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dicted by the name of Atheism (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul) for that thou bast perniciously and doubtishly taught and maintained, that there is no God, and so no beed to be taken to religion. This thou hast done against the being, bonour and glory of the King, and against the peace and safety of the town of Mansoul. What sayest thou, art thou guilty of this indictment, or not?

Atheism.-Not guilty.

Cryer. Call Mr. Know-all, Mr. Tell-true, and Mr. Hate-lies into the court. So they were called, and they

appeared.

Clerk. Then said the Clerk, You the witnesses for the King, look upon the prisoner at the bar; do you

know him?

Know. Then said Mr. Know-all, Yes, my Lord, we know him; his name is Atheism, he has been a very pestilent fellow for many years in the miserable town of Mansoul.

Clerk.-You are sure you know him.

Know. Know him! Yes, my Lord, I have heretofore too often been in his company, to be at this time ignorant of him. He is a Diabolian, the son of a Diabolian: I knew his grandfather and his father.

Clerk. Well said: He standeth here indicted by the name of Atheism, &c. and is charged that he hath maintained and taught that there is no God, and so no heed to be taken to any religion. What say you the King's witnesses to this? Is he guilty or not?

Know. My Lord, I and he were once in Villains-lane together, and he at that time did briskly talk of divers opinions, and then and there I heard him say, That for his part he did believe that there was no God. But, said he, I can profess one, and be as religious too if the company I am in, and the circumstances of other things, said he, shall put me upon it.

Clerk. You are sure you have heard him say thus?

Know.

Know. Upon mine oath I heard him say thus. Then said the clerk, Mr. Tell true, What say you to the King's Judges, touching the prisoner at the bar?

Tell.-My Lord, I formerly was a great companion of his (for the which I now repent me) and I have often heard him say, and that with very great stomachfulness, that he believed there was neither God, angel, or spirit. Cler. Where did you hear him say so?

Tell.In Black-mouth-lane, and in Blasphemer'srow, and in many other places besides.

Cler. Have you much knowledge of him?

Tell. I know him to be a Diabolian, the son of a Diabolian, and an horrible man to deny a Deity; his Father's name was Never-be-good, and he had more children than this Atheism. I have no more to say.

Cler. Mr. Hate-lies, look upon the prisoner at the bar; do you know him?

Hate.-My Lord, this Atheism is one of the vilest wretches that ever I came near, or had to do with in my life. I have heard him say that there is no God; I have heard him say that there is no world to come, no sin, nor punishment hereafter. And moreover I have heard him say, that 'twas as good to go to a whore-house as to go to hear a sermon.

say

Cler. Where did hear him you these things? Hate.-In Drunkard's-row, just at Rascals-lane's-end, at a house in which Mr. Impiety lived.

Cler.-Set him by, Gaoler, and set Mr. Lustings to the bar.

Mr. Lustings, thou art bere indicted by the name of Lustings (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul) for that thou best devilishly and traiterously taught by practice and filiby words, that it is lawful and profitable to man to give way to bis carnal desires, and that thou for thy part, bast not, nor never will, deny thyself of any sinful delight as long as thy name is Lustings. How sayest thou, art thou guilty of this indict

ment or not?

Lust

Lustings. Then said Mr. Lustings, My Lord, I am a man of high birth, and have been used to pleasures and pastimes, and greatness. I have not been wont to be snub'd for my doings, but have been left to follow my will as if it were law. And it seems strange to me that I should this day be called into question for that, not only I, but almost all men do either secretly or openly countenance, love, and approve of.

Cler. We concern not ourselves with your greatness, (though the higher the better you should have been) but we are concerned, and so are you, about an indictment preferred against you. How say you? are you guilty of it or not?

Lust.-Not guilty.

Cler. Cryer, call upon the witnesses to stand forth and give their evidences.

Cryer.-Gentlemen, you the witnesses for the King, come and give in your evidence for our Lord the King, against the prisoner at the bar.

Cler.Come, Mr., Know-all, look upon the prisoner at the bar. Do you know him?

Know. Yes, my Lord, I know him.

Cler. What's his name?

Know. His name is Lustings, he was the son of one Beastly, and his mother bare him in Flesh-street, she was one Evil-concupiscence's daughter. I knew all the generation of them."

--

Cler. Well said. You have heard his indictment; what say you to it? Is he guilty of the things charged against him, or not?

Know. My Lord, he has, as he saith, been a great man indeed, and greater in wickedness than by pedigree, more than a thousand fold..

Cler. But what do you know of his particular actions, and especially with reference to his indictment? Know. I know him to be a swearer, a liar, a sabbath

breaker;

breaker; I know him to be a fornicator, and an unclean person; I know him to be guilty of abundance of evils He has been to my knowledge a very filthy man.

Cler. But where did he use to commit his wickednesses, in some private corners, or more open and shamelessly?

Know. All the town over, my Lord.

Cler.Come, Mr. Tell-true, what have you to say, for our Lord the King, against the prisoner at the bar? Tell. My Lord, all that the first witness has said, I know to be true, and a great deal more besides.

Cler. Mr. Lustings, do you hear what these gentlemen say?

Lust.-I was ever of opinion, that the happiest life that a man could live on earth, was to keep himself back from nothing that he desired in the world; nor have I been false at any time to this opinion of mine, but have lived in the love of my notions all my days. Nor was I ever so churlish, having found such sweetness in them myself, as to keep the commendations of them from others.

Court. Then said the Court, There hath proceeded enough from his own mouth to lay him open to condemnation, wherefore, set him by, Gaoler, and set Mr. Incredulity to the bar..

Incredulity-set to the bar.

Cler. Mr. Incredulity, thou art bere indicted by the name of Incredulity (an intruder upon the town of Mansou!) for thou hast feloniously and wickedly, and that wheu thou wert an officer in the town of Mansoul, made bead against the captains of the great Shaddai, when they came and demanded possession of Mansoul; yea, thou didst bid defiance to the name, forces, and cause of the King, and didst also, as did Diabolus thy captain, stir up and encourage the town of Mansoul to make bead against, and resist the said force of the King. What sayest thou to this indictment, art thou guilty or not?

Then

Then said Incredulity, I know not Shaddai; I loved my old Prince, I thought it my duty to be true to my trust, and to do what I could to possess the minds of the men of Mansoul, to do their utmost to resist strangers and foreigners, and with might to fight against them. Nor have I, nor shall I, change mine opinion for fear of trouble, though you at present are possessed of place and power.

Court. Then said the Court, The man, as you see, is incorrigible, he is for maintaining his villanies by stoutness of words, and his rebellion with impudent con'fidence. And therefore set him by, Gaoler, and set Mr. Forget-good to the bar.

Forget-good set to the bar.

Clerk. Mr. Forget-good, thou art here indicted by the name of Forget-good (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul) for that thou, when the whole affairs of the tewn of Mansoul were in thy hand, didst utterly forget to serve them in what was good, and didst fall in with the tyrant Diabolus against Shaddai the King, against bis captains, and all bis kost, to the dishonour of Shaddai, the breach of his law, and the endangering of the destruction of the famous town of Mansoul. What sayest thou to this indictment, art thou guilty or not guilty?

Then said Forget-good, Gentlemen, and at this time my Judges, as to the indictment by which I stand of several crimes accused before you, pray attribute my forgetfulness to my age, and not to my wilfulness; to the craziness of my brain, and not the carelessness of my mind, and then I hope I may by your charity be excused from great punishment, though I be guilty.

Then said the court, Forget-good, Forget-good, thy forgetfulness of good was not simply of frailty, but of purpose; and for that thou didst loath to keep virtuous things in thy mind. What was bad thou could'st retain, but what was good thou could'st not abide to

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