Chr.  But what have you met with? said Christian.

Men.  Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; but that, by good hap, we looked before us, and saw the danger before we came to it. [Ps. 44:19; 107:10]

Chr.  But what have you seen? said Christian.

{158} Men.  Seen!  Why, the Valley itself, which is as dark as pitch; we also saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit; we heard also in that Valley a continual howling and yelling, as of a people under unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction and irons; and over that Valley hangs the discouraging clouds of confusion.  Death also doth always spread his wings over it.  In a word, it is every whit dreadful, being utterly without order. [Job 3:5; 10:22]

Chr.  Then, said Christian, I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but that this is my way to the desired haven. [Jer. 2:6]

Men.  Be it thy way; we will not choose it for ours.  So, they parted, and Christian went on his way, but still with his sword drawn in his hand, for fear lest he should be assaulted.

{159} I saw then in my dream, so far as this valley reached, there was on the right hand a very deep ditch; that ditch is it into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished. [Ps. 69:14,15] Again, behold, on the left hand, there was a very dangerous quag, into which, if even a good man falls, he can find no bottom for his foot to stand on.  Into that quag King David once did fall, and had no doubt therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out.

{160} The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good Christian was the more put to it; for when he sought, in the dark, to shun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the other; also when he sought to escape the mire, without great carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch.  Thus he went on, and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for, besides the dangers mentioned above, the pathway was here so dark, and ofttimes, when he lift up his foot to set forward, he knew not where or upon what he should set it next.

Poor man! where art thou now? thy day is night. 
Good man, be not cast down, thou yet art right,
Thy way to heaven lies by the gates of Hell;
Cheer up, hold out, with thee it shall go well.

{161} About the midst of this valley, I perceived the mouth of hell to be, and it stood also hard by the wayside.  Now, thought Christian, what shall I do?  And ever and anon the flame and smoke would come out in such abundance, with sparks and hideous noises, (things that cared not for Christian’s sword, as did Apollyon before), that he was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to another weapon called All-prayer. [Eph. 6:18] So he cried in my hearing, “O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver