144 THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

found it hard work to quit myself like a man. No man can tell what in that combat
attends us, but he that hath been in the battle himself.

Horr. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one Great-Grace
was in the way.

Curis. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when Great-Grace
hath but appeared; and no marvel, for he is the King’s champion. But I trow you
will put some difference between Little-Faith and the King’s champion? All the
King’s subjects are not His champions, nor can they when tried do such feats of war
as he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliath as David did? or
that there should be the strength of an ox ina wren? Some are strong, some are
weak; some have great faith, some have little: this man was one of the weak, and
therefore he went to the wall. :

Hors. I would it had been Great-Grace for their sakes.

Curis. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full; for I must tell you that
though Great-Grace is excellent good at his weapons, and has, and can, so long as he
keeps them at sword’s point, do well enough with them; yet, if they get within him,
even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his
heels. And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?

Whoso looks well upon Great-Grace’s face will see thase scars and cuts there, that
shall easily give demonstration of what I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say
(and that when he was in the combat), “ We despaired even of life.” How did these
sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar! Yea, Heman,™
and Hezekiah too, though champions in their days, were forced to bestir when by
these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by
them. Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but though some do say
of him that he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so that they made him
at last afraid of a sorry girl.

Besides, their king is at their whistle—he is never out of hearing; and if at any
time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them; and of him it is
said, “The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the
habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot
make him flee; sling-stones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted as

18 ‘What can a man do in this case?

stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
It is true, if a man could at every turn have Job’s horse, and had skill and courage
to ride him, he might do notable things. For his neck is clothed with thunder. He

will not be afraid as the grasshopper : “the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth