When Apollyon met Christian he was not in
doubt for an instant, for the monster was hideous to behold: he had
scales like a fish, wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, out of his
belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion.
After some parleying he cast his dreadful dart, but Christian, without
more ado, put up his shield, drew his sword, and presently triumphed.
If Satan had turned himself, from his head to his ankles, into a man,
and had walked by Christian's side, and had talked with him, and had
agreed with him in everything he had to say, the bear's claws might have
peeped out, but Christian, instead of fighting, would have begun to
argue with himself whether the evidence of the face or the foot was the
stronger. He would have been just as likely to trust the face, and in a
few moments he would have been snapped up and carried off to hell. To
go on with my story: the night wore on in sophistry and struggle, and
no inner light dawned with the sun. Phyllis was much agitated, for in
the afternoon Charles was to return, and although amidst the crowd of
visitors she might be overlooked, she could not help seeing him.
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