Books: The Holy War
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John Bunyan >> The Holy War
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Then said the dog of Hell-Gate, 'No time like this to assault them.
I wish that the enterprise be followed close, and that the success
desired may be soon effected: yea, I wish it for the poor
Diabolonians' sakes, that live in the continual fear of their lives
in that traitorous town of Mansoul.'
Prof. The contrivance is almost finished, the lords in Mansoul
that are Diabolonians are at it day and night, and the other are
like silly doves; they want heart to be concerned with their state
and to consider that ruin is at hand. Besides you may, yea, must
think, when you put all things together, that there are many
reasons that prevail with Diabolus to make what haste he can.
Cerb. Thou hast said as it is; I am glad things are at this pass.
Go in, my brave Profane, to my lords, they will give thee for thy
welcome as good a coranto as the whole of this kingdom will afford.
I have sent thy letter in already.
Then Mr. Profane went into the den, and his lord Diabolus met him,
and saluted him with, 'Welcome, my trusty servant: I have been
made glad with thy letter.' The rest of the lords of the pit gave
him also their salutations. Then Profane, after obeisance made to
them all, said, 'Let Mansoul be given to my lord Diabolus, and let
him be her king for ever.' And with that, the hollow belly and
yawning gorge of hell gave so loud and hideous a groan, (for that
is the music of that place,) that it made the mountains about it
totter, as if they would fall in pieces.
Now, after they had read and considered the letter, they consulted
what answer to return; and the first that did speak to it was
Lucifer.
Then said he, 'The first project of the Diabolonians in Mansoul is
likely to be lucky, and to take; namely, that they will, by all the
ways and means they can, make Mansoul yet more vile and filthy: no
way to destroy a soul like this. Our old friend Balaam went this
way and prospered many years ago; let this therefore stand with us
for a maxim, and be to Diabolonians for a general rule in all ages;
for nothing can make this to fail but grace, in which I would hope
that this town has no share. But whether to fall upon them on a
market-day, because of their cumber in business, that I would
should be under debate. And there is more reason why this head
should be debated, than why some other should; because upon this
will turn the whole of what we shall attempt. If we time not our
business well, our whole project may fail. Our friends, the
Diabolonians, say that a market-day is best; for then will Mansoul
be most busy, and have fewest thoughts of a surprise. But what if
also they should double their guards on those days? (and methinks
nature and reason should teach them to do it;) and what if they
should keep such a watch on those days as the necessity of their
present case doth require? yea, what if their men should be always
in arms on those days? then you may, my lords, be disappointed in
your attempts, and may bring our friends in the town to utter
danger of unavoidable ruin.'
Then said the great Beelzebub, 'There is something in what my lord
hath said; but his conjecture may, or may not fall out. Nor hath
my lord laid it down as that which must not be receded from; for I
know that he said it only to provoke to a warm debate thereabout.
Therefore we must understand, if we can, whether the town of
Mansoul has such sense and knowledge of her decayed state, and of
the design that we have on foot against her, as doth provoke her to
set watch and ward at her gates, and to double them on market-days.
But if, after inquiry made, it shall be found that they are asleep,
then any day will do, but a market-day is best; and this is my
judgment in this case.'
Then quoth Diabolus, 'How should we know this?' and it was
answered, 'Inquire about it at the mouth of Mr. Profane.' So
Profane was called in, and asked the question, and he made his
answer as follows:-
Prof. My lords, so far as I can gather, this is at present the
condition of the town of Mansoul: they are decayed in their faith
and love; Emmanuel, their Prince, has given them the back; they
send often by petition to fetch him again, but he maketh not haste
to answer their request, nor is there much reformation among them.
Diab. I am glad that they are backward in a reformation, but yet I
am afraid of their petitioning. However, their looseness of life
is a sign that there is not much heart in what they do, and without
the heart things are little worth. But go on, my masters; I will
divert you, my lords, no longer.
Beel. If the case be so with Mansoul, as Mr. Profane has described
it to be, it will be no great matter what day we assault it; not
their prayers, nor their power will do them much service.
When Beelzebub had ended his oration, then Apollyon did begin. 'My
opinion,' said he, 'concerning this matter, is, that we go on fair
and softly, not doing things in a hurry. Let our friends in
Mansoul go on still to pollute and defile it, by seeking to draw it
yet more into sin (for there is nothing like sin to devour
Mansoul). If this be done, and it takes effect, Mansoul, of
itself, will leave off to watch, to petition, or anything else that
should tend to her security and safety; for she will forget her
Emmanuel, she will not desire his company, and can she be gotten
thus to live, her Prince will not come to her in haste. Our trusty
friend, Mr. Carnal-Security, with one of his tricks did drive him
out of the town; and why may not my Lord Covetousness, and my Lord
Lasciviousness, by what they may do, keep him out of the town? And
this I will tell you, (not because you know it not,) that two or
three Diabolonians, if entertained and countenanced by the town of
Mansoul, will do more to the keeping of Emmanuel from them, and
towards making the town of Mansoul your own, than can an army of a
legion that should be sent out from us to withstand him. Let,
therefore, this first project that our friends in Mansoul have set
on foot, be strongly and diligently carried on, with all cunning
and craft imaginable; and let them send continually, under one
guise or another, more and other of their men to play with the
people of Mansoul; and then, perhaps, we shall not need to be at
the charge of making a war upon them; or if that must of necessity
be done, yet the more sinful they are, the more unable, to be sure,
they will be to resist us, and then the more easily we shall
overcome them. And besides, suppose (and that is the worst that
can be supposed) that Emmanuel should come to them again, why may
not the same means, or the like, drive him from them once more?
Yea, why may he not, by their lapse into that sin again, be driven
from them for ever, for the sake of which he was at the first
driven from them for a season? And if this should happen, then
away go with him his rams, his slings, his captains, his soldiers,
and he leaveth Mansoul naked and bare. Yea, will not this town,
when she sees herself utterly forsaken of her Prince, of her own
accord open her gates again unto you, and make of you as in the
days of old? But this must be done by time, a few days will not
effect so great a work as this.'
So soon as Apollyon had made an end of speaking, Diabolus began to
blow out his own malice, and to plead his own cause; and he said,
'My lords, and powers of the cave, my true and trusty friends, I
have with much impatience, as becomes me, given ear to your long
and tedious orations. But my furious gorge, and empty paunch, so
lusteth after a repossession of my famous town of Mansoul, that
whatever comes out, I can wait no longer to see the events of
lingering projects. I must, and that without further delay, seek,
by all means I can, to fill my insatiable gulf with the soul and
body of the town of Mansoul. Therefore lend me your heads, your
hearts, and your help, now I am going to recover my town of
Mansoul.'
When the lords and princes of the pit saw the flaming desire that
was in Diabolus to devour the miserable town of Mansoul, they left
off to raise any more objections, but consented to lend him what
strength they could, though had Apollyon's advice been taken, they
had far more fearfully distressed the town of Mansoul. But, I say,
they were willing to lend him what strength they could, not knowing
what need they might have of him, when they should engage for
themselves, as he. Wherefore they fell to advising about the next
thing propounded, namely, what soldiers they were, and also how
many, with whom Diabolus should go against the town of Mansoul to
take it; and after some debate, it was concluded, according as in
the letter the Diabolonians had suggested, that none were more fit
for that expedition than an army of terrible doubters. They
therefore concluded to send against Mansoul an army of sturdy
doubters. The number thought fit to be employed in that service
was between twenty and thirty thousand. So then the result of that
great council of those high and mighty lords was--That Diabolus
should even now, out of hand, beat up his drum for men in the land
of Doubting, which land lieth upon the confines of the place called
Hell-Gate Hill, for men that might be employed by him against the
miserable town of Mansoul. It was also concluded, that these lords
themselves should help him in the war, and that they would to that
end head and manage his men. So they drew up a letter, and sent
back to the Diabolonians that lurked in Mansoul, and that waited
for the back-coming of Mr. Profane, to signify to them into what
method and forwardness they at present had put their design. The
contents whereof now follow:-
'From the dark and horrible dungeon of hell, Diabolus with all the
society of the princes of darkness, sends to our trusty ones, in
and about the walls of the town of Mansoul, now impatiently waiting
for our most devilish answer to their venomous and most poisonous
design against the town of Mansoul.
'Our native ones, in whom from day to day we boast, and in whose
actions all the year long we do greatly delight ourselves, we
received your welcome, because highly esteemed letter, at the hand
of our trusty and greatly beloved, the old gentleman, Mr. Profane.
And do give you to understand, that when we had broken it up, and
had read the contents thereof, to your amazing memory be it spoken,
our yawning hollow-bellied place, where we are, made so hideous and
yelling a noise for joy, that the mountains that stand round about
Hell-Gate Hill, had like to have been shaken to pieces at the sound
thereof.
'We could also do no less than admire your faithfulness to us, with
the greatness of that subtilty that now hath showed itself to be in
your heads to serve us against the town of Mansoul. For you have
invented for us so excellent a method for our proceeding against
that rebellious people, a more effectual cannot be thought of by
all the wits of hell. The proposals, therefore, which now, at
last, you have sent us, since we saw them, we have done little else
but highly approved and admired them.
'Nay, we shall, to encourage you in the profundity of your craft,
let you know, that, at a full assembly and conclave of our princes
and principalities of this place, your project was discoursed and
tossed from one side of our cave to the other by their
mightinesses; but a better, and as was by themselves judged, a more
fit and proper way by all their wits, could not be invented, to
surprise, take, and make our own, the rebellious town of Mansoul.
'Wherefore, in fine, all that was said that varied from what you
had in your letter propounded, fell of itself to the ground, and
yours only was stuck to by Diabolus, the prince; yea, his gaping
gorge and yawning paunch was on fire to put your invention into
execution.
'We therefore give you to understand that our stout, furious, and
unmerciful Diabolus is raising, for your relief, and the ruin of
the rebellious town of Mansoul, more than twenty thousand doubters
to come against that people. They are all stout and sturdy men,
and men that of old have been accustomed to war, and that can
therefore well endure the drum. I say, he is doing this work of
his with all the possible speed he can; for his heart and spirit is
engaged in it. We desire, therefore, that, as you have hitherto
stuck to us, and given us both advice and encouragement thus far,
you still will prosecute our design; nor shall you lose, but be
gainers thereby; yea, we intend to make you the lords of Mansoul.
'One thing may not by any means be omitted, that is, those with us
do desire that every one of you that are in Mansoul would still use
all your power, cunning, and skill, with delusive persuasions, yet
to draw the town of Mansoul into more sin and wickedness, even that
sin may be finished and bring forth death.
'For thus it is concluded with us, that the more vile, sinful, and
debauched the town of Mansoul is, more backward will be their
Emmanuel to come to their help, either by presence or other relief;
yea, the more sinful, the more weak, and so the more unable will
they be to make resistance when we shall make our assault upon them
to swallow them up. Yea, that may cause that their mighty Shaddai
himself may cast them out of his protection; yea, and send for his
captains and soldiers home, with his slings and rams, and leave
them naked and bare; and then the town of Mansoul will of itself
open to us, and fall as the fig into the mouth of the eater. Yea,
to be sure. that we then with a great deal of ease shall come upon
her and overcome her.
'As to the time of our coming upon Mansoul, we, as yet, have not
fully resolved upon that, though at present some of us think as
you, that a market-day, or a market-day at night, will certainly be
the best. However, do you be ready, and when you shall hear our
roaring drum without, do you be as busy to make the most horrible
confusion within. So shall Mansoul certainly be distressed before
and behind, and shall not know which way to betake herself for
help. My Lord Lucifer, my Lord Beelzebub, my Lord Apollyon, my
Lord Legion, with the rest, salute you, as does also my Lord
Diabolus; and we wish both you, with all that you do, or shall
possess, the very self-same fruit and success for their doing as we
ourselves at present enjoy for ours.
'From our dreadful confines in the most fearful pit, we salute you,
and so do those many legions here with us, wishing you may be as
hellishly prosperous as we desire to be ourselves. By the letter-
carrier, Mr. Profane.'
Then Mr. Profane addressed himself for his return to Mansoul, with
his errand from the horrible pit to the Diabolonians that dwelt in
that town. So he came up the stairs from the deep to the mouth of
the cave where Cerberus was. Now when Cerberus saw him, he asked
how did matters go below, about and against the town of Mansoul.
Prof. Things go as well as we can expect. The letter that I
carried thither was highly approved, and well liked by all my
lords, and I am returning to tell our Diabolonians so. I have an
answer to it here in my bosom, that I am sure will make our masters
that sent me glad; for the contents thereof are to encourage them
to pursue their design to the utmost, and to be ready also to fall
on within, when they shall see my Lord Diabolus beleaguering the
town of Mansoul.
Cerb. But does he intend to go against them himself?
Prof. Does he! Ay! and he will take along with him more than
twenty thousand, all sturdy Doubters, and men of war, picked men
from the land of Doubting, to serve him in the expedition.
Then was Cerberus glad, and said, 'And is there such brave
preparations a-making to go against the miserable town of Mansoul?
And would I might be put at the head of a thousand of them, that I
might also show my valour against the famous town of Mansoul.'
Prof. Your wish may come to pass; you look like one that has
mettle enough, and my lord will have with him those that are
valiant and stout. But my business requires haste.
Cerb. Ay, so it does. Speed thee to the town of Mansoul, with all
the deepest mischiefs that this place can afford thee. And when
thou shalt come to the house of Mr. Mischief, the place where the
Diabolonians meet to plot, tell them that Cerberus doth wish them
his service, and that if he may, he will with the army come up
against the famous town of Mansoul.
Prof. That I will. And I know that my lords that are there will
be glad to hear it, and to see you also.
So after a few more such kind of compliments, Mr. Profane took his
leave of his friend Cerberus; and Cerberus again, with a thousand
of their pit-wishes, bid him haste, with all speed, to his masters.
The which when he had heard, he made obeisance, and began to gather
up his heels to run.
Thus, therefore, he returned, and went and came to Mansoul; and
going, as afore, to the house of Mr. Mischief, there he found the
Diabolonians assembled, and waiting for his return. Now when he
was come, and had presented himself, he also delivered to them his
letter, and adjoined this compliment to them therewith: 'My lords,
from the confines of the pit, the high and mighty principalities
and powers of the den salute you here, the true Diabolonians of the
town of Mansoul. Wishing you always the most proper of their
benedictions, for the great service, high attempts, and brave
achievements that you have put yourselves upon, for the restoring
to our prince Diabolus the famous town of Mansoul.'
This was therefore the present state of the miserable town of
Mansoul: she had offended her Prince, and he was gone; she had
encouraged the powers of hell, by her foolishness, to come against
her to seek her utter destruction.
True, the town of Mansoul was somewhat made sensible of her sin,
but the Diabolonians were gotten into her bowels; she cried, but
Emmanuel was gone, and her cries did not fetch him as yet again.
Besides, she knew not now whether, ever or never, he would return
and come to his Mansoul again; nor did they know the power and
industry of the enemy, nor how forward they were to put in
execution that plot of hell that they had devised against her.
They did, indeed, still send petition after petition to the Prince,
but he answered all with silence. They did neglect reformation,
and that was as Diabolus would have it; for he knew, if they
regarded iniquity in their heart, their King would not hear their
prayer; they therefore did still grow weaker and weaker, and were
as a rolling thing before the whirlwind. They cried to their King
for help, and laid Diabolonians in their bosoms: what therefore
should a King do to them? Yea, there seemed now to be a mixture in
Mansoul; the Diabolonians and the Mansoulians would walk the
streets together. Yea, they began to seek their peace; for they
thought that, since the sickness had been so mortal in Mansoul, it
was in vain to go to handygripes with them. Besides, the weakness
of Mansoul was the strength of their enemies; and the sins of
Mansoul, the advantage of the Diabolonians. The foes of Mansoul
did also now begin to promise themselves the town for a possession:
there was no great difference now betwixt Mansoulians and
Diabolonians: both seemed to be masters of Mansoul. Yea, the
Diabolonians increased and grew, but the town of Mansoul diminished
greatly. There were more than eleven thousand men, women, and
children that died by the sickness in Mansoul.
But now, as Shaddai would have it, there was one whose name was Mr.
Prywell, a great lover of the people of Mansoul. And he, as his
manner was, did go listening up and down in Mansoul to see, and to
hear, if at any time he might, whether there was any design against
it or no. For he was always a jealous man, and feared some
mischief sometime would befal it, either from the Diabolonians
within, or from some power without. Now upon a time it so
happened, as Mr. Prywell went listening here and there, that he
lighted upon a place called Vilehill, in Mansoul, where
Diabolonians used to meet; so hearing a muttering, (you must know
that it was in the night,) he softly drew near to hear; nor had he
stood long under the house-end, (for there stood a house there,)
but he heard one confidently affirm, that it was not, or would not
be long before Diabolus should possess himself again of Mansoul;
and that then the Diabolonians did intend to put all Mansoulians to
the sword, and would kill and destroy the King's captains, and
drive all his soldiers out of the town. He said, moreover, that he
knew there were above twenty thousand fighting men prepared by
Diabolus for the accomplishing of this design, and that it would
not be months before they all should see it.
When Mr. Prywell had heard this story, he did quickly believe it
was true: wherefore he went forthwith to my Lord Mayor's house,
and acquainted him therewith; who, sending for the subordinate
preacher, brake the business to him; and he as soon gave the alarm
to the town; for he was now the chief preacher in Mansoul, because,
as yet, my Lord Secretary was ill at ease. And this was the way
that the subordinate preacher did take to alarm the town therewith.
The same hour he caused the lecture bell to be rung; so the people
came together: he gave them then a short exhortation to
watchfulness, and made Mr. Prywell's news the argument thereof.
'For,' said he, 'an horrible plot is contrived against Mansoul,
even to massacre us all in a day, nor is this story to be slighted;
for Mr. Prywell is the author thereof. Mr. Prywell was always a
lover of Mansoul, a sober and judicious man, a man that is no
tattler, nor raiser of false reports, but one that loves to look
into the very bottom of matters, and talks nothing of news, but by
very solid arguments.
'I will call him, and you shall hear him your own selves;' so he
called him, and he came and told his tale so punctually, and
affirmed its truth with such ample grounds, that Mansoul fell
presently under a conviction of the truth of what he said. The
preacher did also back him, saying, 'Sirs, it is not irrational for
us to believe it, for we have provoked Shaddai to anger, and have
sinned Emmanuel out of the town; we have had too much
correspondence with Diabolonians, and have forsaken our former
mercies: no marvel then, if the enemy both within and without
should design and plot our ruin; and what time like this to do it?
The sickness is now in the town, and we have been made weak
thereby. Many a good meaning man is dead, and the Diabolonians of
late grow stronger and stronger.
'Besides,' quoth the subordinate preacher, 'I have received from
this good truth-teller this one inkling further, that he understood
by those that he overheard, that several letters have lately passed
between the furies and the Diabolonians in order to our
destruction.' When Mansoul heard all this, and not being able to
gainsay it, they lift up their voice and wept. Mr. Prywell did
also, in the presence of the townsmen, confirm all that their
subordinate preacher had said. Wherefore they now set afresh to
bewail their folly, and to a doubling of petitions to Shaddai and
his Son. They also brake the business to the captains, high
commanders, and men of war in the town of Mansoul, entreating them
to use the means to be strong, and to take good courage; and that
they would look after their harness, and make themselves ready to
give Diabolus battle by night and by day, shall he come, as they
are informed he will, to beleaguer the town of Mansoul.
When the captains heard this, they being always true lovers of the
town of Mansoul, what do they but like so many Samsons they shake
themselves, and come together to consult and contrive how to defeat
those bold and hellish contrivances that were upon the wheel by the
means of Diabolus and his friends against the now sickly, weakly,
and much impoverished town of Mansoul; and they agreed upon these
following particulars:-
1. That the gates of Mansoul should be kept shut, and made fast
with bars and locks, and that all persons that went out, or came
in, should be very strictly examined by the captains of the guards,
'to the end,' said they, 'that those that are managers of the plot
amongst us, may, either coming or going, be taken; and that we may
also find out who are the great contrivers, amongst us, of our
ruin.'
2. The next thing was, that a strict search should be made for all
kind of Diabolonians throughout the whole town of Mansoul; and that
every man's house from top to bottom should be looked into, and
that, too, house by house, that if possible a further discovery
might be made of all such among them as had a hand in these
designs.
3. It was further concluded upon, that wheresoever or with
whomsoever any of the Diabolonians were found, that even those of
the town of Mansoul that had given them house and harbour, should
to their shame, and the warning of others, take penance in the open
place.
4. It was, moreover, resolved by the famous town of Mansoul, that a
public fast, and a day of humiliation, should be kept throughout
the whole corporation, to the justifying of their Prince, the
abasing of themselves before him for their transgressions against
him, and against Shaddai, his Father. It was further resolved,
that all such in Mansoul as did not on that day endeavour to keep
that fast, and to humble themselves for their faults, but that
should mind their worldly employs, or be found wandering up and
down the streets, should be taken for Diabolonians, and should
suffer as Diabolonians for such their wicked doings.
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