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that that very thing you are forbidden to do, might you but do it, would yield you both wisdom and bonour ? for then your eyes will be opened, and you shall be as gods. Now, since this is thus, quoth be, can you be kept by any Prince in more slavery, and in greater bondage than you are under, this day? You are made underlings, and are wrapt up in inconve→ niences, as I have well made appear: for what bondage greater than to be kept in blindness? Will not reason tell you, that it is better to have eyes than to be without them; and to be at liberty, to be better than shut up in a dark and stinking cave?"

And just now while Diabolus was speaking these words to Mansoul, Tisiphone shot at Captain Resistance, where he stood on the gate, and mortally wounded him in the head, so that he, to the amazement of the townsmen, and the encouragement of Diabolus, fell down dead quite over the wall. Now when Captain Resistance was dead (and he was the only man of war in the town) poor Mansoul was wholly left naked of courage, nor had she now an heart to resist. But this was as the Devil would have it. Then stood forth he, that Mr. Ill-pause that Diabolus brought with him, who was his orator, and he addressed himself to speak to the town of Mansoul: the tenor of whose speech here follows:

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Gentlemen, quoth he, it is my master's happiness that he has this day a quiet and teachable auditory; and it is hoped by us, that we shall prevail with you, not to cast off good advice: My master has a very great love for you, and although, as he very well knows, that he runs the hazard of the anger of King Shaddai, yet love to you will make him do more than that. Nor doth there need that a word more should be spoken to confirm for truth what he has said; there is not a word but carries with it self-evidence in its bowels; the very name of the tree may put an end to all controversy in

this matter. I therefore at this time shall only add this advice to you, under, and by the leave of my Lord (and. with that he made Diabolus a low congee): Consider his words, look on the tree and the promising fruit thereof; remember also that yet you know but little, and that this is the way to know more: And if your reasons be not conquered to accept of such good counsel, you are not the men I took you to be." But when the towns-folk saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, they did as old Ill-pause advised, they took and did eat thereof. Now this I should have told you before, that even then, when this Ill-pause was making of this speech to the townsmen, my Lord Innocence, (whether by a shot from the camp of the giant, or from some qualm that suddenly took him, or whether by the stinking breath of that treacherous villain, old Ill-pause, for so I am most apt to think) sunk down in the place where he stood, nor could ke be brought to life again. Thus these two brave men died; brave men I call them, for they were the beauty and glory of Mansoul, so long as they lived therein; nor did there now remain any more noble spirit in Mansoul; they all fell down, and yielded obedience to Diabolus, and became his slaves and vassals, as you shall hear.

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Now these being dead, what do the rest of the townsfolk, but as men that had found a fool's paradise; they presently, as afore was hinted, fail to prove the truth of the giant's words, and first they did as Il-pause had taught them they looked, they considered, they were taken with the forbidden fruit, they took thereof and did eat:' and having eaten, they became immediately drunken therewith, so they opened the gates, both Ear-gate and Eye-gate, and let in Diabolus with all his bands, quite forgetting their good Shaddai, his law, and the judgment

judgment that he had annexed with solemn threatening to the breach thereof.

Diabolus having now obtained entrance in at the gate of the town, marches up to the middle thereof to make his conquest as sure as he could, and finding by this time the affections of the people warmly inclining to him, he thinking 'twas best striking while the iron was hot, made this further deceivable speech unto them, saying, "Alas, my poor Mansoul! I have done thee indeed this service, as to promote thee to honour, and to greaten thy liberty, but alas, alas, poor Mansoul! thou wantest now one to defend thee; for assure thyself when Shaddai shall hear what is done, he will come; for sorry will he be that thou hast broken his bonds, and cast his cords away from thee., What wilt thou do? wilt thou, after enlargement, suffer thy privileges to be invaded and taken away? Or what wilt thou resolve with thyself?" Then they all with one consent said to this bramble, do thou reign over us. So he accepted the motion, and became the king of the town of Mansoul. This being done, the next thing was to give him possession of the castle, and so of the whole strength of the town. Wherefore into the castle he goes; it was that which Shaddai built for his own delight and pleaThis now was become a den and a hold for the

sure.

giant Diabolus.

Now baving got possession of this stately palace or castle, what doth he but make a garrison for himself, and strengthens and fortifies it with all sorts of provision against the King Shaddai, or those that should endeavour the regaining of it to him and his obedience again.

This done, but not thinking himself yet secure enough, in the next place he thinks of new-modelling the town, and so he does, setting up one and putting down another at pleasure; wherefore my Lord Mayor, whose

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name was my Lord Understanding, and Mr. Recorder, whose name was Mr. Conscience, those he put out of place and power.

As for my Lord Mayor, though he was an under-; standing man, and one too that had complied with the rest of the town of Mansoul, in admitting the giant into the town, yet Diabolus thought fit not to let him abide in his former lustre and glory, because he was a seeing man; wherefore he darkened it not only by taking from him his office and power, but by building of a high and strong tower, just between the sun's reflections and the windows of my Lord's palace; by which means his house, and all and the whole of his habitation, was made as dark as darkness itself. And thus being alienated from the light, he became as one that was born blind. (2 Cor. x. 4,5. Ephes. iv. 18. 19.) To this his house, my Lord was confined as to a prison; nor might he, upon his parole, go farther than within his own bounds. And now had he had an heart to do for Mansoul, what could he do for it, or wherein could he be profitable to her ? So then, so long as Mansoul was under the power and government of Diabolus (as so long it was under him as it was obedient to him, which was even until by a war it was rescued out of his hand) so long my Lord Mayor was rather an impediment than an advantage to the famous town of Mansoul.

As for Mr. Recorder, before the town was taken, he was a man well read in the laws of his king, and also a man of courage and faithfulness to speak truth on every. occasion; and he had a tongue as bravely hung, as he had an head filled with judgment. Now this man Diabolus could by no means abide, because, though he gave his consent to his coming into the town, yet he could not, by all wiles, trials, stratagems and devices that he could use, make him wholly his own. True, he

was

was much degenerated from his former King, and also much pleased with many of the Giant's laws, and service; but this would not do, for as much as he was not wholly his; he would now and then think upon Shaddai, and have a dread of his law upon him, and then he would speak with a voice as great against Diabolus, as when a lion roareth. Yea, and would also at certain times when his fits were upon him (for you must know that sometimes he had terrible fits) make the whole town of Mansoul shake with his voice; and therefore the new King of Mansoul could by no means abide him.

Diabolus therefore feared the Recorder, more than any that was left alive in the town of Mansoul, because as I said, his words did shake the whole town; they were like the rattling of thunder, and also like thunderclaps. Since therefore the giant could not make him wholly his own, what doth he do, but studies all that he ean to debauch the old gentleman, and by debauchery to stupify his mind, and more harden his heart in ways of vanity. And as he attempted, so he accomplished his design. He debauched the man, and by little and little, so drew him into sin and wickedness, that at last he was not only debauched as at first, and so by consequence defiled, but was almost (at last I say) past all conscience of sin. And this was the farthest Diabolus could go. Wherefore he bethinks him of another project, and that was to persuade the men of the town that Mr. Recorder was mad, and so not to be regarded. And for this he urged his fits, and said, If he be himself, why doth he not do thus always; but, quoth he, all mad folk have their fits, and in them raving language; so hath this old and doating gentleman. Thus by one means or other, he quickly got Mansoul to slight, neglect, and despise whatever Mr. Recorder could say.

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