A RELATION OF THE HOLY WAR (10)

But now, though the Lord Mayor and Diabolus did thus well agree, yet this repulse to the brave captains put Mansoul into a mutiny.  For while old Incredulity went into the castle to congratulate his lord with what had passed, the old Lord Mayor, that was so before Diabolus came to the town, to wit, my Lord Understanding, and the old Recorder, Mr. Conscience, getting intelligence of what had passed at Ear-gate, (for you must know that they might not be suffered to be at that debate, lest they should then have mutinied for the captains; but, I say, they got intelligence of what had passed there, and were much concerned therewith,) wherefore they, getting some of the town together, began to possess them with the reasonableness of the noble captains’ demands, and with the bad consequences that would follow upon the speech of old Incredulity, the Lord Mayor; to wit how little reverence he showed therein either to the captains or to their King; also how he implicitly charged them with unfaithfulness and treachery.  ‘For what less,’ quoth they, ‘could be made of his words, when he said he would not yield to their proposition; and added, moreover, a supposition that he would destroy us, when before he had sent us word that he would show us mercy!’  The multitude, being now possessed with the conviction of the evil that old Incredulity had done, began to run together by companies in all places, and in every corner of the streets of Mansoul; and first they began to mutter, then to talk openly, and after that they run to and fro, and cried as they run, ‘Oh the brave captains of Shaddai! would we were under the government of the captains, and of Shaddai their King!’  When the Lord Mayor had intelligence that Mansoul was in an uproar, down he comes to appease the people, and thought to have quashed their heat with the bigness and the show of his countenance; but when they saw him, they came running upon him, and had doubtless done him a mischief, had he not betaken himself to house.  However, they strongly assaulted the house where he was, to have pulled it down about his ears; but the place was too strong, so they failed of that.  So he, taking some courage, addressed himself, out at a window, to the people in this manner:

‘Gentlemen, what is the reason that there is here such an uproar to-day?’

Then answered my Lord Understanding, ‘It is even because that thou and thy master have carried it not rightly, and as you should, to the captains of Shaddai; for in three things you are faulty.  First, in that you would not let Mr. Conscience and myself be at the hearing of your discourse.  Secondly, in that you propounded such terms of peace to the captains that by no means could be granted, unless they had intended that their Shaddai should have been only a titular prince, and that Mansoul should still have had power by law to have lived in all lewdness and vanity before him, and so by consequence Diabolus should still here be king in power, and the other only king in name.  Thirdly, for that thou didst thyself, after the captains had showed us upon what conditions they would have received us to mercy, even undo all again with thy unsavoury, unseasonable, and ungodly speech.’

When old Incredulity had heard this speech, he cried out, ‘Treason! treason!  To your arms! to your arms!  O ye, the trusty friends of Diabolus in Mansoul.’

Und.—Sir, you may put upon my words what meaning you please; but I am sure that the captains of such an high lord as theirs is, deserved a better treatment at your hands.

Then said old Incredulity, ‘This is but little better.  But, Sir,’ quoth he, ‘what I spake I spake for my prince, for his government, and the quieting of the people, whom by your unlawful actions you have this day set to mutiny against us.’

Then replied the old Recorder, whose name was Mr. Conscience, and said, ‘Sir, you ought not thus to retort upon what my Lord Understanding hath said.  It is evident enough that he hath spoken the truth, and that you are an enemy to Mansoul.  Be convinced, then, of the evil of your saucy and malapert language, and of the grief that you have put the captains to; yea, and of the damages that you have done to Mansoul thereby.  Had you accepted of the conditions, the sound of the trumpet and the alarm of war had now ceased about the town of Mansoul; but that dreadful sound abides, and your want of wisdom in your speech has been the cause of it.’

Then said old Incredulity, ‘Sir, if I live, I will do your errand to Diabolus, and there you shall have an answer to your words.  Meanwhile we will seek the good of the town, and not ask counsel of you.’

Und.—Sir, your prince and you are both foreigners to Mansoul, and not the natives thereof; and who can tell but that, when you have brought us into greater straits, (when you also shall see that yourselves can be safe by no other means than by flight,) you may leave us and shift for yourselves, or set us on fire, and go away in the smoke, or by the light of our burning, and so leave us in our ruins?

Incred.—Sir, you forget that you are under a governor, and that you ought to demean yourself like a subject; and know ye, when my lord the king shall hear of this day’s work, he will give you but little thanks for your labour.

Now while these gentlemen were thus in their chiding words, down come from the walls and gates of the town the Lord Willbewill, Mr. Prejudice, old Ill-Pause, and several of the new-made aldermen and burgesses, and they asked the reason of the hubbub and tumult; and with that every man began to tell his own tale, so that nothing could be heard distinctly.  Then was a silence commanded, and the old fox Incredulity began to speak.  ‘My lord,’ quoth he, ‘here are a couple of peevish gentlemen, that have, as a fruit of their bad dispositions, and, as I fear, through the advice of one Mr. Discontent, tumultuously gathered this company against me this day, and also attempted to run the town into acts of rebellion against our prince.’

Then stood up all the Diabolonians that were present, and affirmed these things to be true.

Now when they that took part with my Lord Understanding and with Mr. Conscience perceived that they were like to come to the worst, for that force and power was on the other side, they came in for their help and relief; so a great company was on both sides.  Then they on Incredulity’s side would have had the two old gentlemen presently away to prison; but they on the other side said they should not.  Then they began to cry up parties again: the Diabolonians cried up old Incredulity, Forget-Good, the new aldermen, and their great one Diabolus; and the other party, they as fast cried up Shaddai, the captains, his laws, their mercifulness, and applauded their conditions and ways.  Thus the bickerment went awhile; at last they passed from words to blows, and now there were knocks on both sides.  The good old gentleman, Mr. Conscience, was knocked down twice by one of the Diabolonians, whose name was Mr. Benumbing; and my Lord Understanding had like to have been slain with an arquebuse, but that he that shot did not take his aim aright.  Nor did the other side wholly escape; for there was one Mr. Rashhead, a Diabolonian, that had his brains beaten out by Mr. Mind, the Lord Willbewill’s servant; and it made me laugh to see how old Mr. Prejudice was kicked and tumbled about in the dirt; for though, a while since, he was made captain of a company of the Diabolonians, to the hurt and damage of the town, yet now they had got him under their feet, and, I’ll assure you, he had, by some of the Lord Understanding’s party, his crown cracked to boot.  Mr. Anything also, he became a brisk man in the broil; but both sides were against him, because he was true to none.  Yet he had, for his malapertness, one of his legs broken, and he that did it wished it had been his neck.  Much more harm was done on both sides, but this must not be forgotten; it was now a wonder to see my Lord Willbewill so indifferent as he was: he did not seem to take one side more than another, only it was perceived that he smiled to see how old Prejudice was tumbled up and down in the dirt.  Also, when Captain Anything came halting up before him, he seemed to take but little notice of him.

Now, when the uproar was over, Diabolus sends for my Lord Understanding and Mr. Conscience, and claps them both up in prison as the ringleaders and managers of this most heavy, riotous rout in Mansoul.  So now the town began to be quiet again, and the prisoners were used hardly; yea, he thought to have made them away, but that the present juncture did not serve for that purpose, for that war was in all their gates.

But let us return again to our story.  The captains, when they were gone back from the gate, and were come into the camp again, called a council of war, to consult what was further for them to do.  Now, some said, ‘Let us go up presently, and fall upon the town;’ but the greatest part thought rather better it would be to give them another summons to yield; and the reason why they thought this to be best was, because that, so far as could be perceived, the town of Mansoul now was more inclinable than heretofore.  ‘And if,’ said they, ‘while some of them are in a way of inclination, we should by ruggedness give them distaste, we may set them further from closing with our summons than we would be willing they should.’  Wherefore to this advice they agreed, and called a trumpeter, put words into his mouth, set him his time, and bid him God speed.  Well, many hours were not expired before the trumpeter addressed himself to his journey.  Wherefore, coming up to the wall of the town, he steereth his course to Ear-gate, and there sounded, as he was commanded.  They then that were within came out to see what was the matter, and the trumpeter made them this speech following:

‘O hard-hearted and deplorable town of Mansoul, how long wilt thou love thy sinful, sinful simplicity, and, ye fools, delight in your scorning?  As yet despise you the offers of peace and deliverance?  As yet will ye refuse the golden offers of Shaddai, and trust to the lies and falsehoods of Diabolus?  Think you, when Shaddai shall have conquered you, that the remembrance of these your carriages towards him will yield you peace and comfort, or that by ruffling language you can make him afraid as a grasshopper?  Doth he entreat you for fear of you?  Do you think that you are stronger than he?  Look to the heavens, and behold and consider the stars, how high are they?  Can you stop the sun from running his course, and hinder the moon from giving her light?  Can you count the number of the stars, or stay the bottles of heaven?  Can you call for the waters of the sea, and cause them to cover the face of the ground?  Can you behold every one that is proud, and abase him, and bind their faces in secret?  Yet these are some of the works of our King, in whose name this day we come up unto you, that you may be brought under his authority.  In his name, therefore, I summon you again to yield up yourselves to his captains.’

At this summons the Mansoulians seemed to be at a stand, and knew not what answer to make.  Wherefore Diabolus forthwith appeared, and took upon him to do it himself; and thus he begins, but turns his speech to them of Mansoul.

‘Gentlemen,’ quoth he, ‘and my faithful subjects, if it is true that this summoner hath said concerning the greatness of their King, by his terror you will always be kept in bondage, and so be made to sneak.  Yea, how can you now, though he is at a distance, endure to think of such a mighty one?  And if not to think of him while at a distance, how can you endure to be in his presence?  I, your prince, am familiar with you, and you may play with me as you would with a grasshopper.  Consider, therefore, what is for your profit, and remember the immunities that I have granted you.

‘Farther, if all be true that this man hath said, how comes it to pass that the subjects of Shaddai are so enslaved in all places where they come?  None in the universe so unhappy as they, none so trampled upon as they.