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44 So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to behold; he was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride; he had wings like a dragon, and feet like a bear; and from him came fire and smoke; and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question him.

. Whence came you, and whither are you bound?

. I am come from the city of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and I am going to the city of Zion.

. By this I perceive that thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground.

. I was, indeed, born in your dominions, but your service was hard, and your wages such as man could not live on; for the wages of sin is death; therefore, when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate persons do, look out if perhaps I might mend myself.

. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will afford I do here promise to give thee.

. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?

. Thou hast done in this according to the