way; wherefore they prepared for their journey. They sent for their friends; they conferred with them; they had some time set apart therein to commit each other to the protection of their Prince. There were, again, that brought of such things as they had, that were fit for the weak and the strong, for the women and the men, and so laded them with such things as were necessary. (Acts xxviii. 10.) Then they set forward on their way; and their friends accompanying them so far as was convenient, they again committed each other to the protection of their King, and parted.
They, therefore, that were of the pilgrims' company went on, and Mr. Great-heart went before them. Now the women and children being weakly, they were forced to go as they could bear; by which means Mr. Ready-to-halt and Mr. Feeble-mind had more to sympathize with their condition.
When they were gone from the townsmen, and when their friends had bid them farewell, they quickly came to the place where Faithful was put to death. Therefore they made a stand, and thanked Him that had enabled him to hear his cross so well; and the rather because they now found that they had a benefit by such manly sufferings as his were.
They went on, therefore, after this, a good way further, talking of Christian and Faithful, and how Hopeful joined himself to Christian after that Faithful was dead.
Now they were come up with the Hill Lucre, where the silver mine was which took Demas off from his pilgrimage, and into which, as some think, By-ends fell and perished; wherefore they considered that. But when they were come to the old monument that stood over against the Hill Lucre—to wit, to the pillar of salt, that stood also within view of Sodom and its stinking lake—they marvelled, as did Christian before, that men of that knowledge and ripeness of wit as they were should be so blind as to turn aside here. Only they considered again, that nature is not affected with the harms that others have met with, especially if that thing upon
