The Covetousness. lurking more, had yet These, as I told you, with many their abode in the town of Mansoul, Diabolo- and that after that Emmanuel had driven their Prince Diabolus out of the castle. nians Against these the good Prince did grant a commission to the Lord Will-be-will and others, yea, to the whole town of Mansoul, to seek, take, secure, and destroy any or all that they could lay hands on, for that they were Diabolonians by nature, enemies to the Prince, and those that sought to ruin the blessed town of Mansoul. But the town of Mansoul did not pursue this warrant, but neglected to look after, to apprehend, to secure, and to destroy these Diabolonians. Wherefore what do these villains, but by degrees take courage to put forth their heads, and to show themselves to the inhabitants of the town. Yea, and as I was told, some of the men of Mansoul grew too familiar with some of them, to the sorrow of the corporation, as you yet will hear more of in time and place. Well, when the Diabolonian lords that were left perceived that Mansoul had, through sinning, offended Emmanuel their Prince, and that he had withdrawn himself and was gone, what do they but plot the ruin of the town of Mansoul. So upon a time they met together at the hold of one Mr Mischief, who was also a Diabolonian, and there consulted how they might deliver up Mansoul into the hands of Diabolus again. Now some advised one way, and some another, every man according to his own liking. At last, my Lord Lasciviousness propounded whether it might not be best, in the first place, for some of those that were Diabolonians in Mansoul to adventure to offer themselves for servants to some of the natives of Their Ïetters to the town; "for," said he, "if they do so, and plot and Mansoul shall accept of them, they may for us, and for Diabolus our lord, make the taking of the town of Mansoul more easy than otherwise it will be." But then stood up the Lord Murder, and said, "This may not be done at this time; for Mansoul is now in a kind of rage, because, by our friend Mr Carnal-Security, she hath been once ensnared already, and made to offend against her Prince; and how shall she reconcile herself unto her Lord again, but by the heads of these men? Besides, we know that they have in commission to take and slay us wherever they shall find us; let us therefore be wise as foxes: when we are dead, we can do them no hurt, but while we live we may." Thus, when they had tossed the matter to and fro, they jointly agreed that a letter should forthwith be sent away to Diabolus in their name, by which the state of the town of Mansoul should be showed him, and how much it is under the frowns of their Prince. "We may also," said some, "let him know our intentions, and ask of him his advice in the case." So a letter was presently framed, the contents of which were these: "To our great lord, the Prince Diabolus, dwelling below in the infernal cave :— "O great father, and mighty Prince Diabolus, we the true Diabolonians yet remaining in the rebellious town of Mansoul, having received our beings from thee, and our nourishment at thy hands, cannot with content and quiet endure to behold, as we do this day, how thou art dispraised, disgraced, and reproached among the inhabitants of this town; Mr Pro- nor is thy long absence at all delightful to us, befane cause greatly to our detriment. carries the letter "The reason of this our writing unto our lord, is for that we are not altogether without hope that this town may become thy habitation again; for it is greatly declined from its Prince Emmanuel; and he is uprisen, and is departed from them ; yea, and though they send, and send, and send, and send after him to return to them, yet can they not prevail, nor get good words from him. ; "There has been also of late, and is yet remaining, a very great sickness and fainting among them and that not only upon the poorer sort of the town, but upon the lords, captains, and chief gentry of the place (we only who are of the Diabolonians by nature remain well, lively, and strong), so that through their great transgression on the one hand, and their dangerous sickness on the other, we judge they lie open to thy hand and power. If, therefore, it shall stand with thy horrible cunning, and with the cunning of the rest of the princes with thee, to come and make an attempt to take Mansoul again, send us word, and we shall to our utmost power be ready to deliver it into thy hand. Or if what we have said shall not by thy fatherhood be thought best and most meet to be done, send us thy mind in a few words, and we are all ready to follow thy counsel to the hazarding of our lives, and what else we have. "Given under our hands the day and date above written, after a close consultation at the house of Mr Mischief, who yet is alive, and hath his place in our desirable town of Mansoul." When Mr Profane (for he was the carrier) was come with his letter to Hell-gate Hill, he knocked to Hellat the brazen gates for entrance. Then did Cerberus, gate Hill the porter, for he is the keeper of that gate, open to Mr Profane, to whom he delivered his letter, which he had brought from the Diabolonians in Mansoul. So he carried it in, and presented it to Diabolus his lord, and said, "Tidings, my lord, from Mansoul, from our trusty friends in Mansoul." Then came together from all places of the den, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Apollyon, with the rest of the rabblement there, to hear what news from Mansoul. So the letter was broken up and read, and Cerberus he stood by. When the letter was openly read, and the contents thereof spread into all the corners of the den, command was given that, without let or stop, Deadman's bell should be rung for joy. So the bell was rung, and the princes rejoiced that Mansoul was likely to come to ruin. Now, the clapper of the bell went, "The town of Mansoul is coming to dwell with us; make room for the town of Mansoul." This bell therefore they did ring, because they did hope that they should have Mansoul again. Now, when they had performed this their horrible ceremony, they got together again to consult what answer to send to their friends in Mansoul; and some advised one thing and some another; but at length, because the business required haste, they left the whole business to the Prince Diabolus, judging him the most proper lord of the place. So he drew up a letter as he thought fit, in answer to what Mr Profane had brought, and sent it to the Diabolonians that did dwell in Mansoul, by the same hand that had brought theirs to him; and these were the contents thereof:- The letter of Diabolus to Man soul "To our offspring, the high and mighty Diabolonians that yet dwell in the town of Mansoul, Diabolus, the great prince of Mansoul, wisheth prosperous issue and conclusion of those many brave enterprises, conspiracies, and designs that you, of your love and respect to our honour, have in your hearts to attempt to do against Mansoul. Beloved children and disciples, my Lords Fornication, Adultery, and the rest, we have here, in our desolate den, received, to our high joy and content, your welcome letter, by the hand of our trusty Mr Profane; and to show how acceptable your tidings were, we rang out our bell for gladness; for we rejoiced as much as we could, when we perceived that yet we had friends in Mansoul, and such as sought our honour and revenge in the ruin of the town of Mansoul. We also rejoice to hear that they are in a degenerated condition, and that they have offended their Prince, and that he is gone. Their sickness also pleaseth us, as does also your health, might, and strength. Glad also would we be, right horribly beloved, could we get this town into our clutches again. Nor will we be sparing of spending our wit, our cunning, our craft, and hellish inventions to bring to a wished conclusion this your brave beginning in order thereto. "And take this for your comfort (our birth, and our offspring), that shall we again surprise it and take it, we will attempt to put all your foes to the sword, and will make you the great lords and captains of the place. Nor need you fear, if ever we get it again, that we after that shall be cast out any more, for we will come with more |