Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress: In Words of One Syllable

  CHAPTER IX.

  APOLLYON.

  BUT now, in this Vale of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put toit; for he had gone but a short way, when he saw a foul fiend comethrough the field to meet him: his name is Apollyon.

  So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the ghoul did shock one's eyesto look on: he was clad with scales like a fish; he had wings like ahuge bat, feet like a bear, and out of his throat came fire and smoke,and his mouth was as the mouth of the king of beasts. When he came upto Christian he gave him a look of scorn, and thus sought to sift him.

  _Apol._--"Whence came you? and to what place are you bound?"

  _Chr._--"I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place ofall ill, and am on my way to Mount Zion."

  _Apol._--"By this I know thou art one of my serfs; for all that landis mine; and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that thouhast run off from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou wilt serve meyet more, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground."

  _Chr._--"I was born, in sooth, in your realm, but to serve thee washard, and your pay such as a man could not live on; 'for the meed ofsin is death': for this cause, when I was come to years, I did, as somewho think do, look out if so be I might mend my state. I have let myhelp to some one else; and to no less than the King of Kings."

  _Apol._--"Think yet, while thou art in cool blood, what thou art liketo meet with in the way that thou dost go. Thou art not blind that forthe most part those who serve him come to an ill end, for that theyspurn my laws and walk not in my paths. What a host of them have beenput to deaths of shame! And still thou dost count that to serve him isbest; when, in sooth, he has not yet come from the place where he is,to save one that stood by his cause, out of my hands."

  _Chr._--"He does not seek so soon to save them, so as to try theirlove, and find if they will cleave to him to the end; and as for theill end thou dost say they come to, that tells for their good: for tobe set free now they do not much look for it; for they stay for theirmeed; and they shall have it when their Prince comes in the might ofthe bright hosts that wait on him."

  _Apol._--"Thou hast erst been false in thy turns to serve him; and howdost thou think to get pay of him?"

  _Chr._--"All this is true; but the Prince whom I serve and love is sureto show ruth. But, let me say, these faults held hold of me in thyland; for there I did suck them in, and they have made me groan andgrieve for them; whence I have got the grace of my Prince."

  Then Apollyon broke out in a sore rage, and said, "I am a foe to thisPrince: I hate him, his laws, and they who serve him. I am come outwith the view to make thee yield."

  _Chr._--"Apollyon, take heed what you do; for I am on the King's highroad, the way of grace; for which cause mind how you act."

  Then did Christian draw; for he saw it was time for him to stir; andApollyon as fast made at him, and threw darts as thick as hail, by thewhich, in spite of all that Christian could do to shift it, Apollyonhit him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give someback: Apollyon then went to his work with heart, and Christian oncemore took heart, and met his foe as well as he could.

  Then Apollyon, as he saw his time had come, made up close to Christian,and as he strove to throw him gave him a dread fall; and with thatChristian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, "I am sureof thee now!" and with that he did nigh press him to death; so thatChristian had slight hope of life. But, as God would have it, whileApollyon dealt his last blow, by that means to make a full end of thisgood man, Christian at once put out his hand for his sword, caught it,and said, "When I fall, I shall then rise"; and with that gave him afierce thrust, which made him give back as one that had got his deathwound. Christian saw that, and made at him once more, while he said,"Nay, in all these things we more than gain the prize through him thatloves us"; and with that Apollyon spread forth his foul wings and spedhim off, that Christian saw no more of him.

  So when the fight came to a close, Christian said, "I will here givethanks to him that hath kept me out of the mouth of the chief ofbeasts, to him that did help me in the strife with Apollyon."

  Then there came to him a hand with some of the leaves of the "tree oflife," the which Christian took and laid them on the wounds that he hadgot in the strife, and was made whole at once.