Then said Mr. Great-heart:
"He that will kill, must first be overcome;
Who live abroad would, first must die at home."
"Ha!" said Mr. Honest, "it is a hard one; hard to explain, and harder to do. But come, landlord," said he, "I will, if you please, leave my part to you: do you expound it, and I will hear what you say."
"No," said Gaius, "it was put to you, and it is expected you should answer it." Then said the old gentleman:
"He first by grace must conquered be,
That sin would mortify;
And who that lives would convince me,
Unto himself must die."
Thus they sat talking till break of day. Now, when the family were up, Christiana bade her son James read a chapter; so he read the fifty-third of Isaiah.
"Well," said Gaius, "now you are here, and since, as I know Mr. Great-heart is good at his weapons, if you please, after we have refreshed ourselves we will walk into the fields, to see if we can do any good. About a mile from hence there is one Slay-good, a giant, that doth much annoy the King's highway in these parts; and I know whereabout his haunt is. He is master of a number of thieves: 'twould be well if we could clear these parts of him."
So they consented and went; Mr. Great-heart with his sword, helmet, and shield, and the rest with spears and staves.
SLAY-GOOD DESTROYED
When they were come to the place where he was, they found him with one Feeble-minded in his hands, whom his servants had brought unto him, having taken him in the way. Now the giant was picking his pockets, with a purpose after that to pick his bones; for he was of the nature of flesh-eaters.