.

The next night she, talking with her husband further
about them, and understanding that they were yet alive, 15
did advise him to counsel them to make away with 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, 20
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," he said, "should you choose to live, seeing it
is attended with so much bitterness?" 25

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 and lost for a time the use of his hands.
Wherefore he withdrew, and left them, as before, to 30
consider what to do.

Then did the prisoners consult between themselves,
whether it was best to take his counsel or no. But they
soon resolved to reject it; for it would be very wicked to
kill themselves; and, besides, something might soon
happen to enable them to make their escape.

Well, towards evening the giant goes down to the dungeon 5
again, to see if his prisoners had taken his counsel; but
when he came there, he found them alive. I say, he found
them alive; at which he fell into a grievous rage, and told
them that, seeing they had disobeyed his counsel, it should
be worse with them than if they had never been born. 10

At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian
fell into a swoon; but, coming a little to himself again,
they renewed their discourse about the giant's counsel,
and whether yet they had best take it or no. Now Christian
again seemed for doing it, but Hopeful reminded 15
him of the hardships and terrors he had already gone
through, and said that they ought to bear up with patience
as well as they could, and steadily reject the giant's
wicked counsel.

Now, night being come again, and the giant and his 20
wife being in bed, she asked him concerning the prisoners,
and if they had taken his counsel. To this he replied,
"They are sturdy rogues; they choose rather to bear all
hardships than to mak