that was made wine; and were very merry with him. There was music also all the while at the table, and men did eat angels' food, and had honey given them out of the rock; so Mansoul did eat the food that was peculiar to the court; yea, they had now thereof to the full.* Riddles. I must not forget to tell you, that as at this table there were musicians, so they were not those of the country, nor yet of the town of Mansoul; but they were the masters of the songs that were sung at the court of Shaddai. Now, after the feast was over, Emanuel was for entertaining the town with some curious riddles of secrets drawn up by his Father's secretary, by the wisdom and skill of Shaddai; the like to these there are not in any kingdom. The holy Scriptures. Mansoul. The riddles were made upon King Shaddai himself, and upon Emanuel his Son, and upon his wars and doings with Emanuel also expounded unto them some of these riddles himself; but, oh! how they were lightened! They saw what they never saw before; * And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and Man did eat angels' food, he sent them corn to the full. had given them of the corn of heaven. they could not have thought that such rarities could have been couched in so few and such ordinary words. I told you before, whom these riddles did concern; and as they were opened the people evidently saw it was so. Yea, they gathered that the things themselves were a kind of portraiture, and that of Emanuel himself; for when they read in the scheme where the riddles were writ, and looked in the face of the Prince, things looked so like one to the other, that Mansoul could not forbear but say, "This is the Lamb! this is the Sacrifice! this is the Rock! this is the Red Cow! this is the Door! and this is the Way!" and with a great many other things more. The end of that banquet. And thus he dismissed the town of Mansoul. But can you imagine how the people of this corporation were taken with his entertainment? Oh! they were transported with joy, they were drowned with wonder, while they saw and understood, and considered what their Emanuel entertained them withal, and what mysteries he opened to them; and when they were at home in their houses, and in their most retired places, they could not but sing of him and of his actions. Yea, so taken were the townsmen now with the Prince, that they would sing of him in their sleep. Now, it was in the heart of the Prince Emanuel to new-model the town of Mansoul, and to put it into such a condition as might be most pleasing to him, and that might best stand with the profit and security of the now flourishing town of Mansoul. He provided also against insurrections at home, and invasions abroad: such love had he for the famous town of Mansoul. Wherefore he first of all commanded that the great slings that were brought from his Father's court, when he came to the town of Mansoul, should be mounted, some upon the battlements of the castle, some upon the towers; for there were towers in the town of Mansoul, towers new-built by Emanuel since he came thither. There was also an instrument invented by Emanuel, that was to throw stones from the castle of Mansoul, out at Mouth-gate; an instrument that could not be resisted, nor that could miss of execution. Wherefore, for the wonderful exploits that it did when used, it went without a name; and it was committed to the care of, and managed by, that brave captain, Captain Credence, in case of war. This done, Emanuel called the Lord Will-be-will to him, and gave him R in commandment to take care of the gates, the wall, and towers in Mansoul, also the Prince gave him the militia into his hand, and a special charge to withstand all insurrections and tumults that might be made in Mansoul against the peace of our Lord the King, and the peace and tranquillity of the town of Mansoul. He also gave him in commission, that if he found any of the Diabolonians lurking in any corner of the famous town of Mansoul, he should forthwith apprehend them and slay them, or commit them to safe custody, that they may be proceeded against according to law. Then he called unto him the Lord Understanding, who was the old Lord Mayor, he that was put out of place when Diabolus took the town, and put him in his former office again, and it became his place for his life-time. He bid him also that he should build him a palace near Eye-gate, and that he should build it in fashion like a tower for a defence. He bid him also read in the Revelations of Mysteries all the days of his life, that he might know how to perform his office aright. He also made Mr. Knowledge, the Recorder, not of contempt to old Mr. Conscience, who had been Recorder before; but for that it was in his princely mind to confer upon Mr. Conscience another employ, of which he told the old gentleman he should know more hereafter. Then he commanded that the image of Diabolus should be taken down from the place where it was set up; and that they should utterly destroy it, beating it into powder, and casting it into the wind, without the town-wall; and that the image of Shaddai, his Father, should be set up again, with his own, upon the castle-gates; and that it should be more fairly drawn than ever, forasmuch as both his Father and himself were come to Mansoul in more grace and mercy than heretofore. He would also that his name should be done on the best of gold, for the honour of Mansoul.* After this was done, Emanuel gave out a commandment, which was, that those three greatest Diabolonians should be apprehended, namely, the two late Lord Mayors, to wit, Mr. Incredulity, and Mr. Lustings, and Mr. Forget-Good, the Recorder. Besides these, there were some of them that Diabolus made burgesses and aldermen in Mansoul, that were committed to ward by the hand of the now valiant and right noble, the brave Lord Will-be-will. And these were their names :-Alderman Atheism, Alderman Hard-heart, And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. Rev. xxii. 4. and Alderman False-Peace. The burgesses were, Mr. No-Truth, Mr. Pitiless, Mr. Haughty, with the like. These were committed to close custody, and the gaoler's name was Mr. True-Man. This True-Man was one of those that Emanuel brought with him from his Father's court, when at first he made a war upon Diabolus in the town of Mansoul. After this, the Prince gave a charge that the three strong holds, which at the command of Diabolus, the Diabolonians built in Mansoul, should be demolished and utterly pulled down; of which holds, and their names, with their captains and governors, you read a little before. But this was long in doing, because of the largeness of the places, and because the stones, the timber, the iron; and all the rubbish, were to be carried without the town. When this was done, the Prince gave order that the Lord Mayor and aldermen of Mansoul should call a court of judicature, for the trial and execution of the Diabolonians in the corporation, now under the care of Mr. True-Man, the gaoler. Now, when the time was come, and the court set, commandment was sent to Mr. True-Man, the gaoler, to bring the prisoners down to the bar. Then were the prisoners brought down, pinioned and chained together, as the custom of the town of Mansoul was. So, when they were presented before the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and the rest of the honourable bench, first, the jury was impanneled, and then the witnesses sworn. The names of the jury were these:-Mr. Belief, Mr. True-Heart, Mr. Upright, Mr. Hate-Bad, Mr. Love-Good, Mr. Seek-Truth, Mr. Heavenly-Mind, Mr. Moderate, Mr. Thankful, Mr. Good-Work, Mr. Zeal-for-God, and Mr. Humble. The names of the witnesses were Mr. Know-All, Mr. Tell-True, Mr. Hate-Lies, with my Lord Will-be-will and his man, if need were. So the prisoners were set to the bar. Then said Mr. Do-Right, (for he was the Town-Clerk,) "Set Atheism to the bar, gaoler." So he was set to the bar. Then said the clerk, "Atheism, hold up thy hand. Thou art here indicted by the name of Atheism, (an intruder on the town of Mansoul,) for that thou hast perniciously and doubtishly taught and maintained, that there is no God, and so no heed to be taken to religion. This thou hast done against the being, honour, 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?" 124 Atheism. Not guilty. Crier. Call Mr. Know-All, Mr. Tell-True, and Mr. Hate-Lies, into the court. So they were called, and they appeared. Then said the clerk, "You the witnesses for the King, look upon the prisoner at the bar; do you know him?” 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 Diabolonian, the son of a Diabolonian; 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 talked briskly of divers opinions; and then and there I heard |