Mansoul have, and what sun could shine upon it? Had the enemy lain so long without in the plain against the town, it had been enough to famish them; but now, when they shall be within, when the town shall be their tent, their trench, and fort against the castle that was in the town, when the town shall be against the town, and shall serve to be a defence to the enemies of her strength and life; I say, when they shall make use of the forts and town-holds to secure themselves in, even till they shall take, spoil, and demolish the castle; this was terrible, and yet this was Heart. now the state of the town of Mansoul.

After the town of Mansoul had been in this sad and lamentable condition for so long a time as I have told you, and no petitions that they had presented their Prince with, all the while, could prevail, the inhabitants of the town, to wit, the elders and chief of Mansoul, gather together, and after some time spent in condoling their miserable state, and this miserable judgment coming upon them, they agreed together to draw up yet another petition, and to send it away to Emanuel for relief. But Mr. Godly-Fear stood up and answered, that he knew his Lord the Prince never did, nor ever would receive a petition for these matters from the hand of any one whoever, unless the Lord Secretary's hand was to it; "and this," quoth he, "is the reason you prevailed not all this while." Then they said they would draw up one, and get the Lord Secretary's hand to it. But Mr. Godly-Fear answered again, that he knew also that the Lord Secretary would not set his hand to any petition that himself had not an hand in composing and drawing up. "And besides," said he, "the Prince doth know my Lord Secretary's hand from all hands in the world; wherefore he cannot be deceived by any pretence whatever; wherefore my advice is, that you go to my Lord, and implore him to lend you his aid.” (Now he abode in the castle, where all the captains and men of war were at arms.) So they heartily thanked Mr. Godly-Fear, took his counsel, and did as he had bidden them; so they departed and came to my Lord, and made known the cause of their coming to him; to wit, that since Mansoul was in so deplorable a condition, his Highness would be pleased to undertake to draw up a petition for them to Emanuel, the son of the mighty Shaddai, and to their King and his Father, by him.

Then said the Secretary to them, "What petition is it that you would have me draw up for you?" But they said, "Our Lord knows best the

state and condition of the town of Mansoul; and how we are backslidden and degenerated from the Prince; thou also knowest who is come up to war against us, and how Mansoul is now the seat of war. My Lord knows, moreover, what barbarous usage our men, women, and children have suffered at their hands, and how our home-bred Diabolonians walk now with more boldness than dare the townsmen, in the streets of Mansoul. Let our Lord therefore, according to the wisdom of God that is in him, draw up a petition for his poor servants to our Prince Emanuel." "Well," said the Lord Secretary, "I will draw up a petition for you, and will also set my hand thereto." Then said they, “But when shall we call for it at the hand of our Lord?" He answered, "Yourselves must be present at the doing of it; yea, you must put your desires to it. True, the hand and pen shall be mine, but the ink and paper must be yours; else how can you say it is your petition? Nor have I need to petition for myself, because I have not offended."

He also added as followeth: "No petition goes from me in my name to the Prince, and so to his Father by him, but when the people, that are chiefly concerned therein, join in heart and soul in the matter, for that must be inserted therein."

So they heartily agreed with the sentence of the Lord, and a petition was forthwith drawn up for them. But now, who shall carry it? that was the next. But the Secretary advised that Captain Credence should carry it, for he was a well-spoken man. They therefore called for him, and propounded to him the business. 'Well," said the captain, "I gladly accept of the motion; and though I am lame, I will do this business for you, with as much speed, and as well as I can."

The contents of the petition were to this purpose:

O our Lord, and Sovereign Prince Emanuel, the potent, the longsuffering Prince! grace is poured into thy lips, and to thee belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against thee. We, who are no more worthy to be called thy Mansoul, nor yet fit to partake of common benefits, do beseech thee, and thy Father by thee, to do away our transgressions. We confess that thou mightest cast us away for them, but do it not for thy name's sake; let the Lord rather take an opportunity, at our miserable condition, to let out his bowels of compassion to us. We are compassed on every side, Lord; our own backslidings reprove us, our Diabolonians within our town fright us, and the army of the angel of the

bottomless pit distress us. Thy grace can be our salvation, and whither to go but to thee we know not.

"Furthermore, O gracious Prince, we have weakened our captains, and they are discouraged, sick, and of late some of them grievously worsted, and beaten out of the field by the power and force of the tyrant. Yea, even those of our captains, in whose valour we formerly used to put most of our confidence, they are as wounded men. Besides, Lord, our enemies are lively, and they are strong; they vaunt and boast themselves, and threaten to part us among themselves for a booty. They are fallen also upon us with many thousand Doubters, such as with whom we cannot tell what to do; they are all grim-looked, and unmerciful ones, and they bid defiance to us and thee.

"Our wisdom is gone, our power is gone, because thou art departed from us; nor have we what we can call ours, but sin, shame, and confusion of face for sin. Take pity upon us, O Lord, take pity upon us thy miserable town of Mansoul, and save us out of the hands of our enemies. Amen."

This petition, as was touched afore, was handed by the Lord Secretary, and carried to the court by the brave and most stout Captain Credence. Now he carried it out at Mouth-gate, for that, as I said, was the sally-port of the town; and he went, and came to Emanuel with it. Now how it came out I do not know, but for certain it did, and that so far as to reach the ears of Diabolus. "Thus I conclude, because that the tyrant had it presently by the end, and charged the town of Mansoul with it, saying, "Thou rebellious and stubborn-hearted Mansoul, I will make thee to leave off petitioning. Art thou yet for petitioning? I will make thee to leave off." Yea, he also knew who the messenger was that carried the petition to the Prince, and it made him both fear and rage. Wherefore he commanded that his drum should be beat again, a thing that Mansoul could not abide to hear; but when Diabolus would have his drum beat, Mansoul must abide the noise. Well, the drum was beat, and the Diabolonians were gathered together.

Satan cannot abide prayer.

Then said Diabolus, "O ye stout Diabolonians, be it known unto you, that there is treachery hatched against us in the rebellious town of Mansoul; for albeit the town is in our possession, as you see, yet these miserable Mansoulians have attempted to dare, and have been so hardy as yet to send

F F

to the court of Emanuel for help. This I give you to understand, that ye may yet know how to carry it to the town of Mansoul. Wherefore, O my Poor Mansoul! trusty Diabolonians, I command that yet more and more ye distress this town of Mansoul, and vex it with your wiles; ravish their women, deflower their virgins, slay their children, brain their ancients, fire their town, and do what other mischief you can; and let this be the reward of the Mansoulians from me, for their desperate rebellion against me.”

This you see was the charge; but something stept in betwixt that and execution, for as yet there was but little more done than to rage.

Moreover, when Diabolus had done thus, he went the next day to the castle-gates, and demanded that, upon pain of death, the gates should be opened to him, and that entrance should be given him and his men that followed after. To whom Mr. Godly-Fear replied, (for he it was that had the charge of that gate,) "that the gate should not be opened unto him, or to the men that followed after him." He said, moreover, "that Mansoul, when she had suffered awhile, should be made perfect, strengthened, and settled."

Then said Diabolus, "Deliver me, then, the men that have petitioned against me, especially Captain Credence, that carried it to your Prince; deliver that varlet into my hands, and I will depart from the town."

Satan cannot abide faith.

'

Then up starts a Diabolonian, whose name was Mr. Fooling, and said, Mr. Fooling. My lord offereth you fair; it is better for you that one man perish, than that your whole Mansoul should be undone."

But Mr. Godly-Fear made him this replication, "How long will Mansoul be kept out of the dungeon, when she hath given up her faith to Diabolus ? As good lose the town as lose Captain Credence; for if one be gone, the other must follow." But to that Mr. Fooling said nothing.

Then did my Lord Mayor reply, and said, “O thou devouring tyrant, be it known unto thee, we shall hearken to none of thy words; we are resolved to resist thee as long as a captain, a man, a sling, and a stone to throw at thee, shall be found in the town of Mansoul."

But Diabolus answered, "Do you hope, do you wait, do you look for Diabolus rages. help and deliverance? You have sent to Emanuel, but your wickedness sticks too close in your skirts, to let innocent prayer come out of your lips. Think you that you shall be prevailers, and prosper in this

design? You will fail in your wish, and will fail in your attempts; for it is not only I, but your Emanuel is against you. Yea, it is he that hath sent me against you, to subdue you. For what then do you hope, or by what means will you escape?"

Then said my Lord Mayor, "We have sinned indeed; but that shall be no help to thee, for our Emanuel hath said it, and that in great faithfulness, And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.' He hath also told us, (O our enemy,) that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to the sons of men.' Therefore we dare not despair, but will look for, and wait for mercy."

And now by this time Captain Credence was come from the court from Emanuel to the castle of Mansoul, and he returned to them with a packet.

So

my Lord Mayor, hearing that Captain Credence was come, withdrew himself from the noise of the roaring of the tyrant, and left him to yell at the wall, of the town, or against the gates of the castle. He then came up to the captain's lodgings, and saluting him, asked him of his welfare, and

what was the best news at court? But when he asked Captain Credence that, the water stood in his eyes. Then said the captain, "Cheer up, my lord, for all will be well in time." And with that he first produced his packet, and laid it by; but that the Lord Mayor and rest of the captains took for a sign of good tidings. (Now a season of

A sign of good

ness.