60 THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

one of my Lord’s most intimate associates fixed there the day that my burden fell off
my shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to
comfort me by reading as I go in the way; I was also bid to give it in at the celestial
gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all which things, I doubt, you want,
and want them because you came not in at the gate.

‘To these things they gave him no answer ; only they looked upon each other, and
laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that Christian kept before, who had
no more talk but with himself, and sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably ;
also he would be often reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by
which he was refreshed.

I beheld then that they all went on till they came to the foot of the Hill Difficulty,
at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other
ways, besides that which came straight from the gate; one turned to the left hand,
and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up
the hill, and the name of that going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian
now went to the spring,® and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go
up the hill, saying,

“The hill, though high, I covet to ascend ‘
The difficulty will not me offend,
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart, let’s neither faint nor fear.

Better, though dificult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe,”’

The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw that the hill
was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and supposing also
that these two ways might meet again with that up which Christian went, on the other
side of the hill; therefore they were resolved to go in those ways. Now, the name of
one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one
took the way which is‘called Danger, which led him into a great wood; and the other
took directly up the way to destruction, which led him into a wide field, full of dark
mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more.

I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell
from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and his knees,
because of the steepness of the place. Now, about the midway to the top of the hill
was a pleasant arbor, made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshment of weary
travellers. Thither, therefore, Christian got, where also he sat down to rest him ;