Giant Despair. Who knows but that God, who made the world, may
cause him to die, or lose the use of his limbs as he did at
first. I have made up my mind to pluck up the heart of a man, and
to try to get out of this strait. Fool that I was not to do so
when first he came to the cell. But let us not put an end to our
own lives, for a good time may come yet.

By these words did Hopeful change the tone of Christian's mind.

Well, at night the Giant went down to the cell to see if life was
still in them, and in good truth that life was in them was all
that could be said, for from their wounds and want of food they
did no more than just breathe. When Giant Despair found they were
not dead, he fell in a great rage, and said that it should be
worse with them if they had not been born. At this they shook
with fear, and Christian fell down in a swoon; but when he came
to, Hopeful said: My friend, call to mind how strong in faith you
have been till now. Say, could Apollyon hurt you, or all that you
heard, or saw, or felt in the Valley of the Shadow of Death? Look
at the fears, the griefs, the woes that you have gone through.
And now to be cast down! I, too, am in this cell, far more weak a
man than you, and Giant Despair dealt his blows at me as well as
you, and keeps me from food and light. Let us both (if but to
shun the shame) bear up as well as we can.

When night came on, the wife of Giant Despair said to him: Well,
will the two men yield?

To which he said: No; they choose to stand firm, and will not put
an end to their lives.