{291} So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes them into the castle-yard, and shows them, as his wife had bidden him.  These, said he, were pilgrims as you are, once, and they trespassed in my grounds, as you have done; and when I thought fit, I tore them in pieces, and so, within ten days, I will do you.  Go, get you down to your den again; and with that he beat them all the way thither.  They lay, therefore, all day on Saturday in a lamentable case, as before.  Now, when night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband, the Giant, were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; and withal the old Giant wondered, that he could neither by his blows nor his counsel bring them to an end.  And with that his wife replied, I fear, said she, that they live in hope that some will come to relieve them, or that they have picklocks about them, by the means of which they hope to escape.  And sayest thou so, my dear? said the Giant; I will, therefore, search them in the morning.

{292} Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day.

Now a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in passionate speech:  What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking Dungeon, when l may as well walk at liberty.  I have a Key in my bosom called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any Lock in Doubting Castle.  Then said Hopeful, That’s good news; good Brother pluck it out of thy bosom and try.

A key in Christian’s bosom, called Promise, opens any lock in Doubting Castle

Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the Dungeon door, whose bolt (as he turned the Key) gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out.  Then he went to the outward door that leads into the Castle-yard, and with his Key opened that door also.  After he went to the iron Gate, for that must be opened too, but that Lock went damnable hard, yet the Key did open it.  Then they thrust open the Gate to make their escape with speed; but that Gate as it opened made such a creaking, that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his Prisoners, felt his limbs to fail, for his Fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them.  Then they went on, and came to the King’s High-way again, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction

{294} Now, when they were over the stile, they began to contrive with themselves what they should do at that stile to prevent those that should come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair.  So they consented to erect there a pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof this sentence —­ “Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial Country, and seeks to destroy his holy pilgrims.”  Many, therefore, that followed after read what was written, and escaped the danger.  This done, they sang as follows:  —­