But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to
it; for he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend
coming over the field to meet him; his name is Apollyon. Then did
Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast in his mind whether to go back
or to stand his ground: But he considered again that he had no armor for
his back, and therefore thought that to turn the back to him might give
him the greater advantage with ease to pierce him with his darts.
Therefore he resolved to venture and stand his ground; for, thought he,
had I no more in mine eye than the saving of my life, 'twould be the
best way to stand.
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, feet like a bear, and out of his belly 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 with him.
_Apollyon_--Whence come you? and whither are you bound?
_Christian_--I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place
of all evil, and am going to the City of Zion.
_Apollyon_--By this I perceive 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.
_Christian_--I was born indeed in your dominions, but your service was
hard, and your wages such as a 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.
_Apollyon_--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; what our country will afford,
I do here promise to give thee.
_Christian_--But I have let myself to another, even to the King of
Princes, and how can I with fairness go back with thee?
_Apollyon_--Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, changed a
bad for a worse; but it is ordinary for those that have professed
themselves his servants, after a while to give him the slip and return
again to me: Do thou so too, and all shall be well.
_Christian_--I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him:
how then can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor?
_Apollyon_--Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by
all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back.
_Christian_--What I promised thee was in my nonage; and besides, I count
that the Prince under whose banner now I stand is able to absolve me;
yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee: and
besides, O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service,
his wages, his servants, his government, his company and country, better
than thine; and therefore leave off to persuade me further; I am his
servant, and I will follow him.
_Apollyon_--Consider again when thou art in cool blood, what thou art
like to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for
the most part his servants come to an ill end, because they are
transgressors against me and my ways: How many of them have been put to
shameful deaths; and besides, thou countest his service better than
mine, whereas he never came yet from the place where he is to deliver
any that served him out of our hands; but as for me, how many times, as
all the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or
fraud, those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though
taken by them; and so I will deliver thee.
_Christian_--His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to
try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end: and as for
the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their
account; for, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it, for
they stay for their glory, and then they shall have it, when their
Prince comes in his, and the glory of the angels.
_Apollyon_--Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him, and
how dost thou think to receive wages of him?
_Christian_--Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to him?
_Apollyon_--Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost
choked in the Gulf of Despond; thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid
of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had
taken it off; thou didst sinfully sleep and lose thy choice thing; thou
wast also almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions; and
when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast heard and seen,
thou art inwardly desirous of vainglory in all that thou sayest or
doest.
_Christian_--All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out;
but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful, and ready to forgive;
but besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country, for there I
sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and
have obtained pardon of my Prince.
_Apollyon_--Then Apollyon broke out into grievous rage, saying, I am an
enemy to this Prince; I hate his person, his laws and people: I am come
out on purpose to withstand thee.
_Christian_--Apollyon, beware what you do, for I am in the King's
highway, the way of holiness, therefore take heed to yourself.
_Apollyon_--Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the
way, and said, I am void of fear in this matter; prepare thyself to die;
for I swear by my infernal den, that thou shalt go no further; here will
I spill thy soul.
And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast, but Christian had a
shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so prevented the danger
of that.
Then did Christian draw, for he saw 'twas time to bestir him: and
Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the
which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon
wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give a
little back; Apollyon therefore followed his work amain, and Christian
again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore
combat lasted for above half a day, even till Christian was almost quite
spent; for you must know that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must
needs grow weaker and weaker.
Then Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to
Christian, and wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with
that Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am
sure of thee now; and with that he had almost pressed him to death, so
that Christian began to despair of life: but as God would have it, while
Apollyon was fetching of his last blow, thereby to make a full end of
this good man, Christian nimbly stretched out his hand for his sword,
and caught it, saying, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy! when I
fall I shall arise;" and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made
him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound; Christian,
perceiving that, made at him again, saying, "Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us." And with that
Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, that
Christian for a season saw him no more.
In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard as I
did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the
fight; he spake like a dragon; and on the other side, what sighs and
groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him all the while give
so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had wounded Apollyon
with his two-edged sword; then indeed he did smile, and look upward; but
'twas the dreadfulest sight that ever I saw.
So when the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to
him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, to him that did
help me against Apollyon. And so he did, saying:--
Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend,
Designed my ruin; therefore to this end
He sent him harnessed out: and he with rage
That hellish was, did fiercely me engage:
But blessed Michael helped me, and I
By dint of sword did quickly make him fly.
Therefore to him let me give lasting praise,
And thank and bless his holy name always.
Then there came to him a hand, with some of the leaves of the tree of
life, the which Christian took, and applied to the wounds that he had
received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in
that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given him a
little before; so being refreshed, he addressed himself to his journey,
with his sword drawn in his hand; for he said, I know not but some other
enemy may be at hand. But he met with no other affront from Apollyon
quite through this valley.