drew, and left them as before, to consider
what to do. Then did the prisoners consult between themselves
whether it was best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began
to discourse:--

{285} CHR. Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that
we now live is miserable. For my part I know not whether is best,
to live thus, or to die out of hand. "My soul chooseth strangling
rather than life", and the grave is more easy for me than this
dungeon. [Job 7:15] Shall we be ruled by the Giant?

{286} HOPE. Indeed, our present condition is dreadful, and death
would be far more welcome to me than thus for ever to abide;
but yet, let us consider, the Lord of the country to which we are
going hath said, Thou shalt do no murder: no, not to another man's
person; much more, then, are we forbidden to take his counsel to
kill ourselves. Besides, he that kills another, can but commit
murder upon his body; but for one to kill himself is to kill body
and soul at once. And, moreover, my brother, thou talkest of ease
in the grave; but hast thou forgotten the hell, for certain the
murderers go? "For no murderer hath eternal life," &c. And let
us consider, again, that all the law is not in the hand of Giant
Despair. Others, so far as I can understand, have been taken
by him, as well as we; and yet have escaped out of his hand. Who
knows, but the God that made the world may cause that Giant Despair
may die? or that, at some time or other, he may forget to lock
us in? or that he may, in a short time, have another of his fits
before us, and may lose the use of his limbs? and if ever that
should come to pass again, for my part, I am resolved to pluck
up the heart of a man, and to try my utmost to get from under his
hand. I was a fool that I did not try to do it before; but, however,
my brother, let us be patient, and endure a while. The time may
come that may give us a happy release; but let us not be our own
murderers. With these words Hopeful at present did moderate the
mind of his brother; so they continued together (in the dark) that
day, in their sad and doleful condition.

{287} Well, towards evening, the Giant goes down into the dungeon
again, to see if his prisoners had taken his counsel; but when he
came there he found them alive; and truly, alive was all; for now,
what for want of bread and water, and by reason of the wounds they
received when he beat them, they could do little but breathe. But,
I say