Other things there were that belonged to the town of Manfoul, which if you adjoin to thefe, will yet give farther demonftration to all, The ftate of of the glory and ftrength of the place., Manfoul at It had always a fufficiency of provifion first. within its walls; it had the belt, molt wholefome, and excellent law, that then was extant in the world. There was not a rafcal, rogue, or traitorous person then within its walls; they were all true men, and falt joined together: and this you know is a great matter. And to all thefe it was always (fo long as it had the goodness to keep true to Shaddai the King) his countenance, his protection, and it was his delight, &c. Well, upon a time there was one Diabolus, a mighty giant, made an affault upon this famous town of Manfoul to take it, and make it his own habitation. This giant was king of the blacks or negroes, and a moft ravaging prince he was. We will, if you pleafe, first difcourfe of the original of this Diabolus, and then of his taking of this famous town of Manfoul.

The Devil.

This Diabolus is indeed a great and mighty prince, and yet both poor and beggarly. As to his original, he was at firit one of the fervants of King Shaddai, made, and aken, and put by him into high and mighty place; rea, was put into fuch principalities as belonged to the reft of his territories and dominions. This Diabolas was pade Son of the Morning, and a brave place he had of it: brought him much glory, and gave him much brightefs, an income that might have contented his Luciferian eart, had it not been insatiable and enlarged as hell itself. Well, he feeing himself thus exalted to greatnefs and onour, and raging in his mind for higher ftate and deree, what doth he, but begins to think with himself how e might fet up as Lord over all, and have the fole ower under Shaddai. (Now that did the King reserve for s Son, yea, and had already beftowed it upon him;) herefore he first confults with himself what had best to done, and then breaks his mind to fome other of his mpanions, to the which they alfo agreed. So, in fine, ey came to this iffue, that they fhould make an attempt on the King's Son to deftroy him, that the inheritance ght be theirs. Well, to be fhort, the treafon (as I faid) is concluded, the time appointed, the word given, the bels rendezvoufed, and the affault attempted. Now the ng and his Son being all, and always eye, could not but

difcern

difcern all paffages in his dominions; and he having al ways love for his Son as for himseif, could not, at what he faw, but be greatly provoked and offended; wherefore what does he but takes them in the very nick; and the fir trip that they made towards their defign, convicts them of their treafon, horrid rebellion, and confpiracy, that they had devifed, and now attempted to put into practice; and cafts them all together out of all place of truff, benefit honour, and preferment. This done, he banishes then the court, turns them down into the horrible pits, as fal bound in chains, never more to expect the leaft favour tron his hands, but to abide the judgment that he had appointed and that for ever, and yet.

Now, they being thus caft out of all place of trust, pro fit, and honour, and alfo knowing that they had loff the prince's favour for ever, being banished his courts an caft down to the horrible pits, you may be fure the would now add to their former pride, what malice an rage against Shaddai, and againft his Son, they could Wherefore, roving and ranging in much fury from pla to place, (if perhaps they might find fomething that w the King's to revenge, by fpoiling of that, themfelves him); at laft they happened into this fpacious country Universe, and steer their course towards the town of Ma foul; and confidering that that town was one of the chi works and delights of King Shaddai, what do they, bu after counsel taken, make an affault upon that. I fay, th knew that Manfoul belonged unto Shaddai, for they we there when he built it and beautified it for himself. when they had found the place, they fhouted horribly f joy, and roared on it as a lion upon the prey, faying, No we have found the prize and how to be revenged on Ki Shaddai for what he hath done to us. So they fat dow and called a council of war, and confidered with the felves what ways and methods they had beft to engage for the winning to themselves this famous town of Ma foul; and thefe four things were then propounded to confidered of:

Propofals.

1. Whether they had beft all of the to fhew themselves in this defign to town of Manfoul?

2. Whether they had beft to go and fit down agai Manfoul in their now ragged and beggarly guife?

3. Whether they had beft fhew to Manfoul their int tions, and what defign they came about; or whether to fault it with words and ways of deceit ?

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4. Whether they had not beft, to fome of their companions, to give out private orders to take the advantage, if they fee one, or more of the principal townfmen, to shoot them; if thereby they fhould judge their cause and defign will the better be promoted ?

It was anfwered, to the firft of thefe propofals, in the negative, to wit, That it would not be beit that all fhould fhew themfelves before the town; because the appearance of many of them might alarm and fright the town. Whereas a few, or but one of them, was not fo likely to do it. And to inforce this advice to take place, it was added further, that if Manfoul was frighted, or did take the alarm, it is impoffible, faid Diabolus, (for he spake now), that we fhould take the town; for that none can enter into it without its own confent. Let therefore but few, or but one, affault Manfoul, and in my opinion, faid Diabolus, let me be he. Wherefore to this they all agreed; and,

Then to the fecond propofal they came, namely, Whether they had beft to go and fit down before Manfoul in their now ragged and beggarly guife? To which it was anfwered alfo in the negative, By no means; and that becaufe, tho' the town of Manfoul had been made to know, and to have to do before now, with things that are invi fible, they did never as yet fee any of their fellow-crea tures in fo fad and rafcally condition as they. And this was the advice of that fierce Alecto. Then faid Apollyon, That advice is pertinent; for even one of us appearing to them as we are now, must needs both beget and multiply fuch thoughts in them, as will both put them into a conlternation of fpirit, and neceffitate them to put themselves upon their guard: and if fo, faid he, then, as my Lord Alecto faid but now, it is in vain for us to think of taking the town. Then faid that mighty giant Belzebub, the advice that already is given is fafe; for though the men of Manfoul have feen fuch things as we once were, yet hitherto they did never behold fuch things as we now are. And it is best, in mine opinion, to come upon them in such a gaife as is common to, and most familiar among them. To this, when they had confented, the next thing to be confidered was, In what shape, hue, or guife Diabolus had belt to fhew himself when he went about to make Manfoul his own. Then one said one thing and another the contrary: at-laft Lucifer anfwered, That, in his opinion, it was belt that his Lordship should affume the body fome of those creatures that they of the town had domi

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nion over: for, quoth he, these are not only familiar to them, but being under them, they will never imagine that an attempt should by them be made upon the town; and to blind ail, let him affume the body of one of these beasts that Manfoul deems to be wifer than any of the rest. This advice was applauded of all, fo it was determined that the giant Diabolus fhould affume the dragon; for that he was in thofe days as familiar with the town of Manfoul, as now is the bird with the boy. For nothing that was in its primitive ftate was at all amazing to them.

Then they proceeded to the third thing, which was, Whether they had beft to fhew their intentions or the defign of his coming to Manfoul or no? This alfo was anfwered in the negative; because of the weight that was in the former reafons, to wit, For that Manfoul were a ftrong people, a strong people in a strong town, whofe walls and gates were impregnable, (to fay nothing of their caftle), nor can they by any means be won but by their own confent. Besides, faid Legion, (for he gave answer to this), a difcovery of our intentions may make them fend to their King for aid, and if that be done, I know quickly what time of day it will be with us. Therefore let us affault them in all pretended fairness, covering our intentions with all manner of lies, Aatteries, delufive words, feigning things that never will be, and promifing that to them that they fhall never find. This is the way to win Manfoul, and to make them of themfelves to open their gates to us; yea, and to defire us too to come in to them. And the reafon why I think that this project will do, is, because the people of Manfoul now are every one fimple and innocent; all honeft and true. Nor do they as yet know what it is to be affaulted with fraud, guile, and hypocrify. They are Itrangers to lying and diffembling lips; wherefore we cannot, if thus we be disguised, by them at all be difcerned, our lies fhall go for true fayings, and our diffimulations for upright dealings. What we promife them, they will in that believe us; efpecially if in all our lies and feigned words we pretend great love to them, and that our defign is only their advantage and honour. Now there was not one bit of a reply against this; this went as current down as doth the water down a fteep defcent.

Wherefore they go to confider of the last proposal, which was, Whether they had not best give out orders to fome of their company, to fhoot fome one or more of the principal of the townfmen, if they judge that their caufe may be promoted thereby? This was carried in the affirmative,

affirmative, and the man that was defigned by this ftratagem to be destroyed, was one Mr Refiftance, otherwise called Captain Refiftance. And a great man in Manfoul this Captain Refiftance was; and a man that the giant Diabolus and his band more feared than they feared the whole town of Manfoul befides. Now, who fhould be the actor to do the murder, that was the next; and they appointed one Tifiphane, a fury of the lake, to do it.

The refult of

They thus having ended their council of war, rose up, and affayed to do as they had determined: they marched to their counsel. wards Manfoul, but all in a manner invi

fible, fave one, only one; nor did he approach the town in his own likeness, but under the fhape, and in the body of the dragon.

So they drew up and fat down before Ear-gate, for that was the place of hearing for all without the town, as Ear-gate was the place of perspection. So, as I faid, he came up with his train at the gate, and laid his ambufcade for Captain Resistance within bow-shot of the town. This done, the giant afcended up close to the gate, and called to the town of Manfoul for audience. Nor took he any with him, but one Ill-paufe, who was his orator in all difficult matters. Now, as I faid, he being come up to the gate, (as the manner of thofe times was), founded his trumpet for audience. At which the chief of the town of Mansoul, such as my Lord Innocent, my Lord Will-bewill, my Lord Mayor, Mr Recorder, and Captain Refiltance, came down to the wall to fee who was there, and what was the matter. And my Lord Will-be-will, when he had looked over and faw who Itood at the gate, demanded what he was, wherefore he was come, and why he roufed the town of Manfoul with fo unusual a found? Diab. Diabolus then, as if he had been a lamb, began his oration, and faid, Gentlemen of the famous town of Manfoul, I am, as you may perceive, no far dweller from you, but near, and one that is bound by the king to do you my homage, and what fervice 1 can; wherefore, that I may be faithful to myfelf and to you, Í have fomewhat of concern to impart unto you. Wherefore grant me your audience, and hear me patiently. And firit, I will affure you, it is not myself, but you, not mine, but your advantage, that I feek by what I now do, as will full well be made manifeft when I have opened my mind unto you. For, Gentlemen, I am (to tell you the truth)

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Diabolus his

oration."

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