
the way), they asked, Whose Delectable Mountains are these? And
whose be the sheep that feed upon them?
Mountains delectable they now ascend,
Where Shepherds be, which to them do commend
Alluring things, and things that cautious are,
Pilgrims are steady kept by faith and fear.
{296} 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 10:11]
CHR. Is this the way to the Celestial City?
SHEP. You are just in your way.
CHR. How far is it thither?
SHEP. Too far for any but those that shall get thither indeed.
CHR. Is the way safe or dangerous?
SHEP. Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; but the transgressors
shall fall therein. [Hos. 14:9]
CHR. Is there, in this place, any relief for pilgrims that are
weary and faint in the way?
SHEP. The Lord of these mountains hath given us a charge not to be
forgetful to entertain strangers, therefore the good of the place
is before you. [Heb. 13:1-2]
{297} I saw also in my dream, that when the Shepherds perceived
that they were wayfaring men, they also put questions to them, to
which they made answer as in other places; as, Whence came you?
and, How got you into the way? and, By what means have you so
persevered therein? For but few of them that begin to come hither
do show their face on these mountains. But when the Shepherds heard
their answers, being pleased therewith, they looked very lovingly
upon them, and said, Welcome to the Delectable Mountains.
{298} The Shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience,
Watchful, and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to their
tents, and made them partake of that which was ready at present.
They said, moreover, We would that ye should stay here awhile, to
be acquainted with us; and yet more to solace yourselves with the
good of these Delectable Mountains. They then told them, that
they were content to stay; so they went to their rest that night,
because it was very late.
{299} Then I saw in my dream, that in the morning the Shepherds called
up to Christian and Hopeful to walk with them upon the mountains;
so they went forth with them, and walked a while, having a pleasant
prospect on every side. Then said the Shepherds one to another,
Shall we show these pilgrims some wonders? So when they had concluded
to do it, they had them first to the top of a hill called Error,
which was very steep on the furthest side, and bid them look down
to the bottom. So Christian and Hopeful looked down, and saw at
the bottom several men dashed all to pieces by a fall that they
had from the top. Then said Christian, What meaneth this? The
Shepherds answered, Have you not heard of them that were made to
err by hearkening to Hymeneus and Philetus as concerning the faith
of the resurrection of the body? [2 Tim. 2:17,18] They answered,
Yes. Then said the Shepherds, Those that you see lie dashed
in pieces at the bottom of this mountain are they; and they have
continued to this day unburied, as you see, for an example to others
to take heed how they clamber too high, or how they come too near
the brink of this mountain.
{300} Then I saw that they had them to the top of another mountain,
and the name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off; which,
when they did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking
up and down among the tombs that were there; and they perceived
that the men were blind, because they stumbled sometimes upon the
tombs, and because they could not get out from among them. Then
said Christian, What means this?
