misery, and to mourn under their distress:  so all that day they spent the time in nothing but sighs and bitter lamentations.  The next night she talking with her Husband about them further, and understanding that they were yet alive, did advise him to counsel them to make away themselves.  So when morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner as before, and perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given them the day before, he told them, that since they were never like to come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves, either with Knife, Halter, or Poison.  For why, said he, should you chuse life, seeing it is attended with so much bitterness?  But they desired him to let them go.  With that he looked ugly upon them, and rushing to them had doubtless made an end of them himself, but that he fell into one of his Fits (for he sometimes in Sunshine weather fell into Fits) and lost for a time the use of his hand; wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before, to consider what to do.  Then did the Prisoners consult between themselves, whether ’twas best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began to discourse:—­

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 chuseth strangling rather than life, and the Grave is more easy for me than this Dungeon.  Shall we be ruled by the Giant?

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, whither 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 that 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 but he may in 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’s 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.