第71章 Part 7(6)

2. The second thing that they desired was, that he would be pleased to give them his advice about their now so important affairs, for that Diabolus was come and set down before the town with no less than twenty thousand doubters. They said, moreover, that both he and his captains were cruel men, and that they were afraid of them. But to this he said, 'You must look to the law of the Prince, and there see what is laid upon you to do.'

3. Then they desired that his highness would help them to frame a petition to Shaddai, and unto Emmanuel his Son, and that he would set his own hand thereto as a token that he was one with them in it: 'For,' said they, 'my Lord, many a one have we sent, but can get no answer of peace; but now, surely, one with thy hand unto it may obtain good for Mansoul.'

But all the answer that he gave to this was, 'that they had offended their Emmanuel, and had also grieved himself, and that therefore they must as yet partake of their own devices.'

This answer of the Lord Secretary fell like a millstone upon them; yea, it crushed them so that they could not tell what to do; yet they durst not comply with the demands of Diabolus, nor with the demands of his captain. So then here were the straits that the town of Mansoul was betwixt, when the enemy came upon her: her foes were ready to swallow her up, and her friends did forbear to help her.

Then stood up my Lord Mayor, whose name was my Lord Understanding, and he began to pick and pick, until he had picked comfort out of that seemingly bitter saying of the Lord Secretary; for thus he descanted upon it: 'First,' said he, 'this unavoidably follows upon the saying of my Lord, "that we must yet suffer for our sins." Secondly, But,' quoth he, 'the words yet sound as if at last we should be saved from our enemies, and that after a few more sorrows, Emmanuel will come and be our help.' Now the Lord Mayor was the more critical in his dealing with the Secretary's words, because my lord was more than a prophet, and because none of his words were such, but that at all times they were most exactly significant; and the townsmen were allowed to pry into them, and to expound them to their best advantage.

So they took their leaves of my lord, and returned, and went, and came to the captains, to whom they did tell what my Lord High Secretary had said; who, when they had heard it, were all of the same opinion as was my Lord Mayor himself. The captains, therefore, began to take some courage unto them, and to prepare to make some brave attempt upon the camp of the enemy, and to destroy all that were Diabolonians, with the roving doubters that the tyrant had brought with him to destroy the poor town of Mansoul.

So all betook themselves forthwith to their places - the Captains to theirs, the Lord Mayor to his, the subordinate preacher to his, and my Lord Willbewill to his. The captains longed to be at some work for their prince; for they delighted in warlike achievements. The next day, therefore, they came together and consulted; and after consultation had, they resolved to give an answer to the captain of Diabolus with slings; and so they did at the rising of the sun on the morrow; for Diabolus had adventured to come nearer again, but the sling-stones were to him and his like hornets. For as there is nothing to the town of Mansoul so terrible as the roaring of Diabolus's drum, so there is nothing to Diabolus so terrible as the well playing of Emmanuel's slings.

Wherefore Diabolus was forced to make another retreat, yet further off from the famous town of Mansoul. Then did the Lord Mayor of Mansoul cause the bells to be rung, 'and that thanks should be sent to the Lord High Secretary by the mouth of the subordinate preacher; for that by his words the captains and elders of Mansoul had been strengthened against Diabolus.'

When Diabolus saw that his captains and soldiers, high lords and renowned, were frightened, and beaten down by the stones that came from the golden slings of the Prince of the town of Mansoul, he bethought himself, and said, 'I will try to catch them by fawning, I will try to flatter them into my net.'

Wherefore, after a while, he came down again to the wall, not now with his drum, nor with Captain Sepulchre; but having all besugared his lips, he seemed to be a very sweet-mouthed, peaceable prince, designing nothing for humour's sake, nor to be revenged on Mansoul for injuries by them done to him; but the welfare, and good, and advantage of the town and people therein was now, as he said, his only design. Wherefore, after he had called for audience, and desired that the townsfolk would give it to him, he proceeded in his oration, and said:-'Oh, the desire of my heart, the famous town of Mansoul! how many nights have I watched, and how many weary steps have Itaken, if perhaps I might do thee good! Far be it, far be it from me to desire to make a war upon you; if ye will but willingly and quietly deliver up yourselves unto me. You know that you were mine of old. Remember also, that so long as you enjoyed me for your lord, and that I enjoyed you for my subjects, you wanted for nothing of all the delights of the earth, that I, your lord and prince, could get for you, or that I could invent to make you bonny and blithe withal.