The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul

‘Moreover, this town of Mansoul hath disavowed thee, yea, they have cast thy law, thy name, thy image, and all that is thine, behind their back, and have accepted and set up in their room my law, my name, my image, and all that ever is mine.  Ask else thy captains, and they will tell thee that Mansoul hath, in answer to all their summonses, shown love and loyalty to me, but always disdain, despite, contempt, and scorn to thee and thine.  Now, thou art the Just One and the Holy, and shouldest do no iniquity.  Depart, then, I pray thee, therefore, from me, and leave me to my just inheritance peaceably.’

This oration was made in the language of Diabolus himself; for although he can, to every man, speak in their own language, (else he could not tempt them all as he does,) yet he has a language proper to himself, and it is the language of the infernal cave, or black pit.

Wherefore the town of Mansoul (poor hearts!) understood him not; nor did they see how he crouched and cringed while he stood before Emmanuel, their Prince.

Yea, they all this while took him to be one of that power and force that by no means could be resisted.  Wherefore, while he was thus entreating that he might have yet his residence there, and that Emmanuel would not take it from him by force, the inhabitants boasted even of his valour, saying, ‘Who is able to make war with him?’

Well, when this pretended king had made an end of what he would say, Emmanuel, the golden Prince, stood up and spake; the contents of whose words follow:—

‘Thou deceiving one,’ said he, ‘I have, in my Father’s name, in mine own name, and on the behalf and for the good of this wretched town of Mansoul, somewhat to say unto thee.  Thou pretendest a right, a lawful right, to the deplorable town of Mansoul, when it is most apparent to all my Father’s court that the entrance which thou hast obtained in at the gates of Mansoul was through thy lie and falsehood; thou beliedst my Father, thou beliedst his law, and so deceivedst the people of Mansoul.  Thou pretendest that the people have accepted thee for their king, their captain, and right liege lord; but that also was by the exercise of deceit and guile.  Now, if lying, wiliness, sinful craft, and all manner of horrible hypocrisy, will go in my Father’s court (in which court thou must be tried) for equity and right, then will I confess unto thee that thou hast made a lawful conquest.  But, alas! what thief, what tyrant, what devil is there that may not conquer after this sort?  But I can make it appear, O Diabolus, that thou, in all thy pretences to a conquest of Mansoul, hast nothing of truth to say.  Thinkest thou this to be right, that that didst put the lie upon my Father, and madest him (to Mansoul) the greatest deluder in the world?  And what sayest thou to thy perverting knowingly the right purport and intent of the law?  Was it good also that thou madest a prey of the innocency and simplicity of the now miserable town of Mansoul?  Yea, thou didst overcome Mansoul by promising to them happiness in their transgressions against my Father’s law, when thou knewest, and couldest not but know, hadst thou consulted nothing but thine own experience, that that was the way to undo them.  Thou hast also thyself, O thou master of enmity, of spite defaced my Father’s image in Mansoul, and set up thy own in its place, to the great contempt of my Father, the heightening of thy sin, and to the intolerable damage of the perishing town of Mansoul.

‘Thou hast, moreover, (as if all these were but little things with thee,) not only deluded and undone this place, but, by thy lies and fradulent carriage, hast set them against their own deliverance.  How hast thou stirred them up against my Father’s captains, and made them to fight against those that were sent of him to deliver them from their bondage!  All these things, and very many more, thou hast done against thy light, and in contempt of my Father and of his law, yea, and with design to bring under his displeasure for ever the miserable town of Mansoul.  I am therefore come to avenge the wrong that thou hast done to my Father, and to deal with thee for the blasphemies wherewith thou hast made poor Mansoul blaspheme his name.  Yea, upon thy head, thou prince of the infernal cave, will I requite it.

‘As for myself, O Diabolus, I am come against thee by lawful power, and to take, by strength of hand, this town of Mansoul out of thy burning fingers; for this town of Mansoul is mine, O Diabolus, and that by undoubted right, as all shall see that will diligently search the most ancient and most authentic records, and I will plead my title to it, to the confusion of thy face.

‘First, for the town of Mansoul, my Father built and did fashion it with his hand.  The palace also that is in the midst of that town, he built it for his own delight.  This town of Mansoul, therefore, is my Father’s, and that by the best of titles, and he that gainsays the truth of this must lie against his soul.

‘Secondly, O thou master of the lie, this town of Mansoul is mine.

‘1. For that I am my Father’s heir, his firstborn, and the only delight of his heart.  I am therefore come up against thee in mine own right, even to recover mine own inheritance out of thine hand.

‘2. But further, as I have a right and title to Mansoul by being my Father’s heir, so I have also by my Father’s donation.  His it was, and he gave it me; nor have I at any time offended my Father, that he should take it from me, and give it to thee.  Nor have I been forced, by playing the bankrupt, to sell or set to sale to thee my beloved town of Mansoul.  Mansoul is my desire, my delight, and the joy of my heart.  But,

‘3. Mansoul is mine by right of purchase.  I have bought it, O Diabolus, I have bought it to myself.  Now, since it was my Father’s and mine, as I was his heir, and since also I have made it mine by virtue of a great purchase, it followeth that, by all lawful right, the town of Mansoul is mine, and that thou art an usurper, a tyrant, and traitor, in thy holding possession thereof.  Now, the cause of my purchasing of it was this: Mansoul had trespassed against my Father; now my Father had said, that in the day that they broke his law they should die.  Now, it is more possible for heaven and earth to pass away than for my Father to break his word.  Wherefore when Mansoul had sinned indeed by hearkening to thy lie, I put in and became a surety to my Father, body for body, and soul for soul, that I would make amends for Mansoul’s transgressions, and my Father did accept thereof.  So, when the time appointed was come, I gave body for body, soul for soul, life for life, blood for blood, and so redeemed my beloved Mansoul.

‘4. Nor did I do this by halves: my Father’s law and justice, that were both concerned in the threatening upon transgression, are both now satisfied, and very well content that Mansoul should be delivered.

‘5. Nor am I come out this day against thee, but by commandment of my Father; it was he that said unto me, “Go down and deliver Mansoul.”

‘Wherefore be it known unto thee, O thou fountain of deceit, and be it also known to the foolish town of Mansoul, that I am not come against thee this day without my Father.

‘And now,’ said the golden-headed Prince, ‘I have a word to the town of Mansoul.’  But so soon as mention was made that he had a word to speak to the besotted town of Mansoul, the gates were double-guarded, and all men commanded not to give him audience.  So he proceeded and said, ‘O unhappy town of Mansoul, I cannot but be touched with pity and compassion for thee.  Thou hast accepted of Diabolus for thy king, and art become a nurse and minister of Diabolonians against thy sovereign Lord.  Thy gates thou hast opened to him, but hast shut them fast against me; thou hast given him an hearing, but hast stopped thine ears at my cry.  He brought to thee thy destruction, and thou didst receive both him and it: I am come to thee bringing salvation, but thou regardest me not.  Besides, thou hast, as with sacrilegious hands, taken thyself, with all that was mine in thee, and hast given all to my foe, and to the greatest enemy my Father has.  You have bowed and subjected yourselves to him, you have vowed and sworn yourselves to be his.  Poor Mansoul! what shall I do unto thee?  Shall I save thee?—shall I destroy thee?  What shall I do unto thee?  Shall I fall upon thee, and grind thee to powder, or make thee a monument of the richest grace?  What shall I do unto thee?  Hearken, therefore, thou town of Mansoul, hearken to my word, and thou shalt live.  I am merciful, Mansoul, and thou shalt find me so: shut me not out of thy gates.

‘O Mansoul, neither is my commission nor inclination at all to do thee hurt.  Why fliest thou so fast from thy friend, and stickest so close to thine enemy?  Indeed, I would have thee, because it becomes thee to be sorry for thy sin, but do not despair of life; this great force is not to hurt thee, but to deliver thee from thy bondage, and to reduce thee to thy obedience.

‘My commission, indeed, is to make a war upon Diabolus thy king, and upon all Diabolonians with him; for he is the strong man armed that keeps the house, and I will have him out: his spoils I must divide, his armour I must take from him, his hold I must cast him out of, and must make it a habitation for myself.  And this, O Mansoul, shall Diabolus know when he shall be made to follow me in chains, and when Mansoul shall rejoice to see it so.

‘I could, would I now put forth my might, cause that forthwith he should leave you and depart; but I have it in my heart so to deal with him, as that the justice of the war that I shall make upon him may be seen and acknowledged by all.  He hath taken Mansoul by fraud, and keeps it by violence and deceit, and I will make him bare and naked in the eyes of all observers.

‘All my words are true.  I am mighty to save, and will deliver my Mansoul out of his hand.’

This speech was intended chiefly for Mansoul, but Mansoul would not have the hearing of it.  They shut up Ear-gate, they barricaded it up, they kept it locked and bolted, they set a guard thereat, and commanded that no Mansoulonian should go out to him, nor that any from the camp should be admitted into the town.  All this they did, so horribly had Diabolus enchanted them to do, and seek to do for him, against their rightful Lord and Prince; wherefore no man, nor voice, nor sound of man that belonged to the glorious host, was to come into the town.

So when Emmanuel saw that Mansoul was thus involved in sin, he calls his army together, (since now also his words were despised,) and gave out a commandment throughout all his host to be ready against the time appointed.  Now, forasmuch as there was no way lawfully to take the town of Mansoul but to get in by the gates, and at Ear-gate as the chief, therefore he commanded his captains and commanders to bring their rams, their slings and their men, and place them at Eye-gate and Ear-gate, in order to his taking the town.

When Emmanuel had put all things in a readiness to give Diabolus battle, he sent again to know of the town of Mansoul, if in peaceable manner they would yield themselves, or whether they were yet resolved to put him to try the utmost extremity?  They then, together with Diabolus their king, called a council of war, and resolved upon certain propositions that should be offered to Emmanuel, if he will accept thereof, so they agreed; and then the next was, who should be sent on this errand.  Now, there was in the town of Mansoul an old man, a Diabolonian, and his name was Mr. Loth-to-stoop, a stiff man in his way, and a great doer for Diabolus; him, therefore, they sent, and put into his mouth what he should say.  So he went and came to the camp to Emmanuel, and when he was come, a time was appointed to give him audience.  So at the time he came, and after a Diabolonian ceremony or two, he thus began and said, ‘Great sir, that it may be known unto all men how good-natured a prince my master is, he has sent me to tell your lordship that he is very willing, rather than go to war, to deliver up into your hands one half of the town of Mansoul.  I am therefore to know if your Mightiness will accept of this proposition.’

Then said Emmanuel, ‘The whole is mine by gift and purchase, wherefore I will never lose one half.’

Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, ‘Sir, my master hath said that he will be content that you shall be the nominal and titular Lord of all, if he may possess but a part.’

Then Emmanuel answered, ‘The whole is mine really, not in name and word only; wherefore I will be the sole lord and possessor of all, or of none at all, of Mansoul.’

Then Mr. Loth-to-stoop said again, ‘Sir, behold the condescension of my master!  He says, that he will be content, if he may but have assigned to him some place in Mansoul as a place to live privately in, and you shall be Lord of all the rest.’

Then said the golden Prince, ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and of all that he giveth me I will lose nothing—no, not a hoof nor a hair.  I will not, therefore, grant him, no, not the least corner of Mansoul to dwell in; I will have all to myself.’

Then Loth-to-stoop said again, ‘But, sir, suppose that my Lord should resign the whole town to you, only with this proviso, that he sometimes, when he comes into this country, may, for old acquaintance’ sake, be entertained as a wayfaring man for two days, or ten days or a month, or so.  May not this small matter be granted?’

Then said Emmanuel, ‘No.  He came as a wayfaring man to David, nor did he stay long with him, and yet it had like to have cost David his soul.  I will not consent that he ever should have any harbour more there.’

Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, ‘Sir, you seem to be very hard.  Suppose my master should yield to all that your lordship hath said, provided that his friends and kindred in Mansoul may have liberty to trade in the town, and to enjoy their present dwellings.  May not that be granted, sir?’

Then said Emmanuel, ‘No; that is contrary to my Father’s will; for all, and all manner of Diabolonians that now are, or that at any time shall be found in Mansoul, shall not only lose their lands and liberties, but also their lives.’

Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop again, ‘But, sir, may not my master and great lord, by letters, by passengers, by accidental opportunities, and the like, maintain, if he shall deliver up all unto thee, some kind of old friendship with Mansoul?’

Emmanuel answered, ‘No, by no means; forasmuch as any such fellowship, friendship, intimacy, or acquaintance, in what way, sort, or mode soever maintained, will tend to the corrupting of Mansoul, the alienating of their affections from me, and the endangering of their peace with my Father.’

Mr. Loth-to-stoop yet added further, saying, ‘But, great sir, since my master hath many friends, and those that are dear to him, in Mansoul, may he not, if he shall depart from them, even of his bounty and good-nature, bestow upon them, as he sees fit, some tokens of his love and kindness that he had for them, to the end that Mansoul, when he is gone, may look upon such tokens of kindness once received from their old friend, and remember him who was once their king, and the merry times that they sometimes enjoyed one with another, while he and they lived in peace together?’

Then said Emmanuel, ‘No; for if Mansoul come to be mine, I shall not admit of nor consent that there should be the least scrap, shred, or dust of Diabolus left behind, as tokens of gifts bestowed upon any in Mansoul, thereby to call to remembrance the horrible communion that was betwixt them and him.’

‘Well, sir,’ said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, ‘I have one thing more to propound, and then I am got to the end of my commission.  Suppose that, when my master is gone from Mansoul, any that shall yet live in the town should have such business of high concerns to do, that if they be neglected the party shall be undone; and suppose, sir, that nobody can help in that case so well as my master and lord, may not now my master be sent for upon so urgent an occasion as this?  Or if he may not be admitted into the town, may not he and the person concerned meet in some of the villages near Mansoul, and there lay their heads together, and there consult of matters?’

This was the last of those ensnaring propositions that Mr. Loth-to-stoop had to propound to Emmanuel on behalf of his master Diabolus; but Emmanuel would not grant it; for he said, ‘There can be no case, or thing, or matter fall out in Mansoul, when thy master shall be gone, that may not be solved by my Father; besides, it will be a great disparagement to my Father’s wisdom and skill to admit any from Mansoul to go out to Diabolus for advice, when they are bid before, in everything, by prayer and supplication to let their requests be made known to my Father.  Further, this, should it be granted, would be to grant that a door should be set open for Diabolus, and the Diabolonians in Mansoul, to hatch, and plot, and bring to pass treasonable designs, to the grief of my Father and me, and to the utter destruction of Mansoul.’

When Mr. Loth-to-stoop had heard this answer, he took his leave of Emmanuel, and departed, saying that he would carry word to his master concerning this whole affair.  So he departed, and came to Diabolus to Mansoul, and told him the whole of the matter, and how Emmanuel would not admit, no, not by any means, that he, when he was once gone out, should for ever have anything more to do either in, or with any that are of the town of Mansoul.  When Mansoul and Diabolus had heard this relation of things, they with one consent concluded to use their best endeavour to keep Emmanuel out of Mansoul, and sent old Ill-Pause, of whom you have heard before, to tell the Prince and his captains so.  So the old gentleman came up to the top of Ear-gate, and called to the camp for a hearing, who when they gave audience, he said, ‘I have in commandment from my high lord to bid you tell it to your Prince Emmanuel, that Mansoul and their king are resolved to stand and fall together; and that it is in vain for your Prince to think of ever having Mansoul in his hand, unless he can take it by force.’  So some went and told to Emmanuel what old Ill-Pause, a Diabolonian in Mansoul, had said.  Then said the Prince, ‘I must try the power of my sword, for I will not (for all the rebellions and repulses that Mansoul has made against me) raise my siege and depart, but will assuredly take my Mansoul, and deliver it from the hand of her enemy.’  And with that he gave out a commandment that Captain Boanerges, Captain Conviction, Captain Judgment, and Captain Execution should forthwith march up to Ear-gate with trumpets sounding, colours flying, and with shouting for the battle.  Also he would that Captain Credence should join himself with them.  Emmanuel, moreover, gave order that Captain Good-Hope and Captain Charity should draw themselves up before Eye-gate.  He bid also that the rest of his captains and their men should place themselves for the best of their advantage against the enemy round about the town; and all was done as he had commanded.

Then he bid that the word should be given forth, and the word was at that time, ‘Emmanuel.’  Then was an alarm sounded, and the battering-rams were played, and the slings did whirl stones into the town amain, and thus the battle began.  Now Diabolus himself did manage the townsmen in the war, and that at every gate; wherefore their resistance was the more forcible, hellish, and offensive to Emmanuel.  Thus was the good Prince engaged and entertained by Diabolus and Mansoul for several days together; and a sight worth seeing it was to behold how the captains of Shaddai behaved themselves in this war.

And first for Captain Boanerges, (not to under-value the rest,) he made three most fierce assaults, one after another, upon Ear-gate, to the shaking of the posts thereof.  Captain Conviction, he also made up as fast with Boanerges as possibly he could, and both discerning that the gate began to yield, they commanded that the rams should still be played against it.  Now, Captain Conviction, going up very near to the gate, was with great force driven back, and received three wounds in the mouth.  And those that rode reformades, they went about to encourage the captains.

For the valour of the two captains, made mention of before, the Prince sent for them to his pavilion, and commanded that a while they should rest themselves, and that with somewhat they should be refreshed.  Care also was taken for Captain Conviction, that he should be healed of his wounds.  The Prince also gave to each of them a chain of gold, and bid them yet be of good courage.

Nor did Captain Good-Hope nor Captain Charity come behind in this most desperate fight, for they so well did behave themselves at Eye-gate, that they had almost broken it quite open.  These also had a reward from their Prince, as also had the rest of the captains, because they did valiantly round about the town.

In this engagement several of the officers of Diabolus were slain, and some of the townsmen wounded.  For the officers, there was one Captain Boasting slain.  This Boasting thought that nobody could have shaken the posts of Ear-gate, nor have shaken the heart of Diabolus.  Next to him there was one Captain Secure slain: this Secure used to say that the blind and lame in Mansoul were able to keep the gates of the town against Emmanuel’s army.  This Captain Secure did Captain Conviction cleave down the head with a two-handed sword, when he received himself three wounds in his mouth.

Besides these there was one Captain Bragman, a very desperate fellow, and he was captain over a band of those that threw firebrands, arrows, and death: he also received, by the hand of Captain Good-Hope at Eye-gate, a mortal wound in the breast.

There was, moreover, one Mr. Feeling; but he was no captain, but a great stickler to encourage Mansoul to rebellion.  He received a wound in the eye by the hand of one of Boanerges’ soldiers, and had by the captain himself been slain, but that he made a sudden retreat.

But I never saw Willbewill so daunted in all my life; he was not able to do as he was wont, and some say that he also received a wound in the leg, and that some of the men in the Prince’s army have certainly seen him limp as he afterwards walked on the wall.

I shall not give you a particular account of the names of the soldiers that were slain in the town, for many were maimed, and wounded, and slain; for when they saw that the posts of Ear-gate did shake, and Eye-gate was well-nigh broken quite open, and also that their captains were slain, this took away the hearts of many of the Diabolonians; they fell also by the force of the shot that were sent by the golden slings into the midst of the town of Mansoul.

Of the townsmen, there was one Love-no-Good; he was a townsman, but a Diabolonian; he also received his mortal wound in Mansoul, but he died not very soon.

Mr. Ill-Pause also, who was the man that came along with Diabolus when at first he attempted the taking of Mansoul, he also received a grievous wound in the head; some say that his brain-pan was cracked.  This I have taken notice of, that he was never after this able to do that mischief to Mansoul 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 more the white flag should be set upon Mount Gracious in sight of the town of Mansoul, to show that yet Emmanuel had grace for the wretched town of Mansoul.

When Diabolus saw the white flag hung out again, and knowing that it was not for him, but Mansoul, he cast in his mind to play another prank, to wit, to see if Emmanuel would raise his siege and begone, upon promise of reformation.  So he comes down to the gate one evening, a good while after the sun was gone down, and calls to speak with Emmanuel, who presently came down to the gate, and Diabolus saith unto him:

‘Forasmuch as thou makest it appear by thy white flag that thou art wholly given to peace and quiet, I thought meet to acquaint thee that we are 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 a holy habitation.  Well, draw off thy forces from the town, and I will bend Mansoul to thy bow.

‘First, I will lay down all acts of hostility against thee, and will be willing to become thy deputy, and will, as I have formerly been against thee, now serve thee in the town of Mansoul.  And more particularly,

‘1. I will persuade Mansoul to receive thee for their Lord; and I know that they will do it the sooner when they shall understand that I am thy deputy.

‘2. I will show them wherein they have erred, and that transgression stands in the way to life.

‘3. I will show them the holy law unto which they must conform, even that which they have broken.

‘4. I will press upon them the necessity of a reformation according to thy law.

‘5. And, moreover, that none of these things may fail, I myself, at my own proper cost and charge, will set up and maintain a sufficient ministry, besides lectures, in Mansoul.

‘6. Thou shalt receive, as a token of our subjection to thee, year by year, what thou shalt think fit to lay and levy upon us in token of our subjection 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 still keep possession of my Mansoul, though, as has been plainly declared before, I am the right heir thereof!  Often hast thou made thy proposals already, nor is this last a whit better than they.  And failing to deceive when thou showedst thyself in thy black, thou hast now transformed thyself into an angel of light, and wouldst, to deceive, be now as a minister of righteousness.

‘But know thou, O Diabolus, that nothing must be regarded that thou canst propound, for nothing is done by thee but to deceive.  Thou neither hast conscience to God, nor love to the town of Mansoul; whence, then, should these thy sayings arise but from sinful craft and deceit?  He that can of list and will propound what he pleases, and that wherewith he may destroy them 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 it that wickedness was so closely stuck to by thee before?  But this is by-the-bye.

‘Thou talkest now of a reformation in Mansoul, and that thou thyself, if I will please, wilt be at the head of that reformation; all the while knowing that the greatest proficiency that man can make in the law, and the righteousness thereof, will amount to no more, for the taking away of the curse from Mansoul, than just nothing at all; for a law being broken by Mansoul, that had before, upon a supposition of the breach thereof, a curse pronounced against him for it of God, can never, by his obeying of the law, deliver himself therefrom (to say nothing of what a reformation is like to be set up in Mansoul when the devil is become corrector of vice).  Thou knowest that all that thou hast now said in this matter is nothing but guile and deceit; and is, as it was the first, so is it the last card that thou hast to play.  Many there be that do soon discern thee 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 shalt not 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; should I do so, I should be like unto thee: but I am come that by me, and by what I have and shall do for Mansoul, they may to my Father be reconciled, though by their sin they have provoked him to anger, and though by the law they cannot obtain mercy.

‘Thou talkest of subjecting of this town to good, when none desireth it at thy hands.  I am sent by my Father to possess it myself, and to guide it by the skilfulness of my hands into such a conformity to him as shall be pleasing in his sight.  I will therefore possess it myself; I will dispossess and cast thee out; I will set up mine own standard in the midst of them; I will also govern them by new laws, new officers, new motives, and new ways; yea, I will pull down this town, and build it again; and it shall be as though it had not been, and it shall then be the glory of the whole universe.’

When Diabolus heard this, and perceived that he was discovered in all his deceits, he was confounded, and utterly put to a nonplus; but having in himself the fountain of iniquity, rage, and malice against both Shaddai and his Son, and the beloved town of Mansoul, what doth he but strengthen himself 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 is taken.  Come up, then, to the mountains, you that love to see military actions, and behold by both sides how the fatal blow is given, while one seeks to hold, and the other seeks to make himself master of the famous town of Mansoul.

Diabolus, therefore, having withdrawn himself from the wall to his force that was in the heart of the town of Mansoul, Emmanuel also returned to the camp; and both of them, after their divers ways, put themselves into a posture fit to give battle one to another.

Diabolus, as filled with despair of retaining in his hands the famous town of Mansoul, resolved to do what mischief he could (if, indeed, he could do any) to the army of the Prince and to the famous town of Mansoul; for, alas! it was not the happiness of the silly town of Mansoul that was designed by Diabolus, but the utter ruin and overthrow thereof, as now is enough in view.  Wherefore, he commands his officers that they should then, when they see that they could hold the town no longer, do it what harm and mischief they could, rendering and tearing men, women, and children.  ‘For,’ said he, ‘we had better quite demolish the place, and leave it like a ruinous heap, than so leave it that it may be an habitation for Emmanuel.’