CHAPTER X.
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.
NOW at the end of this vale was one more, known as the Vale of theShade of Death, and Christian must needs go through it, for this cause,that the way to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it.
I saw then in my dream, so far as the bounds of the vale, there was onthe right hand a most deep ditch; that ditch is it to which the blindhave led the blind in each age, and have both there lost their lives.
Once more, lo, on the left hand there was a fell quag, in the which,strange to say, if a good man falls he finds no ground for his foot tostand on.
The path was here quite strait, and hence good Christian was the moreput to it; for when he sought in the dark to shun the ditch on the onehand, he was prone to tip on one side souse in the mire on the next.
Nigh the midst of the vale I saw the mouth of hell to be, and it stood,too, hard by the side of the way. And at times the flame and smokewould come out so thick and with such force, that he had to put up hissword and seize more fit arms, known as _All-prayer_; so I heard himcry, "O Lord, I pray thee save my soul!"
Thus he went on a great while; and as he came to a place where hethought he heard a band of fiends come forth to meet him, he stopt, anddid muse what he had best to do. He brought to mind how he had of lateheld his foes at bay, and that the risk to go back might be much morethan to go on. So he made up his mind to go on: yet the fiends didseem to come near and more near. But when they were come just at himhe did cry with a loud voice, "I will walk in the strength of the LordGod": so they gave back, and came on no more.
When Christian had trod on in this lorn state some length of time, hethought he heard the voice of a man, as if in front of him, say thus:"Though I walk through the vale of the shade of death I will fear noill: for Thou art with me."
Then was he glad for that he learnt from thence that some who fear Godwere in this vale as well as he; that God was with them, though in thatdark and dire state. So he went on. And by and by the day broke. Thensaid Christian, "He doth turn the shade of death to morn."
Now as morn had come, he gave a look back to see by the light of theday what risks he had gone through in the dark. So he had a more clearview of the ditch that was on the one hand, and the quag that was onthe next; in like way he saw how strait the way was which lay twixtthem both. And just at this time the sun rose; and this was one moreboon to Christian: for, from the place where he now stood as far as tothe end of the vale, the way was all through set so full of snares,traps, gins, and nets, here; and so full of pits, falls, deep holes,and slopes, down there; that had it now been dark, as it was when hecame the first part of the way, had he had five times ten score souls,they had for this cause been cast off. But, as I said just now, the sundid rise.
In this light hence he came to the end of the vale.
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress: In Words of One Syllable Page 10
