THE PLACE WHERE CHRISTIAN FOUGHT APOLLYON. 249

Great. “’T is true,” said their guide; “I have gone through this valley many a
time, and never was better than when here. I have also been a conductor to several
pilgrims, and they have confessed the same. ‘To this man will I look,’ saith the King,
‘even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.”

Now they were come to the place where the afore-mentioned battle was fought.
Then said the guide to Christiana, her children, and Merey, “This is the place; on
this ground Christian stood, and up there came Apollyon against him. And look—
did not I tell you ?—here is some of your husband’s blood upon these stones to this
day. Behold, also, how here and there are yet to be seen upon the place some of the
shivers of Apollyon’s broken darts. See also how they did beat the ground with their
feet as they fought, to make good their places against each other; how also, with their
by-blows, they did split the very stones in pieces. Verily, Christian did here play the
man, and showed himself as stout as could, had he been there, even Hercules himself.
When Apollyon was beat, he made his retreat to the next valley, that is called the
Valley of the Shadow of Death, unto which we shall come anon. Lo, yonder also
stands a monument, on which is engraven this battle, and Christian’s victory, to his
fame throughout all ages.”

So, because it stood just on the way-side before them, they stepped to it, and read
the writing, which word for word was this:

‘ Hard by here was a battle fought,
Most strange, and yet most true;
Christian and Apollyon sought
Each other to subdue.

‘The man so bravely played the man,
He made the fiend to fly ;
Of which a monument I stand,
The same to testify.”

When they had passed by this place, they came upon the borders of the Shadow of
Death. This valley was longer than the other; a place also most strangely haunted
with evil things, as many are able to testify; but these women and children went the
better through it, because they had daylight, and because Mr. Great-heart was their
conductor.

When they were entered upon this valley, they thought that they heard a groaning,
as of dead men—a very great groaning. They thought also that they did hear words

of lamentation spoken, as of some in extreme torment. These things made the boys
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