The Holy War Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, to Regain the Metropolis of the World

And to him did submit with one accord.
When Mansoul trampled upon things divine,
And saw how Mansoul then was stripp'd of hope.
I saw the captains march into the town,

How there they fought, and did their foes cut down.
I heard the prince bid Boanerges go

Up to the castle and there sieze his foe;

And saw him and his fellows bring him down
In chains of great contempt quite through the town.
I saw Immanuel when he possess'd

His town of Mansoul: and how greatly bless'd
The town, his gallant town of Mansoul was
When she receiv'd his pardon, lov'd his laws.
When the Diabolonians were caught.
When try'd, and when to execution brought,
Then I was there; yea I was standing by
When Mansoul did the rebels crucify.

I also saw Mansoul clad all in white,
And heard her prince call her his heart's delight;
I saw him put upon her chains of gold,
And rings and bracelets, goodly to behold.

What shall I say? I heard the people's cries.
And saw the prince wipe tears from Mansoul's eyes;
I heard the groans and saw the joy of many :
Tell you of all, I neither will nor can I ;
But by what here I say, you well may see
That Mansoul's matchless wars no fables be.
Mansoul! the desire of both princes was,
One keep his gain would, t'other gain his loss;
Diabolus would cry, The town is mine;
Immanuel would plead a right divine
Unto his Mansoul: then to blows they go,
And Mansoul cries, "These wars will me undo:
Mansoul, her wars seem'd endless in her eyes,
She's lost by one, becomes another's prize;
And he again that lost her last would swear,
Have her I will, or her in pieces tear.

Mansoul thus was the very seat of war;
Wherefore her troubles greater were by far
Than only where the noise of war was heard,
Or where the shaking of a sword is fear'd!
Or only where small skirmishes are fought,
Or where the fancy fighteth with a thought.

She saw the swords of fighting men made red,
And heard the cries of those with them wounded,
Must not her frights, then, be much more by far
Than they that to such doings strangers are?
Or their's that hear the beating of a drum,

But need not fly for fear from house and home?
Mansoul not only heard the trumpet sound,
But saw her gallants gasping on the ground;
Wherefore we must not think that she could rest
With them whose greatest earnest is but jest:
Or where the blust ring threat'nings of great war
Do end in parlies, or in wording jars.

Mansoul her mighty wars they do portend
Her weal, her woes and that world without end;
Wherefore she must be more concern'd than they
Whose fears begin and end the self-same day;
Or where none other harm doth come to him
That is engag'd but loss of life or limb:

As all must needs confess that now do dwell
In Universe, and can this story tell.

Count me not, then, with them who, to amaze The people, set them on the stars to gaze; Insinuating with much confidence

They are the only men that have science

Of some brave creatures; yea, a world they will Have in each star, though it be past their skill To make it manifest unto a man

That reason hath, or tell his fingers can.

But I have too long held thee in the porch,
And kept thee from the sunshine with a torch.
Well, now go forward, step within the door,
And there behold five hundred times much more
Of all sorts of such inward rarities,

As please the mind will, and will feed the eyes,
With those which of a Christian, thou wilt see;
Nor do thou go to work without my key.*
(In mysteries men do often lose their way)
And also turn it right; if thou would'st know
My riddle, and would'st with my heifer plough;
It lies there in the window. Fare thee well,
My next may be to ring thy passing bell.

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