"Before I was afflicted, I went astray;
but now have I kept Thy word." {79b}

When he had almost reached the arbour, another danger awaited him; for in
the dim light round him he saw, as he thought, the form of an evil beast
lying in the pathway before him. Then did some of his old terrors begin
to trouble him; and he had turned aside, perhaps, out of the way, but
that the wholesome roughness of his staff still pricked his hand and
forced him to recall his former fall. Instead, therefore, of turning
aside, he looked into his book of light, and there he read in fiery
letters, "Thou shalt go upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and
the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet:" and this gave him comfort.
So, on he went, determining still to read in his book, and not to look at
all at that which affrighted him: and so it was, that when he came to the
place, he saw that it was only a bush, which his fears had turned into
the figure of a beast of prey; and at the same moment he found where it
was written in his book, "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast
shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall
walk there." {80}

And now he stood beside the arbour, where he rested a while, and then
pursued his journey. Now I noticed, that as he got further on the road,
and read more in his book, and leant upon his staff, that he grew bolder
and firmer in his gait: and I thought that I could see why Gehulfe, who
had been needful to him in his first weakness, had afterwards been
carried away from him: for surely he had leant more upon him, and less
upon his book and his good staff, unless he had walked there alone.

However this might be, he grew continually bolder. As he drew near the
last sad darkness, I began again to tremble for him; but I need not have
done so; for he walked on so straight through it, that it seemed scarcely
to make any difference to him at all. In the best part of the road his
feebleness had taught him to lean altogether upon Him who had so
mercifully helped him on the bank, and who had held up his fainting steps
hitherto; and this strength could hold him up as well even in this
extreme darkness. I heard him, as he parsed along, say, "When I am weak,
then am I strong;" and with that he broke out into singing:

"Through death's dark valley without fear
My feeble steps have trod,
Because I know my God is near;
I feel His staff and rod."

With that