greatly putrified and some did grievously stink.* Of the townsmen these were wounded, to wit, my lord Reason, he was wounded in the head. Another that was wounded, was the brave lord-mayor; he was wounded in the eye. Another that was wounded was Mr. Mind; he received his wound about the stomach. The honest subordinate Preacher also received a shot not far off the heart, (x) but none of these were mortal. Many also of the inferior sort were not only wounded, but slain outright. Now in the camp of Diabolus were wounded and slain a consiberable number: for instance, captain Rage was wounded, and so was captain Cruel. Captain Damnation was made to retreat, and intrench himself further off from Mansoul; the standard also of Diabolus was beaten down, and his standard-bearer, captain Much-hurt, had his brains beat out with a slingstone, to the no little grief and shame of his prince Diabolus.

Many also of the Doubters were slain outright, though enough of them were left alive to make Mansoul shake and totter. Now the victory that day being turned to Mansoul, put great valour into the townsmen and captains, and covered Diabolus's camp with a cloud, but withal it made them far more furious. So the next day Mansoul rested, and commanded that the bells should be rung, the trumpets also joyfully sounded, and the captains shouted round the town.

My lord Will-be-will also was not idle, but did notable service within against the domestics, or the Diabolonians, that were in the town, not only by keeping of them in awe; for he lighted on one at last, whose name was Mr. Any-thing, a fellow of whom mention was made

(x) Hopeful thoughts.

This is a symbolical representation of the loathsomeness of sin in the sight of a pure and holy God. May it be to us, and grace subdue it!

To weaken the kingdom of Satan is to bring comfort to the Christian's heart.

what through discouragement, what through disorder, and what through the wounds that now they had received, and also the loss of much blood, they scarce were able (though they had for their power, the three best hands in Mansoul) to get safe into the town again.*

Now when the body of the Prince's army saw how these three captains were put to the worst, they thought it their wisdom to make as safe and good a retreat as they could, and so returned by the sally-port again, and so there was an end of the present action.

Diabolus was so flushed with this night's work, that he promised himself in a few days an easy and complete conquest over the town of Mansoul; wherefore on the day following he comes up to the sides thereof with great boldness, and demands entrance, and that forthwith they deliver themselves up to his government (the Diabolonians too that were within, began to be somewhat brisk, as we shall shew afterwards) but the valiant lord-mayor replied, that what he got he must get by force; for as long as Emanuel their Prince was alive, though he at present was not with them as they wished,) they could never consent to yield Mansoul to another.

The lord Will-be-will then stood up, and said,

"Diabolus, thou master of the den, and enemy to all that is good, we poor inhabitants of the town of Mansoul are too well acquainted with thy rule and government, and with the end of those things that for cer tain will follow submitting to thee, to do it. Wherefore, though awhile we were without knowledge, we suffered thee to take us (as the bird that saw not the snare, fell into the hands of the fowler,) yet since we have been turned

* Let us henceforward endeavour to be humble, and not to be elated and puffed up with pride at every appearance of success; let us rather take every step which human prudence can suggest to insure us victory, and then trust the event of the contest to the will of God.

If we yield to the will of the devil, God consequently will forsake us, perdition must inevitably follow, and eternal damnation will be our reward hereafter.

turned from darkness to light, we have also been turned from the power of Satan to God. And though through. thy subtlety, and the subtlety of the Diabolonians within, we have sustained much loss, and also plunged ourselves into much perplexity, yet give up ourselves, lay down our arms, and yield to so horrid a tyrant as thou, we will not; die upon the place we chuse rather to do. Besides, we have hopes that in time deliverance will come from court unto us, and therefore we yet will maintain war against thee."

This brave speech of the lord Will-be-will, with that also of the lord-mayor, somewhat abated the boldness of Diabolus, though it kindled the fury of his rage. It also encouraged the townsmen and captains; yea, it was a plaister to the brave captain Credence's wound; for you must know that a brave speech now, when the captains of the town, with their men of war, came home routed, and when the enemy took courage and boldness at the success he had obtained, to draw up to the walls, and demand entrance, as he did, was in season, and also advantageous.

The lord Will-be-will also played the man within, for while the captains and soldiers were in the field, he was in arms in the town, and wherever by him there was a Diabolonian found, they were forced to feel the weight of his heavy hand, and also the edge of his penetrating sword; many therefore of the Diabolonians he wonnded, as the lord Cavil, the lord Brisk, the lord Pragmatick, the lord Murmur; several also of the meaner sort he sorely maimed: though there cannot at this time an account be given you of any that he slew outright.*The cause, or rather the advantage that my lord Willbe-will had at this time to do thus, was, for that the captains were gone out to fight the enemy in the field. For

* Thus may we see the inward workings of our own base natures: may our almighty Captain enable us, by his word and spirit, to fight the good fight of faith, that we may lay hold of eternal life.

2 K

For now, thought the Diabolonians within, is our time to stir and make an uproar in the town; what do they therefore but quickly get themselves into a body, and fall forthwith to hurricaning in Mansoul, as if nothing but whirlwind and tempest should be there: wherefore, as I said, he takes this opportunity to fall in among them with his men, cutting and slashing with courage that was undaunted; at which the Diabolonians with all haste dispersed themselves to their holds, and my lord to his place as before.

This brave act of my lord somewhat revenged the wrong done by Diabolus to the captains, and also let them know that Mansoul was not to be parted with, for the loss of a victory or two; wherefore the wing of the tyrant was clipt again, as to boasting. I mean, in comparison of what he would have done if the Diabolonians had put the town to the same plight to which he had put the captains.

Well, Diabolus yet resolves to have the other bout with Mansoul; for, thought he, since I beat them once, may beat them twice: wherefore he commanded his men to be ready at such an hour of the night, to make a fresh assault upon the town, and he gave it out in special, that they should bend all their force against Feel-gate, and attempt to break into the town through that. The word that he then gave to his officers and soldiers was, Hell-fire. And, said he, if we break in upon them, as I wish we may do, either with some, or with all our force, let them that break in look to it, that they forget not the word. And let nothing be heard in the town of Mansoul, but Hell-fire, hell-fire, hell-fire! The drummer was also to beat without ceasing, and the standard-bearers were to display their colours; the soldiers too were to put on what courage they could,

and

It is here evidently shewn that the devil makes use of all stratagems to destroy mankind: if one of his schemes fail, he has then recourse to another, thus continually plotting the destruction of sinLet us therefore trust in God and we may then defy the power

ners.

of Satan.

and to see that they played manfully their parts against

the town.

So the night being come, and all things by the tyrant made ready for the work, he suddenly makes his assault, upon Feel-gate, and after he had awhile struggled there, he throws the gates wide open; for the truth is, those gates were but weak, and so most easily be made to yield. When Diabolus had thus far made his attempt, he placed his captains, to wit, Torment and No-ease, there; so he attempted to press forward, but the Prince's captains came down upon him, and made his entrance more difficult than he desired. And to speak the truth, they made what resistance they could; but three of their best and most valuable captains being wounded, and by their wounds made much incapable of doing the town that service they would (and all the rest having more than their hands full of Doubters,) they were overpowered with force, nor could they keep them out of the town. Wherefore the Prince's men and their captains betook themselves to the castle, as to the strong-hold of the town: and this they did, partly for their own security, partly for the security of the town, and partly, or rather chiefly, to preserve to Emanuel the prerogative royal of Mansoul, for so was the castle of Mansoul.

The captains therefore being fled into the castle,* the enemy, without much resistance, possess themselves of the rest of the town, and spreading themselves as they went, into every corner, they cried out as they marched, according to the command of the tyrant, Hell-fire, hell-fire, hell-fire! so that nothing for awhile throughout the town of Mansoul could be heard but the direful noise of Hell-fire, together with the roaring of Diabolus's drum. And now did the clouds hang black over Mansoul, nor, to reason, did any thing but ruin

seem

* Notwithstanding the seeming influence and power of Beelzebub, if the heart remain stedfast in the truth, there is little doubt of a successful and glorious issue.