The trials that those men do meet withal, T
hat are obedient to the heavenly call,
Are manifold, and suited to the flesh,
And come, and come, and come again afresh;
That now, or sometime else, we by them may
Be taken, overcome, and cast away. 
Oh, let the pilgrims, let the pilgrims, then
Be vigilant, and quit themselves like men.

{183} Chr.  I am glad, my brother, that thou didst withstand this villain so bravely; for of all, as thou sayest, I think he has the wrong name; for he is so bold as to follow us in the streets, and to attempt to put us to shame before all men:  that is, to make us ashamed of that which is good; but if he was not himself audacious, he would never attempt to do as he does.  But let us still resist him; for notwithstanding all his bravadoes, he promoteth the fool and none else.  “The wise shall inherit glory, said Solomon, but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” [Prov. 3:35]

Faith.  I think we must cry to Him for help against Shame, who would have us to be valiant for the truth upon the earth.

Chr.  You say true; but did you meet nobody else in that valley?

Faith.  No, not I; for I had sunshine all the rest of the way through that, and also through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

{184} Chr.  It was well for you.  I am sure it fared far otherwise with me; I had for a long season, as soon almost as I entered into that valley, a dreadful combat with that foul fiend Apollyon; yea, I thought verily he would have killed me, especially when he got me down and crushed me under him, as if he would have crushed me to pieces; for as he threw me, my sword flew out of my hand; nay, he told me he was sure of me:  but I cried to God, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my troubles.  Then I entered into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and had no light for almost half the way through it.  I thought I should have been killed there, over and over; but at last day broke, and the sun rose, and I went through that which was behind with far more ease and quiet.

{185} Moreover, I saw in my dream, that as they went on, Faithful, as he chanced to look on one side, saw a man whose name is Talkative, walking at a distance beside them; for in this place there was room enough for them all to walk.  He was a tall man, and something more comely at a distance than at hand.  To this man Faithful addressed himself in this manner: 

Faith.  Friend, whither away?  Are you going to the heavenly country?

Talk.  I am going to the same place.

Faith.  That is well; then I hope we may have your good company.

Talk.  With a very good will will I be your companion.

{186} Faith.  Come on, then, and let us go together, and let us spend our time in discoursing of things that are profitable.

Talkative’s dislike of bad discourse