rage, and forthwith called a council of war, that he might be revenged. Now the effect and conclusion of the council that day was, How they might take the castle. So one advised this way, and another that; but when they could not agree in their verdict, Apollyon, the president of the council stood up, and thus he began: My brotherhood, I have some things to propound unto you; and my first is this, Let us withdraw ourselves from the town into the plain again, for our presence here will do us no good, because the castle is yet in our enemies hands; nor is it possible that we should take that, so long as so many brave captains are in it, and this bold fellow Godly-fear is the keeper of the gate. Now when we have withdrawn ourselves into the plain they will be glad of some little ease, and it may be of their own accord they may again begin to be remiss, and even their so being will give them a bigger blow than we can possibly give them. But if that should fail, our going forth of the town may draw the captains out after us and you know what it cost them when we fought in the field before. Besides, can we but draw them into the fields, we may lay an ambush behind the town, which shall, when they are come forth, rush in and take possession of the castle.—But Belzebub stood up and replied, 'Tis impossible to withdraw them all from the castle. He therefore concluded, that what was done must be done by some other means; and the most likely means that the greatest of their heads could invent, was that which Apollyon had advised to before, to wit, to get the townsmen again to sin; for it is not our being in the town, nor in the field, nor our fighting, nor our killing of their men, that can make us the masters of Mansoul; for so long as one in the town is able to lift his finger against us, Emmanuel will take their parts, and if he shall take their parts, we know what time a day it will be with us. Wherefore there is in

my

my judgment no way to bring them into bondage to us inventing a way to make them sin, 2 Pet. ii. 18-21. Had we left all our Doubters at home, we had done as well as we have done now, uuless we could have made them the masters and governors of the castle; for Doubters at a distance, are but like objections repelled with arguments. Let us withdraw ourselves into the plain, not expecting the captains should follow us; but yet I say, let us do this, and before we do so, let us advise with our trusty Diabolians that are yet in their holds in Mansoul, and set them to work to betray the town to us ; for indeed they must do it, or it will be left undone for ever. By these sayings of Belzebub the whole conclave was forced to be of his opinion, to wit, That the way to get the castle, was to get the town to sin. Then they fell to inventing by what means they might do this.

Then Lucifer said, The counsel of Belzebub is pertinent; now the way to bring this to pass in mine opinion is this: Let us withdraw our force from Mansoul, and let us terrify them no more, either with summons or threats, or any other awakening means. Only let us lie in the field at a distance, and be as if we regarded them not (for frights I see do but awaken them, and make 'em more stand to their arms.) I have also another stratagem in my head, you know Mansoul is a market-town, and a town that delights in commerce, what therefore if some of our Diabolians shall feign themselves for countrymen, and shall go out and bring to the market some of our wares to sell; and what matter at what rates, though it be but for half the worth. Now let those that thus 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-i'th-hundred-and-loose-i'thshire; nor is this man with the long name at all inferior

to

to the other. What also if you join with them Mr. Sweetworld, and Mr. Present-good, they are civil and cunning, but our true friends and helpers, Rev. iii. 17. 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; how many presnte 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, 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 thus 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 of 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 they should be filled with such kind of wares, that then, if we made a sudden assault upon them, it would be hard for the captains to take a shelter there. Do you know that of the parable, Luke viii. 14. The deceitfulness of riches choak the word; and again, Iben the beart is overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, all mischief comes upon them unawares, chap. xxi. 34, 35, 36. 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 Diabolians as retainers to their houses and services. Where is a Mansoulian that is full of this world, that has not for his servants Mr. Profuse, or Mr. Prodigality, or some other of our Diabolian gang, as Mr. Voluptuousness, 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 Emanuel, and any of these will do. Yea, these for ought I know, may do it for us sooner

than

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 attempt upon the castle, at least at this time, and let us set on foot our new project, and let's see if that will not make them destroy themselves.

This advice was highly applauded by them all, and was accounted the very master-piece of Hell, to wit, to choak Mansoul with a fulness of this world, and to surfeit her heart with the good things thereof. But see how things meet together. Just as this Diabolian counsel was broken up, Captain Credence received a letter from Emanuel, the contents of which was this, That upon the third day be would meet bim in the field in the 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 of me in the field. So he took the note in his hand, and did carry it to my Lord Secretary, to ask his thoughts thereon, for my Lord was a seer in all matters concerning the King, and also for the good 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 Diabolians have bad against Mansoul a great consultation to-day; they bave, 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 take themselves to field again, and there to lie till they shall see whether their project will answer or no. But be thou ready with the men of thy Lord (for on the third day they will be in the plain) there to fall upon the Diaboltans; for the Prince will by that time be in the field; yea, by that it is break of day, sun-rising, or before, with a mighty force

against

against them. So be shall be before them, and thou shalt be bebind them, and betwixt you both their army shall be destroyed.- -When Capt. Credence heard this, he went and told the captains, what a note he had a while since received from the hand of Emanuel. And he said, that which was dark therein has my 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 Capt. Credence commanded, that all the King's trumpeters should ascend to the battlements 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 do these mad men mean, that they should be so merry and glad? Then answered one of themselves and said, This is for joy that their Prince Emanuel is coming to relieve the town of Mansoul; and that this relief is near. The men of Mansoul also were greatly concerned at this melodious charm of the trumpets; they said to one another, Surely this can be no harm to us. said the Diabolians, what had we best to do? was answered that we had best to quit the town. the second day they withdrew themselves from Mansoul, and abode in the plains without, but they encamped before Eye-gate in as terrible a manner as they could. The reason why they could not abide in the town was because they were not possessed of the strong hold, 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 plain. Besides, the town would have been rather a pit for them than a place of defence, had the Prince come up and enclosed them.

Then

And it

So on

Well the time that the captains were to fall upon

the