Afterwards
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shall not give you a particular account of the names of the soldiersthat were slain in the town, for many were maimed, and wounded, andslain; for when they saw that the posts of Ear-gate did shake, andEye-gate was well-nigh broken quite open, and also that their captainswere slain, this took away the hearts of many of the Diabolonians; theyfell also by the force of the shot that were sent by the golden slingsinto the midst of the town of Mansoul. Of the townsmen, there was one Love-no-Good; he was a townsman, but aDiabolonian; he also received his mortal wound in Mansoul, but he diednot very soon. Mr. Ill-Pause also, who was the man that came along with Diabolus when atfirst he attempted the taking of Mansoul, he also received a grievouswound in the head; some say that his brain-pan was cracked. This I havetaken notice of, that he was never after this able to do that mischief toMansoul as he had done in times past. Also old Prejudice and Mr.Anything fled. Now, when the battle was over, the Prince commanded that yet once morethe white flag should be set upon Mount Gracious in sight of the town ofMansoul, to show that yet Emmanuel had grace for the wretched town ofMansoul. When Diabolus saw the white flag hung out again, and knowing that it wasnot for him, but Mansoul, he cast in his mind to play another prank, towit, to see if Emmanuel would raise his siege and begone, upon promise ofreformation. So he comes down to the gate one evening, a good whileafter the sun was gone down, and calls to speak with Emmanuel, whopresently came down to the gate, and Diabolus saith unto him: ‘Forasmuch as thou makest it appear by thy white flag that thou artwholly given to peace and quiet, I thought meet to acquaint thee that weare ready to accept thereof upon terms which thou mayest admit. ‘I know that thou art given to devotion, and that holiness pleaseth thee;yea, that thy great end in making a war upon Mansoul is, that it may be aholy habitation. Well, draw off thy forces from the town, and I willbend Mansoul to thy bow. ‘First, I will lay down all acts of hostility against thee, and will bewilling to become thy deputy, and will, as I have formerly been againstthee, now serve thee in the town of Mansoul. And more particularly, ‘1. I will persuade Mansoul to receive thee for their Lord; and I knowthat they will do it the sooner when they shall understand that I am thydeputy. ‘2. I will show them wherein they have erred, and that transgressionstands in the way to life. ‘3. I will show them the holy law unto which they must conform, even thatwhich they have broken. ‘4. I will press upon them the necessity of a reformation according tothy law. ‘5. And, moreover, that none of these things may fail, I myself, at myown proper cost and charge, will set up and maintain a sufficientministry, besides lectures, in Mansoul. ‘6. Thou shalt receive, as a token of our subjection to thee, year byyear, what thou shalt think fit to lay and levy upon us in token of oursubjection to thee.’ Then said Emmanuel to him, ‘O full of deceit, how movable are thy ways!How often hast thou changed and rechanged, if so be thou mightest stillkeep possession of my Mansoul, though, as has been plainly declaredbefore, I am the right heir thereof! Often hast thou made thy proposalsalready, nor is this last a whit better than they. And failing todeceive when thou showedst thyself in thy black, thou hast nowtransformed thyself into an angel of light, and wouldst, to deceive, benow as a minister of righteousness. ‘But know thou, O Diabolus, that nothing must be regarded that thou canstpropound, for nothing is done by thee but to deceive. Thou neither hastconscience to God, nor love to the town of Mansoul; whence, then, shouldthese thy sayings arise but from sinful craft and deceit? He that can oflist and will propound what he pleases, and that wherewith he may destroythem that believe him, is to be abandoned, with all that he shall say.But if righteousness be such a beauty-spot in thine eyes now, how is itthat wickedness was so closely stuck to by thee before? But this isby-the-bye. ‘Thou talkest now of a reformation in Mansoul, and that thou thyself, ifI will please, wilt be at the head of that reformation; all the whileknowing that the greatest proficiency that man can make in the law, andthe righteousness thereof, will amount to no more, for the taking away ofthe curse from Mansoul, than just nothing at all; for a law being brokenby Mansoul, that had before, upon a supposition of the breach thereof, acurse pronounced against him for it of God, can never, by his obeying ofthe law, deliver himself therefrom (to say nothing of what a reformationis like to be set up in Mansoul when the devil is become corrector ofvice). Thou knowest that all that thou hast now said in this matter isnothing but guile and deceit; and is, as it was the first, so is it thelast card that thou hast to play. Many there be that do soon discernthee when thou showest them thy cloven foot; but in thy white, thy light,and in thy transformation, thou art seen but of a few. But thou shaltnot do thus with my Mansoul, O Diabolus; for I do still love my Mansoul. ‘Besides, I am not come to put Mansoul upon works to live thereby; shouldI do so, I should be like unto thee: but I am come that by me, and bywhat I have and shall do for Mansoul, they may to my Father bereconciled, though by their sin they have provoked him to anger, andthough by the law they cannot obtain mercy. ‘Thou talkest of subjecting of this town to good, when none desireth itat thy hands. I am sent by my Father to possess it myself, and to guideit by the skilfulness of my hands into such a conformity to him as shallbe pleasing in his sight. I will therefore possess it myself; I willdispossess and cast thee out; I will set up mine own standard in themidst of them; I will also govern them by new laws, new officers, newmotives, and new ways; yea, I will pull down this town, and build itagain; and it shall be as though it had not been, and it shall then bethe glory of the whole universe.’ When Diabolus heard this, and perceived that he was discovered in all hisdeceits, he was confounded, and utterly put to a nonplus; but having inhimself the fountain of iniquity, rage, and malice against both Shaddaiand his Son, and the beloved town of Mansoul, what doth he but strengthenhimself what he could to give fresh battle to the noble Prince Emmanuel?So, then, now we must have another fight before the town of Mansoul istaken. Come up, then, to the mountains, you that love to see militaryactions, and behold by both sides how the fatal blow is given, while oneseeks to hold, and the other seeks to make himself master of the famoustown of Mansoul. Diabolus, therefore, having withdrawn himself from the wall to his forcethat was in the heart of the town of Mansoul, Emmanuel also returned tothe camp; and both of them, after their divers ways, put themselves intoa posture fit to give battle one to another. Diabolus, as filled with despair of retaining in his hands the famoustown of Mansoul, resolved to do what mischief he could (if, indeed, hecould do any) to the army of the Prince and to the famous town ofMansoul; for, alas! it was not the happiness of the silly town of Mansoulthat was designed by Diabolus, but the utter ruin and overthrow thereof,as now is enough in view. Wherefore, he commands his officers that theyshould then, when they see that they could hold the town no longer, do itwhat harm and mischief they could, rendering and tearing men, women, andchildren. ‘For,’ said he, ‘we had better quite demolish the place, andleave it like a ruinous heap, than so leave it that it may be anhabitation for Emmanuel.’ Emmanuel again, knowing that the next battle would issue in his beingmade master of the place, gave out a royal commandment to all hisofficers, high captains, and men of war, to be sure to show themselvesmen of war against Diabolus and all Diabolonians; but favourable,merciful, and meek to the old inhabitants of Mansoul. ‘Bend, therefore,’said the noble Prince, ‘the hottest front of the battle against Diabolusand his men.’ So the day being come, the command was given, and the Prince’s men didbravely stand to their arms, and did, as before, bend their main forceagainst Ear-gate and Eye-gate. The word was then, ‘Mansoul is won!’ sothey made their assault upon the town. Diabolus also, as fast as hecould, with the main of his power, made resistance from within; and hishigh lords and chief captains for a time fought very cruelly against thePrince’s army. But after three or four notable charges by the Prince and his noblecaptains, Ear-gate was broken open, and the bars and bolts wherewith itwas used to be fast shut up against the Prince, were broken into athousand pieces. Then did the Prince’s trumpets sound, the captainsshout, the town shake, and Diabolus retreat to his hold. Well, when thePrince’s forces had broken open the gate, himself came up and did set histhrone in it; also he set his standard thereby, upon a mount that beforeby his men was cast up to place the mighty slings thereon. The mount wascalled Mount Hear-well. There, therefore, the Prince abode, to wit, hardby the going in at the gate. He commanded also that the golden slingsshould yet be played upon the town, especially against the castle,because for shelter thither was Diabolus retreated. Now, from Ear-gatethe street was straight even to the house of Mr. Recorder that so wasbefore Diabolus took the town; and hard by his house stood the castle,which Diabolus for a long time had made his irksome den. The captains,therefore, did quickly clear that street by the use of their slings, sothat way was made up to the heart of the town. Then did the Princecommand that Captain Boanerges, Captain Conviction, and Captain Judgment,should forthwith march up the town to the old gentleman’s gate. Then didthe captains in the most warlike manner enter into the town of Mansoul,and marching in with flying colours, they came up to the Recorder’shouse, and that was almost as strong as was the castle. Battering-ramsthey took also with them, to plant against the castle gates. When theywere come to the house of Mr. Conscience, they knocked, and demandedentrance. Now, the old gentleman, not knowing as yet fully their design,kept his gates shut all the time of this fight. Wherefore Boanergesdemanded entrance at his gates; and no man making answer, he gave it onestroke with the head of a ram, and this made the old gentleman shake, andhis house to tremble and totter. Then came Mr. Recorder down to thegates, and, as he could, with quivering lips he asked who was there?Boanerges answered, ‘We are the captains and commanders of the greatShaddai and of the blessed Emmanuel, his Son, and we demand possession ofyour house for the use of our noble Prince.’ And with that thebattering-ram gave the gate another shake. This made the old gentlemantremble the more, yet durst he not but open the gate: then the King’sforces marched in, namely, the three brave captains mentioned before.Now, the Recorder’s house was a place of much convenience for Emmanuel,not only because it was near to the castle and strong, but also becauseit was large, and fronted the castle, the den where now Diabolus was, forhe was now afraid to come out of his hold. As for Mr. Recorder, thecaptains carried it very reservedly to him; as yet he knew nothing of thegreat designs of Emmanuel, so that he did not know what judgment to make,nor what would be the end of such thundering beginnings. It was alsopresently noised in the town how the Recorder’s house was possessed, hisrooms taken up, and his palace made the seat of the war; and no soonerwas it noised abroad, but they took the alarm as warmly, and gave it outto others of his friends, and you know, as a snowball loses nothing byrolling, so in little time the whole town was possessed that they mustexpect nothing from the Prince but destruction; and the ground of thebusiness was this, the Recorder was afraid, the Recorder trembled, andthe captains carried it strangely to the Recorder. So many came to see,but when they with their own eyes did behold the captains in the palace,and their battering-rams ever playing at the castle gates to beat themdown, they were riveted in their fears, and it made them all in amaze.And, as I said, the man of the house would increase all this; for whoevercame to him, or discoursed with him, nothing would he talk of, tell them,or hear, but that death and destruction now attended Mansoul. ‘For,’ quoth the old gentleman, ‘you are all of you sensible that we allhave been traitors to that once despised, but now famously victorious andglorious Prince Emmanuel; for he now, as you see, doth not only lie inclose siege about us, but hath forced his entrance in at our gates.Moreover, Diabolus flees before him; and he hath, as you behold, made ofmy house a garrison against the castle where he is. I, for my part, havetransgressed greatly, and he that is clean, it is well for him. But Isay I have transgressed greatly in keeping silence when I should havespoken, and in perverting justice when I should have executed the same.True, I have suffered something at the hand of Diabolus for taking partwith the laws of King Shaddai; but that, alas! what will that do? Willthat make compensation for the rebellions and treasons that I have done,and have suffered without gainsaying to be committed in the town ofMansoul? Oh! I tremble to think what will be the end of this so dreadfuland so ireful a beginning!’ Now, while these brave captains were thus busy in the house of the oldRecorder, Captain Execution was as busy in other parts of the town, insecuring the back streets and the walls. He also hunted the LordWillbewill sorely; he suffered him not to rest in any corner; he pursuedhim so hard that he drove his men from him, and made him glad to thrusthis head into a hole. Also this mighty warrior did cut three of the LordWillbewill’s officers down to the ground: one was old Mr. Prejudice, hethat had his crown cracked in the mutiny. This man was made by LordWillbewill keeper of the Ear-gate, and fell by the hand of CaptainExecution. There was also one Mr. Backward-to-all-but-naught, and healso was one of Lord Willbewill’s officers, and was the captain of thetwo guns that once were mounted on the top of Ear-gate; he also was cutdown to the ground by the hands of Captain Execution. Besides these twothere was another, a third, and his name was Captain Treacherous; a vileman this was, but one that Willbewill did put a great deal of confidencein; but him also did this Captain Execution cut down to the ground withthe rest. He also made a very great slaughter among my Lord Willbewill’s soldiers,killing many that were stout and sturdy, and wounding many that forDiabolus were nimble and active. But all these were Diabolonians; therewas not a man, a native of Mansoul, hurt. Other feats of war were also likewise performed by other of the captains,as at Eye-gate, where Captain Good-Hope and Captain Charity had a charge,was great execution done; for the Captain Good-Hope, with his own hands,slew one Captain Blindfold, the keeper of that gate. This Blindfold wascaptain of a thousand men, and they were they that fought with mauls; healso pursued his men, slew many, and wounded more, and made the rest hidetheir heads in corners. There was also at that gate Mr. Ill-Pause, of whom you have heard before.He was an old man, and had a beard that reached down to his girdle: thesame was he that was orator to Diabolus: he did much mischief in the townof Mansoul, and fell by the hand of Captain Good-Hope. What shall I say? The Diabolonians in these days lay dead in everycorner, though too many yet were alive in Mansoul. Now, the old Recorder and my Lord Understanding, with some others of thechief of the town, to wit, such as knew they must stand and fall with thefamous town of Mansoul, came together upon a day, and after consultationhad, did jointly agree to draw up a petition, and to send it to Emmanuel,now while he sat in the gate of Mansoul. So they drew up their petitionto Emmanuel, the contents whereof were these: That they, the oldinhabitants of the now deplorable town of Mansoul, confessed their sin,and were sorry that they had offended his princely Majesty, and prayedthat he would spare their lives. Unto this petition he gave no answer at all, and that did trouble themyet so much the more. Now, all this while the captains that were in theRecorder’s house were playing with the battering-rams at the gates of thecastle, to beat them down. So after some time, labour, and travail, thegate of the castle that was called Impregnable was beaten open, andbroken into several splinters, and so a way made to go up to the hold inwhich Diabolus had hid himself. Then were tidings sent down to Ear-gate,for Emmanuel still abode there, to let him know that a way was made in atthe gates of the castle of Mansoul. But, oh! how the trumpets at thetidings sounded throughout the Prince’s camp, for that now the war was sonear an end, and Mansoul itself of being set free. Then the Prince arose from the place where he was, and took with him suchof his men of war as were fittest for that expedition, and marched up thestreet of Mansoul to the old Recorder’s house.
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