A RELATION OF THE HOLY WAR (34)

Now this Christian act of the brave Lord Willbewill did greatly abash Captain Past-Hope, discouraged the army of Diabolus, put fear into the Diabolonian runagates in Mansoul, and put strength and courage into the captains that belonged to Emmanuel, the Prince; for they without did gather, and that by this very act of my Lord, that Mansoul was resolved to fight, and that the Diabolonians within the town could not do such things as Diabolus had hopes they would.  Nor was this the only proof of the brave Lord Willbewill’s honesty to the town, nor of his loyalty to his Prince, as will afterwards appear.

Now, when the children of Prudent-Thrifty, who dwelt with Mr. Mind, (for Thrift left children with Mr. Mind, when he was also committed to prison, and their names were Gripe and Rake-All; these he begat of Mr. Mind’s bastard daughter, whose name was Mrs. Hold-fast-Bad;)—I say, when his children perceived how the Lord Willbewill had served them that dwelt with him, what do they but, lest they should drink of the same cup, endeavour to make their escape.  But Mr. Mind, being wary of it, took them and put them in hold in his house till morning; (for this was done over night;) and remembering that by the law of Mansoul all Diabolonians were to die, (and to be sure they were at least by father’s side such, and some say by mother’s side too,) what does he but takes them and puts them in chains, and carries them to the selfsame place where my lord hanged his two before, and there he hanged them.

The townsmen also took great encouragement at this act of Mr. Mind, and did what they could to have taken some more of these Diabolonian troublers of Mansoul; but at that time the rest lay so squat and close, that they could not be apprehended; so they set against them a diligent watch, and went every man to his place.

I told you a little before, that Diabolus and his army were somewhat abashed and discouraged at the sight of what my Lord Willbewill did, when he hanged up those two young Diabolonians; but his discouragement quickly turned itself into furious madness and rage against the town of Mansoul, and fight it he would.  Also the townsmen and captains within, they had their hopes and their expectations heightened, believing at last the day would be theirs; so they feared them the less.  Their subordinate preacher, too, made a sermon about it; and he took that theme for his text, ‘Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.’  Whence he showed, that though Mansoul should be sorely put to it at the first, yet the victory should most certainly be Mansoul’s at the last.

So Diabolus commanded that his drummer should beat a charge against the town; and the captains also that were in the town sounded a charge against them, but they had no drum: they were trumpets of silver with which they sounded against them.  Then they which were of the camp of Diabolus came down to the town to take it, and the captains in the castle, with the slingers at Mouth-gate, played upon them amain.  And now there was nothing heard in the camp of Diabolus but horrible rage and blasphemy; but in the town good words, prayer, and singing of psalms.  The enemy replied with horrible objections, and the terribleness of their drum; but the town made answer with the slapping of their slings, and the melodious noise of their trumpets.  And thus the fight lasted for several days together, only now and then they had some small intermission, in the which the townsmen refreshed themselves, and the captains made ready for another assault.

The captains of Emmanuel were clad in silver armour, and the soldiers in that which was of proof; the soldiers of Diabolus were clad in iron which was made to give place to Emmanuel’s engine-shot.  In the town, some were hurt, and some were greatly wounded.  Now, the worst of it was, a chirurgeon was scarce in Mansoul, for that Emmanuel at present was absent.  Howbeit, with the leaves of a tree the wounded were kept from dying; yet their wounds did greatly putrefy, and some did grievously stink.  Of the townsmen, these were wounded, namely, 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, he received a shot not far off the heart 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 considerable number; for instance, Captain Rage, he was wounded, and so was Captain Cruel.  Captain Damnation was made to retreat, and to intrench himself further off of Mansoul.  The standard also of Diabolus was beaten down, and his standard-bearer, Captain Much-Hurt, had his brains beat out with a sling-stone, 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, did put great valour into the townsmen and captains, and did cover 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 Willbewill also was not idle, but did notable service within against the domestics, or the Diabolonians that were in the town, not only by keeping them in awe, for he lighted on one at last whose name was Mr. Anything, a fellow of whom mention was made before; for it was he, if you remember, that brought the three fellows to Diabolus, whom the Diabolonians took out of Captain Boanerges’s companies, and that persuaded them to list themselves under the tyrant, to fight against the army of Shaddai.  My Lord Willbewill did also take a notable Diabolonian, whose name was Loose-Foot: this Loose-Foot was a scout to the vagabonds in Mansoul, and that did use to carry tidings out of Mansoul to the camp, and out of the camp to those of the enemies in Mansoul.  Both these my lord sent away safe to Mr. True-Man, the gaoler, with a commandment to keep them in irons; for he intended then to have them out to be crucified, when it would be for the best to the corporation, and most for the discouragement of the camp of the enemies.

My Lord Mayor also, though he could not stir about so much as formerly, because of the wound that he lately received, yet gave he out orders to all that were the natives of Mansoul, to look to their watch, and stand upon their guard, and, as occasion should offer, to prove themselves men.

Mr. Conscience, the preacher, he also did his utmost to keep all his good documents alive upon the hearts of the people of Mansoul.

Well, awhile after, the captains and stout ones of the town of Mansoul agreed and resolved upon a time to make a sally out upon the camp of Diabolus, and this must be done in the night; and there was the folly of Mansoul, (for the night is always the best for the enemy, but the worst for Mansoul to fight in,) but yet they would do it, their courage was so high; their last victory also still stuck in their memories.

So the night appointed being come, the Prince’s brave captains cast lots who should lead the van in this new and desperate expedition against Diabolus, and against his Diabolonian army; and the lot fell to Captain Credence, to Captain Experience, and to Captain Good-Hope, to lead the forlorn hope.  (This Captain Experience the Prince created such when himself did reside in the town of Mansoul.)  So, as I said, they made their sally out upon the army that lay in the siege against them; and their hap was to fall in with the main body of their enemies.  Now Diabolus and his men being expertly accustomed to night-work, took the alarm presently, and were as ready to give them battle, as if they had sent them word of their coming.  Wherefore to it they went amain, and blows were hard on every side; the hell drum also was beat most furiously, while the trumpets of the Prince most sweetly sounded.  And thus the battle was joined; and Captain Insatiable looked to the enemy’s carriages, and waited when he should receive some prey.

The Prince’s captains fought it stoutly, beyond what indeed could be expected they should; they wounded many; they made the whole army of Diabolus to make a retreat.  But I cannot tell how, but the brave Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope, and Captain Experience, as they were upon the pursuit, cutting down, and following hard after the enemy in the rear, Captain Credence stumbled and fell, by which fall he caught so great a hurt, that he could not rise till Captain Experience did help him up, at which their men were put in disorder.  The captain also was so full of pain, that he could not forbear but aloud to cry out: at this, the other two captains fainted, supposing that Captain Credence had received his mortal wound; their men also were more disordered, and had no list to fight.  Now Diabolus being very observing, though at this time as yet he was put to the worst, perceiving that a halt was made among the men that were the pursuers, what does he but, taking it for granted that the captains were either wounded or dead, he therefore makes at first a stand, then faces about, and so comes up upon the Prince’s army with as much of his fury as hell could help him to; and his hap was to fall in just among the three captains, Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope, and Captain Experience, and did cut, wound, and pierce them so dreadfully, that what through discouragement, what through disorder, and what through the wounds that 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 hold 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 this present action.  But Diabolus was so flushed with this night’s work, that he promised himself, in 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, they began to be somewhat brisk, as we shall show afterward.

But the valiant Lord Mayor replied, that what he got he must get by force; for as long as Emmanuel, their Prince, was alive, (though he at present was not so with them as they wished,) they should never consent to yield Mansoul up to another.

And with that the Lord Willbewill 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 certain will follow submitting to thee, to do it.  Wherefore though while 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 from darkness to light, we have also been turned from the power of Satan to God.  And though through thy subtlety, and also 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 shall not; die upon the place we choose rather to do.  Besides, we have hopes that in time deliverance will come from court unto us, and therefore we yet will maintain a war against thee.’

This brave speech of the Lord Willbewill, with that also of the Lord Mayor, did somewhat abate the boldness of Diabolus, though it kindled the fury of his rage.  It also succoured the townsmen and captains; yea, it was as a plaster 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 that he had obtained to draw up to the walls, and demand entrance, as he did) was in season, and also advantageous.