Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/122

118 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 murderers go? for "no murderer hath eternal life," etc. 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 hands. Who knows but that God, who made, the world, mayﬂcause that Giant Despair may die,er that, at some time or other, he may forget to look us in; or. that he may in a short time have another of his fits before us, and 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, truly, alive was: all; for now, what for want of bread and water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them, they could do little but breathe; But, I say, he found them alive rat which he fell into a grievous rage, and told them that, seeing they had disobeyed his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had never been born.