The Battle of Darkness and Light - Джон Мильтон

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he consented and stayed. When the morning was up, they had him to the top of the house, and bid him look south. So he did, and behold, at a great distance, he saw most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and fountains, very delectable to behold. Then he asked the name of the country. They said it was Immanuel’s Land; and it is as common, said they, as this hill is, to and for all the pilgrims. And when thou comest there, from thence thou mayest see to the gate of the Celestial City, as the shepherds that live there will make appear.

      Now he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing he should. But first, said they, let us go again into the armory. So they did; and when he came there they armed him from head to foot with the best armor, lest perhaps he should meet with assaults in the way. He being therefore thus equipped, walked out with his 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 neighbor; he comes from the place where I was born. How far do you think he may be before?

      Port. He is 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 me.

      The Fourth Stage

       Table of Contents

      Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So they went on together, repeating their former discourses, till they came to go down the hill. Then said Christian, As it was difficult coming up, 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 man to go down into the valley of Humiliation, as thou art now, and to meet with no fall or mishap by the way; therefore, said she, we are 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 got down to the bottom of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he went on his way.

      But now, in this valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to it; for he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend 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 stand his ground. But he considered again, that he had no armor for his back, and therefore thought that to turn the back to him might give him greater advantage with ease to pierce him with his darts; therefore he resolved to venture and stand his ground: for, thought he, had I no more in mine eye than the saving of my life, it would be the best way to stand.

      So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to behold; he was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride; he had wings like a dragon, and feet like a bear; and from him came fire and smoke; and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question him.

      Apollyon. Whence came you, and whither are you bound?

      Chr. I am come from the city of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and I am going to the city of Zion.

      Apol. By this I perceive that thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground.

      Chr. I was, indeed, born in your dominions, but your service was hard, and your wages such as man could not live on; for the wages of sin is death; therefore, when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate persons do, look out if perhaps I might mend myself.

      Apol. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will afford I do here promise to give thee.

      Chr. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?

      Apol. Thou hast done in this according to the

       CHARITY

       proverb, “changed a bad for a worse;” but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after a while to give him the slip, and return again to me. Do thou so too, and all shall be well.

      Chr. I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how then can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor.

      Apol. Thou didst the same by me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back.

      Chr. What I promised thee was before I was of age: and besides, I count that the Prince under whose banner I now stand is able to absolve me, yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliancy with thee. And besides, oh, thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than thine; therefore leave off to persuade me further: I am his servant, and I will follow him.

      Apol. Consider again, when thou art in cold blood, what art thou like to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most part his servants come to an ill end, because they are transgressors against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful deaths! And besides, thou countest his service better than mine; whereas he never yet came from the place where he is, to deliver any that served him out of their enemies’ hands: but as for me, how many times, as all the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by them! And so will I deliver thee.

      Chr. His forbearing at present to deliver them, is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end: and as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account. For, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it; for they stay for their glory; and then they shall have it, when their Prince comes in his and the glory of the angels.

      Apol. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how dost thou think to receive wages of him?

      Chr. Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to him?

      Apol. Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost choked in the Slough of Despond. Thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had taken it off. Thou didst simply sleep, and lose thy choice things. Thou wast almost persuaded also to go back at the sight of the lions. And when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast seen and heard, thou art inwardly desirous of vainglory in all thou sayest or doest.

      Chr. All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out, but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful, and ready to forgive. But besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country, for there I fell into them, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince.

      Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to this Prince; I

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