Now when the tyrant was arrived at Hell-Gate Hill, with his old friend Incredulity, they immediately descended the den, and having there, with their followers, for a while condoled their misfortune, and the great loss they sustained before the town of Mansoul, they fell at length into a passion, and revenged they would be for the loss that they sustained before the town of Mansoul. Wherefore they presently call a council to contrive yet further what was to be done against the famous town of Mansoul; for their yawning paunches could not wait to see the result of their Lord Lucifer's and their Lord Apollyon's counsel that they had given before; for their raging gorge thought every day even as long as a short for ever, until they were filled with the body and soul, with the flesh and bones, and with all the delicacies of Mansoul. They therefore resolved to make another attempt upon the town of Mansoul, and that by an army mixed and made up partly of Doubters, and partly of Blood-men. A more particular account now take of both. The Doubters are such as have their name from their nature, as well as from the lord and kingdom where they were born; their nature is to put a question upon every one of the truths of Emanuel; and their country is the land of Doubting, and that land lieth off, and furtherest remote, to the north, between the land of Darkness, and that called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. For though the land of Darkness, and that called the land of the Shadow of Death, be sometimes called as if they were one and the self-same place; yet indeed they are two, lying but a little way asunder, and the land of Doubting points in, and lieth between them. This is the land of Doubting; and those that came with Diabolus to ruin the town of Mansoul, are the natives of that country. The Blood-men are a people that have their name derived from the malignity of their nature, and from the fury that is in them to execute it upon the town of Mansoul; their land lieth under the Dog-star, and by that they are governed as to intellectuals. The name of the country is the province of Loath-good, the remote parts of it are far distant from the land of Doubting, yet they do both butt and bound upon the hill called Hell-gate Hill. These people are always in league with the Doubters, for they jointly made question of the faith and fidelity of the men of the town of Mansoul, and so are both alike qualified for the service of their prince. Now of these two countries did Diabolus by the beating of his drum raise another army against the town of Mansoul, of five-and-twenty thousand strong. There were ten thousand Doubters, and fifteen thousand Blood-men, and they were put under several captains for the war; and old Incredulity was again made general of the army. As for the Doubters, their captains were five of the seven that were heads of the last Diabolonian army, and these are their names; Captain Beelzebub, Captain Lucifer, Captain Apollyon, Captain Legion, and Captain Cerberus, and the captains that they had before were some of them made lieutenants, and some ensigns of the army. But Diabolus did not count, that in this expedition of his, these Doubters would prove his principal men, for their manhood had been tried before; also the Mansoulians had put them to the worst: only he brought them to multiply a number, and to help, if need was, at a pinch. But his trust he put in his Blood-men, for they were all rugged villains, and he knew that they had done feats heretofore. As for the Blood-men, they also were under command, and the names of their captains were, Captain Cain, Captain Nimrod, Captain Ishmael, Captain Esau, Captain Saul, Captain Absalom, Captain Judas, and Captain Pope. 1. Captain Cain was over two bands, to wit, the Zealous and the Angry Blood-men: his standard-bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was the murdering club.* 2. Captain Nimrod was captain over two bands, to wit, the Tyrannical Gen. x. 8, 9. and Incroaching Blood-men: his standard-bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was the great blood-hound. 3. Captain Ishmael was captain over two bands, to wit, over the Mocking and Scorning Blood-men: his standard-bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was one mocking at Abraham's Isaac.† 4. Captain Esau was captain over two bands, to wit, the Bloodmen that grudged that another should have the blessing; also over the Blood-men that are for executing their private revenge upon others: his standard • And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. Gen. iv. 8. † And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman and her son: for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. Gen. xxi. 9, 10. bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was one privately lurking to murder Jacob.* 5. Captain Saul was captain over two bands, to wit, the Groundlessly Jealous and the Devilishly Furious Blood-men: his standard bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was three bloody darts cast at harmless David.t 1 Sam. xix. 10; XX. 33. 2 Sam. xv. xvi. xvii. 6. Captain Absalom was captain over two bands, to wit, over the Bloodmen that will kill a father or a friend, for the glory of this world; also over those Blood-men that hold one fair in hand with words, till they shall have pierced him with their swords: his standardbearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was the son pursuing the father's blood. 7. Captain Judas was over two bands, to wit, the Blood-men that will sell a man's life for money, and those also that will betray their friend with : a kiss his standard-bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was thirty pieces of silver, and the halter.‡ 8. Captain Pope was captain over one band, for all these spirits are joined in one under him: his standard-bearer bore the red colours, and his scutcheon was the stake, the flame, and the good man in it. Rev. xiii. 7, 8. Now the reason why Diabolus so soon rallied another force after he had been beaten out of the field, was, for that he put mighty confidence in this army of Blood-men, for he put a great deal more of trust in them than he did before in his army of Doubters, though they had also often done great service for him in the strengthening of him in his kingdom. But those Blood-men he had often proved, and their sword seldom returned empty. Besides, he knew that these, like mastiffs, would fasten upon any; upon father, mother, brother, sister, prince, or governor, yea, upon the Prince of princes. And that which encouraged him the more was, for that they And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Gen. xxvii. 42. † And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 1 Sam. xviii. 11. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. Matt. xxvii. 14, 15, 16. once forced Emanuel out of the kingdom of Universe; " And why," thought he, "may they not drive him from the town of Mansoul?" So this army, five-and-twenty thousand strong, was by their general, the Lord Incredulity, led up against the town of Mansoul. Now Mr. Prywell, the scoutmaster-general, went out to spy, and he brought Mansoul tidings of their coming. Wherefore they shut up their gates, and put themselves into a posture of defence against these new Diabolonians that came up against the town. So Diabolus brought up his army, and beleaguered the town of Mansoul; the Doubters were placed about Feel-gate, and the Blood-men set down before Eye-gate, and Ear-gate. Now when this army had thus encamped themselves, Incredulity, in the name of Diabolus, in his own name, and in the name of the Blood-men, and the rest that were with him, sent a summons as hot as a red-hot iron to Mansoul, to yield to their demands, threatening, that if they still stood it out against them, they would presently burn down Mansoul with fire. For you must know, that as for the Blood-men, they were not so much that Mansoul should be surrendered, as that Mansoul should be destroyed, and cut off out of the land of the living.* True, they sent them to surrender; but should they so do, that would not quench the thirst of these men; they must have blood, the blood of Mansoul, else they die; and it is Jer. xxii. 17. from thence that they have their name. Wherefore these Blood-men he reserved while now, that they might, when all engines proved ineffectual, as his last and sure card, be played against the town of Mansoul. Now, when the townsmen had received this red-hot summons, it begat in them at present some changing and interchanging thoughts; but they jointly agreed, in less than half an hour, to carry the summons to the Prince, which they did, when they writ at the bottom of it, "Lord, save Psalm lix. 2. Mansoul from bloody men!" So he took it, and looked upon it, and considered it, and took notice also of that short petition that the men of Mansoul had written at the bottom of it, and called unto him the noble Captain Credence, and bid him go, and take Captain Patience with him, and go and take care of that side * Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood, their thoughts are thoughts of inquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. Isaiah lix. 7. of Mansoul that was beleaguered by the Blood-men.* So they went and did as they were commanded; then Captain Credence went and took Captain Patience, and they both secured that side of Mansoul that was besieged by the Blood-men. Then he commanded that Captain Good-Hope, and Captain Charity, and my Lord Will-be-will, should take charge of the other side of the town; "And I," said the Prince, "will set up my standard upon the battlements of your castle, and do you three watch against the Doubters. This done, he again commanded that the brave Captain Experience should draw up his men in the market-place, and that there also he should exercise them day by day before the people of the town of Mansoul. Now the siege was long, and many a fierce attempt did the enemy, especially those called Blood-men, make upon the town of Mansoul; and many a shrewd brush did some of the townsmen meet with from them, especially Captain SelfDenial, who, I should have told you before, was commanded to take the care of Ear-gate and Eye-gate now against the Blood-men. This Captain Self-Denial was a young man, but a stout, and a townsman in Mansoul, as Captain Experience also was; and Emanuel at his second return to Mansoul, made him a captain over a thousand of the Mansoulians, for the good of the corporation. This captain, therefore, being a hardy man, a man of great courage, and willing to venture himself for the good of the town of Mansoul, would now and then sally out upon the Blood-men, and give them many notable alarms, and had several skirmishes with them, and also did some execution upon them; yet you must think that this could not easily be done, but he must meet with brushes himself, for he carried several of their marks in his face; yea, and some in other parts of his body. So, after some time spent for the trial of the faith, hope, and love of the town of Mansoul, the Prince Emanuel upon a day calls his captains and men of war together, and divides them into two companies; this done, he commands them at the time appointed, and that in the morning very early, to sally out upon the enemy; saying, "Let half of you fall upon the Doubters, and half of you fall upon the Blood-men. Those of you that go out against the Doubters, kill and slay, and cause to perish so many of * That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Heb. vi. 12, 15. |