Look to it, Mansoul !

"The Lords of Looseness send to the great and high Diabolus, from our dens, caves,

holes, and strongholds, in and about the wall of the town of Mansoul, greeting: "Our great Lord, and the nourisher of our lives, Diabolus,-how glad we were when we heard of your fatherhood's readiness to comply with us, and help forward our design in our attempts to ruin Mansoul, none can tell but those who, as we do, set themselves against all appearance of good, when and wheresoever we find it.1

"Touching the encouragement that your greatness is pleased to give us to continue to devise, contrive, and study the utter desolation of Mansoul, that we are not solicitous about; for we know right well it cannot but be pleasing and profitable to us to see our enemies, and them that seek our lives, die at our feet, or fly before us. We therefore are still contriving, and that to the best of our cunning, to make this work most facile and easy to your lordships and to us.

"First, we considered of that most hellishly cunning, compacted, threefold project, that by you was propounded to us in your last; and have concluded, that though to blow them up with the gunpowder of pride would do well, and to do it by tempting them to be loose and vain will help on, yet to contrive to bring them into the gulf of desperation, we think will do best of all. Now we, who are at your beck, have thought of two ways to do this: first, we, for our parts, will make them as vile as we can, and then you with us, at a time appointed, shall be ready to fall upon them with the utmost force. And of all the nations that 1 Rom. vii. 21. Gal. v. 17.

bolus

are at your whistle, we think that an army of A letter doubters may be the most likely to attack and to Diaovercome the town of Mansoul. Thus shall we overcome these enemies, else the pit shall open her mouth upon them, and desperation shall thrust them down into it. We have also, to effect this so much by us desired design, sent already three of our trusty Diabolonians among them: they are disguised in garb, they have changed their names, and are now accepted of them: namely, Covetousness, Lasciviousness, and Anger. The name of Covetousness is changed to Prudent-Thrifty, and him Mr Mind has hired, and is almost become as bad as our friend. Lasciviousness has changed his name to Harmless-Mirth, and he is got to be the Lord Will-be-will's lacquey; but he has made his master very wanton. Anger changed his name into Good-Zeal, and was entertained by Mr Godly-Fear; but the peevish old gentleman took pepper in the nose, and turned our companion out of his house. Nay, he has informed us since that he ran away from him, or else his old master had hanged him up for his labour.

"Now, these have much helped forward our work and design upon Mansoul; for notwithstanding the spite and quarrelsome temper of the old gentleman last mentioned, the other two ply their business well, and are likely to ripen the work apace.

"Our next project is, that it be concluded that you come upon the town upon a market day, and that when they are upon the heat of their business; for then, to be sure, they will be most secure, and least think that an assault will be made upon them. They will also at such a time be less able to defend

state of

Mansoul

you

The sad themselves, and to offend you in the prosecution of our design. And we, your trusty (and we are sure your beloved) ones, shall, when shall make your furious assault without, be ready to second the business within. So shall we, in all likelihood, be able to put Mansoul to utter confusion, and to swallow them up before they can come to themselves. If your serpentine heads, most subtile dragons, and our highly esteemed lords, can find out a better way than this, let us quickly know your minds.

"To the monsters of the infernal cave, from the house of Mr Mischief in Mansoul, by the hand of Mr Profane.”

Now, all the while that the raging runagates and hellish Diabolonians were thus contriving the ruin of the town of Mansoul, they (namely, the poor town itself) were in a sad and woeful case; partly because they had so grievously offended Shaddai and his Son, and partly because that the enemies thereby got strength within them afresh; and also because, though they had by many petitions made suit to the Prince Emmanuel, and to his Father Shaddai by him, for their pardon and favour, yet hitherto obtained they not one smile; but contrariwise, through the craft and subtilty of the domestic Diabolonians, their cloud was made to grow blacker and blacker, and their Emmanuel to stand at farther distance.

The sickness also did greatly rage in Mansoul, both among the captains and the inhabitants of the town; and their enemies only were now lively aud strong, and likely to become the head, whilst Mansoul was made the tail.

Hill

By this time the letter last mentioned, that was Profane written by the Diabolonians that yet lurked in the arrives at town of Mansoul, was conveyed to Diabolus in the Hell-gate black den, by the hand of Mr Profane. He carried the letter by Hell-gate Hill as afore, and conveyed it by Cerberus to his lord.

But when Cerberus and Mr Profane did meet, they were presently as great as beggars, and thus they fell into discourse about Mansoul, and about the project against her.

"Ah! old friend," quoth Cerberus, "art thou come to Hell-gate Hill again? By St Mary, I am glad to see thee!”

Prof. Yes, my lord, I am come again about the concerns of the town of Mansoul.

Cerb. Prithee, tell me what condition is that town of Mansoul in at present?

Prof. In a brave condition, my lord, for us, and for my lords, the lords of this place, I trow; for they are greatly decayed as to godliness, and that is as well as our heart can wish; their Lord is greatly out with them, and that doth also please us well. We have already, also, a foot in their dish, for our Diabolonian friends are laid in their bosoms, and what do we lack but to be masters of the place? Besides, our trusty friends in Mansoul are daily plotting to betray it to the lords of this town; also the sickness rages bitterly among them; and that which makes up all, we hope at last to prevail."

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

They of their lives in that traitorous town of Manconsult soul."

what Prof. The contrivance is almost finished; the

answer to

give

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 Pro

fane, 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 like 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.