preacher, brake the business to him; and he as soon gave the alarm to the town; for he was now the chief preacher in Mansoul, because as yet my Lord Secretary was ill at ease. And this was the way the subordinate preacher took to alarm the town therewith: The same hour he caused the lecture-bell to be rung, and the people came together; he then gave them a short exhortation to watchfulness, and made Mr. Prywell's news the argument thereof. "For," said he, "an horrible plot is contrived against Mansoul, even to massacre us all in a day, nor is this story to be slighted; for Mr. Prywell is the author thereof. Mr. Prywell was always a lover of Mansoul, a sober and judicious man, a man that is no tattler, nor raiser of false reports, but one that loves to look into the very bottom of matters, and talks nothing of news but by very solid argument." I will call him, and you shall hear him for your own selves; so he called him, and he came and told his tale so punctually, and affirmed its truth with such ample grounds, that Mansoul fell presently under a conviction. of the truth of what he said. The preacher also backed him, saying, "Sirs, it is not irrational for us to believe it, for we have provoked Shaddai to anger, and have sinned Emanuel out of the town; we have had too much correspondence with Diabolonians, and have forgotten our tender mercies; no marvel, then, if the enemy, both within and without, should design and plot our ruin; and what time like this to do it? The sickness is now in the town, and we have been made weak thereby. Many a goodmeaning man is dead, and the Diabolonians of late grow stronger and stronger. Good desires. They take the alarm. Besides," quoth the subordinate preacher, "I have received from this good truth-teller this one inkling further, that he understood by those that he overheard, that several letters have passed between the furies of the pit and the Diabolonians, in order to our destruction." When Mansoul heard all this, and not being able to gainsay it, they lift up their voice and wept. Mr. Prywell also, in the presence of the townsmen, confirmed all that their subordinate preacher had said. Wherefore they now set afresh to bewail their folly, and to a doubling of petitions to Shaddai and his Son. They also brake the business to the captains, high commanders, and men of war, in the town of Mansoul, entreating of them to use the means to be strong, and to take good courage, and that they would look after their harness, and make themselves ready to give Diabolus battle by night or by day, should he come, as they are informed he will, to beleaguer the town of Mansoul. When the captains heard of this, they being always true lovers of the town of Mansoul, what do they but, like so many Samsons, they shake themselves, and come together to consult and to contrive how to defeat those bold and hellish contrivances, that were upon the wheel, by the means of Diabolus, and his friend, against the now sickly, weakly, and much impoverished town of Mansoul; and they agreed upon these following particulars :- 1. That the gates of Mansoul should be kept shut, and made fast with bars and locks, and that all persons that went out or came in should be very strictly examined by the captains of the guards,* "to the end," said they, "that those that are managers of the plots amongst us, may, either coming or going, be taken; and that we may also find out who are the great contrivers, amongst us, of our ruin." 2. The next thing was, that a strict search should be made for all kind of Diabolonians throughout the whole town of Mansoul; and that every man's house from top to bottom should be looked into, and that, too, house by house, and that if possible a farther discovery might be made of all such among them as had a hand in these designs.‡ Jer. ii. 34. 3. It was further concluded upon, that, wheresoever or with whomsoever any of these Diabolonians were found, that even those of the town of Mansoul that had given them house and harbour, should, to their shame and the warning of others, do penance in the open place.§ 4. It was, moreover, resolved by the famous town of Mansoul, that a public fast, and a day of humiliation, should be kept throughout the whole corporation, to the justifying of their Prince, the abasing of themselves before him for their transgressions against him, and against Shaddai, his Father. It was further resolved, that all such in Mansoul as Joel ii. 15, 16. 1 Cor. xvi. 13. * Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord. Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Heb. xii. 15, 16. § For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. Jer. v. 26. || Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. Joel i. 14. did not on that day endeavour to keep that fast, and to humble themselves for their faults, but should mind their worldly employments, or be found wandering up or down the streets, should be taken for Diabolonians, and suffer as Diabolonians for such wicked doings. 5. It was further concluded then, that with what speed, and with what Jer. xxxvii. 4. warmth of mind they could, they would renew their humiliation for sin, and their petitions to Shaddai for help; they also resolved to send tidings to the court of all that Mr. Prywell had told them. 6. It was also determined, that thanks should be given by the town of Mansoul to Mr. Prywell, for his diligent seeking of the welfare of their town; and further, that forasmuch as he was so naturally inclined to seek their good, and also to undermine their foes, they gave him a commission of scoutmaster-general, for the good of the town of Mansoul. When the corporation, with their captains, had thus concluded, they did as they had said; they shut up their gates, they made for Diabolonians strict search, they made those with whom any were found to do penance in the open place. They kept their fast, and renewed their petitions to their Prince; and Mr. Prywell managed his charge, and the trust that Mansoul had put into his hands, with great conscience, and good fidelity; for he gave himself wholly up to his employ, and that not only within the town, but he went out to pry, to see, and to hear. Not many days after, he provided for his journey, and went towards Hell-Gate Hill, into the country where the Doubters were, where he heard of all that had been talked of in Mansoul, and he perceived also that Diabolus was almost ready for his march, &c. So he came back with speed, and calling the captains and elders of Mansoul together, he told them where he had been, what he had heard, and what he had seen. Particularly, he told them, that Diabolus was almost ready for his march, and that he had made old Mr. Incredulity, that once brake prison in Mansoul, the general of his army; that his army consisted of all Doubters, and that their number was above twenty thousand. He told, moreover, that Diabolus intended to bring with him the chief princes of the Infernal Pit, and that he would make them chief captains over his Doubters. He told them, moreover, that it was certainly true, that several of the black den would, with Diabolus, ride reformades, to reduce the town of Mansoul to the obedience of Diabolus their prince. He said, moreover, that he understood by the Doubters, among whom he had been, that the reason why old Incredulity was made general of the whole army, was, because none truer than he to the tyrant; and because he had an implacable spite against the town of Mansoul. Besides, said he, he remembers the affront that Mansoul has given him, and he is resolved to be revenged of them. But the black princes shall be made high commanders; only Incredulity shall be over them all, because he can more easily and dexterously Heb. xii. 1. beleaguer the town of Mansoul, than any of the princes besides. Now, when the captains of Mansoul, with the elders of the town, had heard the tidings that Mr. Prywell brought, they thought it expedient, without further delay, to put into execution the laws against the Diabolonians, which their prince had made, and given them in commandment to manage against them. Wherefore forthwith a diligent and impartial search was made in all houses in Mansoul, for all and all manner of Diabolonians. Now, in the house of Mr. Mind, and in the house of the great Lord Will-be-will, were two Diabolonians found. In Mr. Mind's house was one Lord Covetousness found; but he had changed his name to Prudent-Thrifty. In my Lord Will-be-will's house, one Lasciviousness was found; but he had changed his name into Harmless-Mirth. These two the captains and elders of the town of Mansoul took and committed to custody, under the hand of Mr. Trueman, the gaoler; and this man C C handled them so severely, and loaded them so well with irons, that they both fell into a deep consumption, and died in the prison; their masters also, according to the agreement of the captains and elders, were brought to do penance in the open place, to their shame, and a warning to the rest of the town of Mansoul. Now, this was the manner of penance in those days. The persons offending, being made sensible of the evil of their doings, were enjoined open confession of their faults, and a strict amendment of their lives. After this, the captains and elders of Mansoul sought yet to find out more Diabolonians, wherever they lurked, whether in dens, caves, holes, vaults, or where else they could, in or about the wall or town of Mansoul. But though they could plainly see their footing, and so follow them by their track and smell to their holds, even to the mouths of their caves and dens, yet take and do justice upon them they could not; their ways were so crooked, their holds so strong, and they so quick to take sanctuary there. But Mansoul ruled now with so stiff an hand over the Diabolonians that were left, that they were glad to shrink into corners; time was when they durst walk openly and in the day, but now they were forced to embrace privacy and the night time was when a Mansoulian was their companion, but now they called them deadly enemies. This change did Mr. Prywell's intelligence make in the town of Mansoul. : By this time Diabolus had finished his army which he intended to bring with him for the ruin of Mansoul; and had set over them captains, and other field officers, such as liked his furious stomach best; himself was lord paramount. Incredulity was general of his army. Their highest captains shall be named afterwards; but now for their officers, colours, and scutcheons. 1. Their first captain was Captain Rage; he was captain over the Election-Doubters; his were the red colours; his standard-bearer was Mr. Destructive, and the great red dragon he had for his scutcheon.* • And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev. xii. 3, 4, 13, 17. |