130 THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

the stripes that he had given them the day before, he told them that, since they were
never like to come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an
end of themselves, either with knife, halter, or poison: “For why,” said he, “should
you choose hfe, seeing it is attended with so much bitterness?” But they desired
him to let them go. With that, he looked ugly upon them, and rushing to them, had
doubtless made an end of them himself, but that he fell into one of his fits (for he
sometimes, in sunshiny weather, fell into fits), and lost for a time the use of his hand;
wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before to consider what to do. Then did
the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it was best to take his counsel or
no; and thus they began to discourse:

Curis. “ Brother,” said Christian, “what shall we do? The life we. now live is
miserable. For my part, I know not whether is best, to live thus, or to die out of
hand. My soul chooseth strangling rather than life, and the grave is more easy for
me than this dungeon.” Shall we be ruled by the giant?”

Horr. Indeed, our present condition is dreadful; and death would be far more
welcome to me than thus for ever to abide. But yet, let us consider: the Lord of
the country to which we are going hath said, “Thou shalt do no murder,” no, not to
another man’s person; much more, then, are we forbidden to take his counsel to kill
ourselves. Besides, he that kills another can but commit murder upon 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,” ete. And let us consider
again, that all the law is 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
hand. 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 he 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 to 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 awhile: the time may come that may give us a happy release; but let us
not be our own murderers.

With these words, Hopeful at present did moderate the mind of his brother ; so they
continued together in the dark that day, in their sad and doleful condition.

Well, towards evening, the giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see if his
prisoners had taken his counsel. But, when he came there, he found them alive; and