Look to it!

Heart.

Rev. 3. 17.

some of our Diabolonians shall feign themselves far-country-men, and shall go out and bring to the market of Mansoul some of our wares to sell; and what matter at what rates they sell their wares, though it be but for half the worth? Now let those that thus shall trade in their market, be those that are witty and true to us, and I will lay my crown to pawn it will do. There are two that are come to my thoughts already, that I think will be arch at this work, and they are Mr Penny-wisepound-foolish, and Mr Get-the-hundred-and-losei'the-shire; nor is this man with the long name at all inferior to the other. What also if you join with them Mr Sweet-world and Mr Present-good; they are men that are civil and cunning, but our true friends and helpers. Let these, with as many more, engage in this business for us, and let Mansoul be taken up in much business, and let them grow full and rich, and this is the way to get ground of them. Remember ye not that thus we prevailed upon Laodicea, and how many at present do we hold in this snare? Now, when they begin to grow full, they will forget their misery; and if we shall not affright them, they may happen to fall asleep, and so be got to neglect their town watch, their castle watch, as well as their watch at the gates.

"Yea, may we not, by this means, so cumber Mansoul with abundance, that they shall be forced to make of their castle a warehouse, instead of a garrison fortified against us, and a receptacle for men of war. Thus if we get our goods and commodities thither, I reckon that the castle is more

than half ours. Besides, could we so order it that it shall be filled with such kind of wares, then if we made a sudden assault upon them, it would be hard for the captains to take shelter there. Do you not know that of the parable, 'The deceitful- Luke 8. 14; 21. 34-36. ness of riches choke the word?' and again, 'When the heart is over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life,' all mischief comes upon them at unawares?

"Furthermore, my lords," quoth he, "you very well know that it is not easy for a people to be filled with our things, and not to have some of our Diabolonians as retainers to their houses and services. Where is a Mansoulian that is full of this world, that has not for his servants and waiting men, Mr Profuse, or Mr Prodigality, or some other of our Diabolonian gang, as Mr Voluptuous, Mr Pragmatical, Mr Ostentation, or the like? Now these can take the castle of Mansoul, or blow it up, or make it unfit for a garrison for Emmanuel, and any of these will do. Yea, these, for aught I Look to it, know, may do it for us sooner than an army of twenty thousand men. Wherefore, to end as I began, my advice is, that we quietly withdraw ourselves, not offering any further force, or forcible attempts upon the castle, at least at this time; and let us set on foot our new project, and let us see if that will not make them destroy them selves."

This advice was highly applauded by them all, and was accounted the very masterpiece of hell, namely, to choke Mansoul with a fulness of this world, and to surfeit her heart with the good

Mansoul!

Cattain

Credence

from his

Prince which he

eth not.

things thereof. But see how things meet together! Just as this Diabolonian council was broken up, Captain Credence received a letter from Emmanuel, receives that the contents of which were these: That upon the third day he would meet him in the field in the understand plains about Mansoul. "Meet me in the field!" quoth the captain; "what meaneth my Lord by this? I know not what he meaneth by meeting me in the field." So he took the note in his hand, and did carry it to my Lord Secretary, to ask his thoughts thereupon; for my Lord was a seer in all matters concerning the King, and also for the good and comfort of the town of Mansoul. So he shewed my Lord the note, and desired his opinion. thereof. "For my part," quoth Captain Credence, "I know not the meaning thereof." So my lord did take and read it; and, after a little pause, he said, “The Diabolonians have had against Mansoul a great consultation to-day; they have, I say, this day been contriving the utter ruin of the town ; and the result of their counsel is to set Mansoul into such a way which, if taken, will surely make her destroy herself. And, to this end, they are making ready for their own departure out of the town, intending to betake themselves to the field again, and there to lie till they shall see whether this their project will take or no. But be thou to Captain ready with the men of thy Lord, (for on the third day they will be in the plain, there,) to fall upon the Diabolonians; for the Prince will by that time be in the field; yea, by that it is break of day, sun-rising, or before, and that with a mighty force against them. So he shall be before them,

The riddle expounded

Credence

and thou shalt be behind them, and betwixt you both their army shall be destroyed."

66

When Captain Credence heard this, away goes he to the rest of the captains, and tells them what a note he had a while since received from the hand of Emmanuel. "And,” said he, "that which was dark therein has my Lord, the Lord Secretary, expounded unto me." He told them, moreover, what by himself and by them must be done to answer the mind of their Lord. Then were the captains glad; and Captain Credence commanded. that all the King's trumpeters should ascend to the batlements of the castle, and there, in the audience of Diabolus, and of the whole town of Mansoul, make the best music that heart could invent. The trumpeters then did as they were commanded. They got themselves up to the top of the castle, and thus they began to sound. Then did Diabolus start, and said, "What can be the meaning of this? they neither sound Boot-and-saddle, nor Horseand-away, nor a charge. What do these madmen mean, that yet they should be so merry and glad?" Then answered him one of themselves and said, "This is for joy that their Prince Emmanuel is coming to relieve the town of Mansoul; that to this end he is at the head of an army, and that this relief is near."

The men of Mansoul also were greatly concerned at this melodious charm of the trumpets: they said, yea, they answered one another, saying, "This can be no harm to us; surely, this can be no harm to us." Then said the Diabolonians, "What had we best to do?" and it was answered,

The time come for the captains to fight them.

"It was best to quit the town ;" and "that,” said one, “ ye may do in pursuance of your last counsel, and by so doing also be better able to give the enemy battle, should an army from without come upon us." So, on the second day, they withdrew themselves from Mansoul, and abode in the plains without; but they encamped themselve before Eyegate, in what terrene and terrible manner they could. The reason why they would not abide in the town (besides the reasons that were debated in their late conclave) was, for that they were not possessed of the stronghold, and "because," said they, "we shall have more convenience to fight, and also to fly, if need be, when we are encamped in the open plains." Besides, the town would have been a pit for them rather than a place of defence, had the Prince come up and enclosed them fast therein. Therefore they betook themselves to the field, that they might also be out of the reach of the slings, by which they were much annoyed all the while that they were in the town.

Well, the time that the captains were to fall upon the Diabolonians being come, they eagerly prepared themselves for action; for Captain Credence had told the captains over night, that they should meet their Prince in the field to-morrow. This, therefore, made them yet far more desirous to be engaging the enemy; for, “You shall see the Prince in the field to-morrow” was like oil to a flaming fire; for of a long time they had been at a distance: they therefore were for this the more earnest and desirous of the work. So, as I said, the hour being come, Captain Credence, with the rest of the men of war,