THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION. 245

CHAPTER VI.
THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.

(| OW they began to go down the hill into the Valley of Humiliation. It was a

  

|, steep hill, and the way was slippery; but they were very careful, so they got
SS down pretty well. When they were down in the valley, Piety said to Chris-

tiana, “ This is the place where Christian, your husband, met with the foul fiend
Apollyon, and where they had that dreadful fight that they had: IT know you cannot
but have heard thereof. But be of good courage: as long as you have here Mr. Great-
heart to be your guide and conductor, we hope you will fare the better.”

So, when these two had committed the pilgrims unto the conduct of their guide, he
went forward, and they went after. ©

Great. Then said Mr. Great-heart, “ We need not to be so afraid of this valley,
for here is nothing to hurt us, unless we procure it to ourselves. It is true that Chris-
tian did here meet with Apollyon, with whom he had also a sore combat; but that
fray was the fruit of those slips that he got in his going down the hill; for they that
get slips there, must look for combats here. And hence it is that this valley has got
so hard a name. For the common people, when they hear that some frightful thing
has befallen such a one in such a place, are of an opinion that that place is haunted
with some foul fiend or evil spirit; when, alas! it is for the fruit of their doing that
such things do befall them there. This Valley of Humiliation is of itself as fruitful a
place as any the crow flies over; and I am persuaded, if we could hit upon it, we might
find, somewhere hereabouts, something that might give us an account why Christian
was so hardly beset in this place.”

Then James said to his mother, “ Lo, yonder stands a pillar, and it looks as if some-
thing was written thereon: let us go and see what it is.’ So they went, and found
there written, “ Let Christian’s slips before he came hither, and the battles that he met
with in this place, be a warning to those that come after.”

“Lol” said their guide, “did not I tell you that there was something hereabouts
that would give intimation of the reason why Christian was so hard beset in this place ?”
Then turning himself to Christiana, he said, “No disparagement to Christian, more