his like hornets. For as there is nothing to the town of Mansoul so terrible as the roaring of Diabolus's drum, so there is nothing to Diabolus so terrible as the well playing of Emmanuel's slings. Wherefore Diabolus was forced to make another retreat, yet further off from the famous town of Mansoul. Then did the Lord Mayor of Mansoul cause the bells to be rung, "and that thanks should be sent to the Lord High Secretary by the mouth of the subordinate preacher; for that by his words the captains and elders of Mansoul had been strengthened against Diabolus." When Diabolus saw that his captains and soldiers, high lords and renowned, were frightened and beaten down by the stones that came from the golden slings of the Prince of the town of Mansoul, he bethought himself, and said, "I will try to catch them by fawning; I will try to flatter them into my net." Wherefore, after a while, he came down again to the wall, not now with his drum, nor with Captain Sepulchre; but having all besugared his lips, he seemed to be a very sweet-mouthed, peaceable prince, designing nothing for humour's sake, nor to be revenged on Mansoul for injuries by them done to him; but the welfare, and good, and advantage of the town and people therein was now, as he said, his only design. Wherefore, after he had called for audience, and desired that the townsfolk would give it to him, he proceeded in his oration, and said: “Oh, the desire of my heart, the famous town of Mansoul! how many nights have I watched, Rev. 12. 10. Luke 4. 6, 7. Satan reads all back wards. Mansoul ! and how many weary steps have I taken, if per- 1 Pet. 5. 8. haps I might do thee good! Far be it, far be it from me to desire to make a war upon you, if ye will but willingly and quietly deliver up yourselves unto me. You know that you were mine of old. Matt. 4. 8, 9. Remember also that so long as you enjoyed me for your lord, and that I enjoyed you for my subjects, you wanted for nothing of all the delights of the earth, that I, your lord and prince, could get for you, or that I could invent to make you bonny and blithe withal. Consider, you never had so many hard, dark, troublesome and heart-afflicting hours while you were mine, as you have had since you revolted from me, nor shall you ever have peace again until you and I become one as before. But be but prevailed with to embrace me again, and I will Take heed, grant, yea, enlarge your old charter with abundance of privileges; so that your licence and liberty shall be to take, hold, enjoy, and make your own all that is pleasant from the east to the west. Nor shall any of those incivilities wherewith you have offended me be ever charged upon you by me so long as the sun and moon endure. Nor shall any of those dear Sins friends of mine that now, for the fear of you, lie lurking in dens, and holes, and caves in Mansoul, be hurtful to you any more; yea, they shall be your servants, and shall minister unto you of their The pleasubstance, and of whatever shall come to hand. I sure of sin. need speak no more; you know them, and have sometime since been much delighted in their company. Why, then, should we abide at such odds? Let us renew our old acquaintance and friendship again. eternal "Bear with your friend; I take the liberty at No! no! no! not upon pain of The Lord answer. this time to speak thus freely unto you. The love that I have to you presses me to do it, as also does the zeal of my heart for my friends with you: put me not, therefore, to further trouble, nor yourselves to further fears and frights. Have you I will, in a way of peace or war; nor do you flatter yourselves with the power and force of your captains, or that your Emmanuel will shortly come in to your help; for such strength will do you no pleasure. I am come against you with a stout and valiant army, and all the chief princes of the den are even at the head of it. Besides, my captains are swifter than eagles, stronger than lions, and more greedy of prey than are the evening wolves. What is Og of Bashan! what is Goliath of Gath! and what are a hundred more of them to one of the least of my captains! How, then, shall Mansoul think to escape my hand and force?" Diabolus having thus ended his flattering, fawning, deceitful, and lying speech to the famous town of Mansoul, the Lord Mayor replied to him as follows: "O Diabolus, prince of darkness, and master of all deceit; thy lying flatteries we have had and made sufficient probation of, and have tasted too deeply of that destructive cup already. Should we therefore again hearken unto thee, and so break the commandments of our great Shaddai, to join in affinity with thee, would not our Prince reject us, and cast us of for ever? And, being cast off by him, can the place that he has prepared for thee be a place of rest for us? Besides, O thou that art empty and void of all truth, we are rather ready to die by thy hand, than to fall in with thy flattering and lying deceits." When the tyrant saw that there was little to be got by parleying with my Lord Mayor, he fell into a hellish rage, and resolved that again, with his army of Doubters, he would another time assault the town of Mansoul. So he called for his drummer, who beat up for his men (and while he did beat, Mansoul did shake) to be in a readiness to give battle to the corporation then Diabolus drew near with his army, and thus disposed of his men. Captain Cruel and Captain Torment, these he drew up and placed against Feel-gate, and commanded them to Feel-gate. sit down there for the war. And he also appointed that, if need were, Captain No-Ease should come in to their relief. At Nose-gate he placed the Cap- Nose-gate. tain Brimstone and Captain Sepulchre, and bid them look well to their ward, on that side of the town of Mansoul. But at Eye-gate he placed that Eye-gate. grimfaced one, the Captain Past-Hope, and there also now did he set up his terrible standard. Now Captain Insatiable, he was to look to the carriage of Diabolus, and was also appointed to take into custody that, or those persons and things, that should at any time as prey be taken from the enemy. Now Mouth-gate the inhabitants of Mansoul kept Mouth-gate for a sally-port; wherefore that they kept strong; for that was it by and out at which the townsfolk did send their petitions to Emmanuel their Prince. That also was the gate from the top of which the The use of captains did play their slings at the enemies; for Mouth-gate that gate stood somewhat ascending, so that the The Lord plays the man, placing of them there, and the letting of them fly from that place, did much execution against the tyrant's army. Wherefore, for these causes, with others, Diabolus sought, if possible, to land up Mouth-gate with dirt. Now, as Diabolus was busy and industrious in preparing to make his assault upon the town of Mansoul without, so the captains and soldiers in the corporation were as busy in preparing within ; they mounted their slings, they set up their banners, they sounded their trumpets, and put themselves in such order as was judged most for the annoyance of the enemy, and for the advantage of Mansoul, and gave to their soldiers orders to be ready, at the sound of the trumpet for war. The Lord Will-be-will also, he took the charge of Will-be-will watching against the rebels within, and to do what he could to take them while without, or to stifle them within their caves, dens, and holes in the town-wall of Mansoul. And, to speak the truth of him, ever since he took penance for his fault, he has shewed as much honesty and bravery of spirit as any he in Mansoul; for he took one Jolly, and his brother Griggish, the two sons of his servant Harmless-Mirth, (for to that day, though the father was committed to ward, the sons had a dwelling in the house of my lord,)—I say, he took them, and with his own hands put them to the cross. And this was the reason why he hanged them up: after their father was put into the hands of Mr TrueMan the gaoler, they, his sons, began to play his pranks, and to be ticking and toying with the daughters of their lord; nay, it was jealoused Jolly and Griggish taken and executed. |