though joined with the meanest condition in the world! They are again to yield. summoned The captains also, in the deep of this winter, did send by the mouth of Boanerges's trumpeter a summons to Mansoul to yield up herself to the King, the great King Shaddai. They sent it once, and twice, and thrice; not knowing but that at some times there might be in Mansoul some willingness to surrender up themselves unto them, might they but have the colour of an invitation to do it under. Yea, so far as I could gather, the town had been surrendered up to them before now, had it not been for the opposition of old Incredulity, and the fickleness of the thoughts of my Lord Will-be-will. Diabolus also began to rave; wherefore Mansoul, as to yielding, was not yet all of one mind; therefore Mansoul they still lay distressed under these perplexing fears. I told you but now that they of the King's army had this winter sent three times to Mansoul to submit herself. in distress. summons. The first time the trumpeter went, he went with The first words of peace, telling them that the captains, the noble captains of Shaddai, did pity and bewail the "misery of the now perishing town of Mansoul, and were troubled to see them so much to stand in the way of their own deliverance. He said moreover, that the captains bid him tell them, that if now poor Mansoul would humble herself and turn, her former rebellions and most notorious treasons should, by their merciful King, be forgiven them, yea, and forgotten too. And having bid them beware that they stood not in their own way, that The second summons. The third summons. The town sounds for a parley. They propound conditions of agreement. they opposed not themselves, nor made themselves their own losers, he returned again into the camp. The second time the trumpeter went, he did treat them a little more roughly; for, after sound of trumpet, he told them that their continuing in their rebellion did but chafe and heat the spirit of the captains, and that they were resolved to make a conquest of Mansoul, or to lay their bones before the town walls. He went again the third time, and dealt with them yet more roughly; telling them, that now, since they had been so horribly profane, he did not know, not certainly know, whether the captains were inclining to mercy or judgment. "Only," said he, they commanded me to give you a summons to open the gates unto them." So he returned, and went into the camp. 66 These three summonses, and especially the last two, did so distress the town, that they presently call a consultation, the result of which was this— That my Lord Will-be-will should go up to Ear-gate, and there, with sound of trumpet, call to the cap tains of the camp for a parley. Well, the Lord Will-be-will sounded upon the wall; so the captains came up in their harness, with their ten thousands at their feet. The townsmen then told the captains that they had heard and considered their summons, and would come to an agreement with them, and with their King Shaddai, upon such certain terms, articles, and propositions as, with and by the order of their prince, they to them were appointed to propound; to wit, they would agree upon these grounds to be one people with them :— proposition. "1. If that those of their own company, as the The first now Lord Mayor and their Mr Forget-Good, with their brave Lord Will-be-will, might, under Shaddai, be still the governors of the town, castle, and gates of Mansoul. "2. Provided that no man that now serveth under The second proposition. their great giant Diaboius be by Shaddai cast out of house, harbour, or the freedom that he hath hitherto enjoyed in the famous town of Mansoul. 3. That it shall be granted them, that they of The third proposition. the town of Mansoul shall enjoy certain of their rights and privileges; to wit, such as have formerly been granted them, and that they have long lived in the enjoyment of, under the reign of their king Diabolus, that now is, and long has been, their only lord and great defender. 66 4. That no new law, officer, or executioner of law or office, shall have any power over them, without their own choice and consent. "These be our propositions or conditions of peace; and upon these terms," said they, "we will submit to your King." But when the captains had heard this weak and feeble offer of the town of Mansoul, and their high and bold demands, they made to them again, by their noble captain, the Captain Boanerges, this speech following: The fourth proposition. answer. "O ye inhabitants of the town of Mansoul, when Boanerges s I heard your trumpet sound for a parley with us, I can truly say I was glad; but when you said you were willing to submit yourselves to our King and Lord, then I was yet more glad; but when, by your silly provisos and foolish cavils, you laid the 2 Tim. 2 19. Old Incredulity's reply. Unbelief never is pro fitable in talk, but al ways speaks mischiev ously. stumbling-block of your iniquity before your own faces, then was my gladness turned into sorrows, and my hopeful beginnings of your return, into languishing fainting fears. "I count that old Ill-pause, the ancient enemy of Mansoul, did draw up those proposals that now you present us with as terms of an agreement; but they deserve not to be admitted to sound in the ear of any man that pretends to have service for Shaddai. We do therefore jointly, and that with the highest disdain, refuse and reject such things, as the greatest of iniquities. "But, O Mansoul, if you will give yourselves into our hands, or rather into the hands of our King, and will trust him to make such terms with and for you as shall seem good in his eyes, (and I dare say they shall be such as you shall find to be most profitable to you,) then we will receive you, and be at peace with you; but if you like not to trust yourselves in the arms of Shaddai our King, then things are but where they were before, and we know also what we have to do." Then cried out old Incredulity, the Lord Mayor, and said, “And who, being out of the hands of their enemies, as you see we are now, will be so foolish as to put the staff out of their own hands into the hands of they know not who? I, for my part, will never yield to so unlimited a proposition. Do we know the manner and temper of their King? It is said by some that he will be angry with his subjects if but the breadth of an hair they chance to step out of the way; and by others, that he requireth of them much more than they can perform. Wherefore, it seems, O Mansoul, to This speech of the Lord Mayor undid all, and threw flat to the ground their hopes of an accord. Wherefore the captains returned to their trenches, to their tents, and to their men, as they were: and the Mayor to the castle and to his King. Now Diabolus had waited for his return, for he had heard that they had been at their point. So, when he was come into the chamber of state, Diabolus saluted him with-" Welcome, my lord. How went matters betwixt you to-day?" So the Lord Incredulity, with a low congee, told him the whole of the matter, saying, "Thus and thus said the captains of Shaddai, and thus and thus said I." The which when it was told to Diabolus, he was very glad to hear it, and said, "My Lord Mayor, my faithful Incredulity, I have proved thy fidelity above ten times already, but never yet found thee false. I do promise thee, if we rub over this brunt, to prefer thee to a place of honour, a place far better than to be Lord Mayor of Mansoul. I His speech but it did please the undid all, devil |