Incredulity. Sir, you forget that you are under a governor, and that you ought to demean yourself like a subject; and know ye, when my lord the king fhall hear of this day's work, he will give you but little thanks for your labour.' come down. Now while these gentlemen were thus in Men of arms their chiding words, down come from the walls and gates of the town the lord Willbe-will, Mr. Prejudice, old Ill-pause, and feveral of the new-made aldermen and burgeffes; and they afked the reafon of the hubbub and tumult. And with that every man began to tell his own tale, so that nothing could be heard diftinctly. Then was filence commanded, and the old fox Incredulity began to speak My lord, quoth he, here are a couple of peevith gentlemen, that have, as a fruit of their bad difpofitions, and, as I fear, thro' the advice of one Mr. Difcontent, tumultuously gathered this company against this day; and alfo attempted to run the town into acts of rebellion against our prince.' (a) A great confufion. Then stood up all the Diabolonians that were prefent, and affirmed thefe things to be true. Now when they that took part with my lord Underftanding, and with Mr. Confcience, perceived that they were like to come by the worst, for that force and power was on the other fide, they came in for their help and relief; fo a great company was on both fides. Then they on Incredulity's fide would have had the two old gentlemen presently away to prison; but they on the other fide faid they fhould not. Then they began to cry up parties again: the Diabolonians cry up old Incredulity, Forgetgood, the new aldermen, and their great one Diabolus s; and (a) When Satan, the frong man armed, is lofing his power by the holy Spirit's enlivening influences on the heart, touched with a fenfe of danger, and fending up a cry for mercy; then unbelief and guilty fears intrude, to oppose the work. But all in vain: for before Zerubbabel every mountain fhall become a plain, the Lord alone be exalted, and glory crown what grace began. and the other party as faft cried up SHADDAI, the captains, his laws, their mercifulness, and applauded their conditions and ways. Thus the bickerment. words to blows. went a while: at last they paffed from words They fall from to blows, and now there were knocks on both fides. The good old gentleman Mr. Confcience was knocked down twice by one of the Diabolonians, whose name was Mr. Benumbing. And my lord Understanding had like to have been flain with an harquebus, but that he that had fhot, failed to take his aim aright, Nor did the other fide wholly escape: for there was one Mr. Rash-head, a Diabolonian, that had his brains beaten out by one Mr. Mind, the lord Will-beA hot skirmish. will's fervant: and it made me laugh to fee how old Mr. Prejudice was kick'd and tumbled about in the dirt for though a while fince he was made a captain of the Diabolonians, to the hurt and damage of the town, yet now they had got him under their feet: and I'll affure you, he had, by fome of the lord Understanding's party, his crown crack'd to boot. (a) Mr. Any-thing alfo became a brisk man in the broil; but both fides were against him, because he was true to none. Yet he had, for his malapertnefs, one of his legs broken; and he that did it, wifhed it had been his neck. Much harm more was done on both fides: but this muft Harm done on not be forgotten, it was now a wonder to fee : both fides. my lord Will-be-will fo indifferent as he was; he did not seem to take one fide more than another, only it was perceived that he smiled to fee how old Prejudice was tumbled up and down in the dirt; alfo when captain Anything came halting up before him, he feemed to take but little notice of him. Now (a) "The carnal mind is enmity against God," Rom. viii. 7. But it is the peculiar office of the divine Spirit, to deftroy the enmity, and root out prejudice; to enlighten the understanding, that the ways of the wife God may be manifested, that they are holy, just, and good. The two old gentlemen put revel-rout. Now when the uproar was over, Diabo lus fends for my lord Understanding and Mr. in prifon, as the Confcience, and claps them both up in pri authors of this fon, as the ringleaders and managers of this moft heavy riotous rout in Manfoul. So now the town began to be quiet again, and the prifoners were used hardly; yea, he thought to have made them away, but that the prefent juncture did not serve for that purpose, for that war was in all their gates. But let us return to our ftory: The captains, when they were gone back from the gate, and were come into the camp again, called a council of war, to confult what was further for them to do. Now fome faid, Let us go presently and fall upon the town; but the greatest part thought, rather better 'twould be to give them another fummons to yield; and the reafon why they thought this to be the beft, was, because that, fo far as could be perceived, the town of Manfoul now was more inclinable than heretofore. (a) And if, faid they, while fome of them are in a way of inclination, we should by ruggedness give them diftafte, we may fet them further from clofing with our fummons, than we would be willing they should. The captains call a council, and confult what to do. Wherefore to this advice they agreed, and The refult is, they fend anocalled a trumpeter, put words into his mouth, ther trumpeter, fet him his time, and bid him God fpeed, to fummon the Well, many hours were not expired, before town to yield. the trumpeter addreffed himfelf to his journey. Wherefore, coming up to the wall of the town, he fteered his courfe to Ear-gate; and there founded, as he was commanded. They then that were within, came out (a) The Lord rejoices in his work begun, ftill waits to be gracious, and lovingly invites finners to Jefus, the fource of all bleffedness and peace: "O ye that ftray, by fires falfe-glaring led, In vice deep-funk, companions of the dead, |