ing that; at last they happened into this spacious country of Universe, and steered their course towards the town of Mansoul: and considering that the town was one of the chief works and delights of King Shaddai; what do they, but after counsel taken, made an assault upon that. I say, they knew that Mansoul belonged unto Shaddai: for they were there when he built, and beautified it for himself.* So when they had found the place, they shouted horribly for joy, and roared on it like as a lion on its prey; saying, now we have found the prize, and how to be revenged on King Shaddai for what he hath done to us. So they sat down, and called a council of war; and con- A council of sidered with themselves, what ways and me- war held by thods they had best engage in, for the winning Diabolus, to themselves this famous town of Mansoul; winning the and these four things were then propounded to town of Manbe considered of. to consider about soul. First, Whether they had best all of them to show themselves in this design to the town of Mansoul? Secondly, Whether they had best to go and sit down against Mansoul, in their now ragged and beggarly guise? Thirdly, Whether they had best to show to Mansoul their intentions, and what design they came about; or whether to assault it with words and ways of deceit? Fourthly, Whether they had not best give out private orders, to some of their companions, to take the advantage, if they see one or more of the principal townsmen, to shoot them; if thereby they shall judge their cause and design will the better be promoted? It was answered, to the first of these proposals, in the negative; to wit, that it would not be best that all should show themselves before the town, because the appearance of many of them might alarm and frighten the town; whereas a few, or but one of them, was not likely to do it. And to cause this advice to take place, it was added further, that if Mansoul was frighted, or did take the Diabolus gives alarm, it is impossible, said Diabolus, (for he his spoke now,) that we should take the town; which is adoptfor that none can enter it without its own consent. Let therefore but a few, or but one, assault Man ed. advice *It is supposed that the fall of angels took place after the creation of man. and therefore it seems probable that the angels who fell, as well as those who continued in their integrity, were witnesses of the glory of God in the forma. tion of man. This is thought to be the meaning of Job xxxviii. 7. "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy ;"-the angels rejoiced at the founding of the earth, extolling the divine glory of its Maker. The will of man, in his original state, was certainly free, which is thus expressed by Milton soul, and in my opinion, said Diabolus, let me be he. Wherefore to this they all agreed: and then to, the second proposal they came, namely, II. Whether they had best to go and sit down before Mansoul in their now ragged and beggarly guise? To which it was answered also in the negative, By no means; and that because, though the town of Mansoul had been made to know, and to have to do with, before now, things that are invisible; they never did as yet see any of their fellow-creatures in so bad and rascally a conAlecto. dition as they: and this was the advice of the fierce Alecto. Then said Apollyon, the advice Apollyon. is pertinent; for even one of us appearing to them as we are now, must needs both beget and multiply such thoughts in them, as will both put them into a consternation of spirit, and necessitate them to put themselves upon their guard: and if so, said he, then, as Diabolus said but now, it is in vain for us to think of taking the town. Then said that mighty giant Beelzebub, The Belzebub's advice that is already given is safe; for though advice. the men of Mansoul have seen such things as we once were, yet hitherto they did never behold such things as we now are. And it is best, in my opinion, to come upon them in such a guise as is common to, and most familiar among them. To this when they had consented, the next thing to be considered was, in what shape, hue, or guise, Diabolus had best to show himself, when he went about to make Mansoul his own. Then gives his ad- one said one thing, and another the contrary. vice, which is At last Lucifer* answered, that, in his opinion, applauded by it was best that his lordship should assume the body of one of those creatures that they of the town had dominion over: for, quoth he, those are not only familiar to them, but being under them, they will never imagine that any attempt should by them be made upon the town; and, to blind all, let him assume the body of one of those beasts that Mansoul deems to be wiser than all. Lucifer also God made thee perfect, not immutable; Paradise Lost. These names are well chosen: Apollyon signifies the Destroyer: Beelzebub, the Lord of Flies, an idol of the heathen, and a name used by the Jews for the prince of devils: Lucifer, the Morning Star, another name of a fallen angel: Legion, a name assumed by the Demoniac, (Mark v. 9. 15;)-a battal. ion of the Roman army, consisting of 4000 or 5000 men. Alecto, a feigned being among the heathen, one of the Furies; described by their poets as having her head covered with snakes, and breathing vengeance: Tisophone, another of the Furies. any of the rest, Gen. iii. 1. Rev. xx. 1, 2. This advice was applauded of all; so it was determined that the giant Diabolus should assume the Dragon; for that he was, in those days, as familiar with the town of Mansoul, as now is the bird with the boy; for nothing that was in its primitive state was at all amazing to them. They then proceeded to the third thing, which was, III. Whether they had best show their inclinations, or the design of their coming to Mansoul, or no? This also was answered in the negative, because of the weight that was in their former reasons, to wit, that Mansoul were a strong people, a strong people in a strong town, whose wall and gates were impregnable (to say nothing of their castles,) nor can they by any means be won but by their own consent. Besides, said Legion, (for he gave answer to this,) a discovery of our intentions may make them send to their King for aid; and if that be done, I know what time of the day it will be with us: therefore let us assault them in all pretended fairness, covering our intentions with all manner of lies, flatteries, delusive words: feigning things that will never be, and pro- Legion advi. mising that to them which they shall never ses dissimula. find: this is the way to win Mansoul, and to tion and craft. make them willingly open their gates to us; yea, and de-. sire us also to come in to them. And the reason why I think that this project will do, is, because the people of Mansoul are now every one simple and innocent: all honest and true: nor do they as yet know what it is to be assaulted with fraud, guile, and hypocrisy. They are strangers to lying and dissembling lips; wherefore we cannot, if thus we be disguised, by them at all be discerned; our lies shall go for true sayings, and our dissimulation for upright dealings. What we promise them, they will in that believe us; especially if in all our lies and feigned words we pretend great love to them, and that our design is only their advantage and honour. Now there was not one bit of a reply against this, for it went as current down as doth the water down a deep descent: wherefore they go to consider of the last proposal, which was, IV. Whether they had not best to give out orders to some of their company, to shoot some one or more of the principal of the townsmen; if they judge that their cause might be promoted thereby? Of Captain This was carried in the affirmative; and the man that was designed by this stratagem to be destroyed, was one Mr. Resistance, otherwise called Cap- Resistance, tain Resistance, and a great man in Mansoul this Captain Resistance was; and a man that the giant Diabolus, and his band more feared, than they feared the whole town of Mansoul besides. Now who should be the actor to do the murder; that was the next: and they appointed one Tisiphone, a fury of the lake, to do it. Thus they having ended the council of war, rose up, and assayed to do as they had determined:* they their counsel. marched towards Mansoul, but all in a manner invisible, save only one; nor did he approach the town in his own likeness, but under the shape and in the body of the dragon. The result of So they drew up, and sat down before Ear-gate; for that Diabolus was the place of hearing for all without the marches up to town, as Eye-gate was the place of perception. the town. So, as I said, he came up with his train to the gate, and laid his ambuscade for Captain Resistance, within bowshot of the town. This done, the giant ascended up close to the gate, and called to the town of Mansoul for audience. Nor took he any with him but one Illpause, who was his orator in all difficult matters. Now, as I said, he being come up to the gate (as the manner of those times was,) sounded his trumpet for audience; at which the The lords of Chief of the town of Mansoul, such as my Lord Mansoul ap- Innocent, my Lord Will-be-will,† my Lord Maypeared. or, Mr. Recorder, and Captain Resistance, came down to the wall, to see who was there, and what was the matter. And my Lord Will-be-will, when he looked over, and saw who stood at the gate, demanded what he was, and wherefore he was come, and why he roused the town of Mansoul with so unusual' a sound? Diabolus then, as if he had been a lamb, began his ora *The enemies of our souls are, in this council, represented as full of all subtlety, agreeably to the scripture account: for Satan is called the "Deceiver, who deceiveth the whole world ;" believers are said to be acquainted with his "devices," and are exhorted to "watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation." It was justly observed, "that none could enter the soul without its own consent." Satan may tempt, but cannot force the soul to sin: but "every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed," James i. 4. We are therefore commanded to resist the devil, that he may fly from us. To destroy this necessary resistance, therefore, must be a great point with the enemy. My Lord Will.be-will signifies that power of the mind called the will, by which we determine for or against an action. The Recorder is Conscience. By this faculty we judge of an action as good or bad, according to the light we enjoy, whether of the law of nature only, or of the written law, Rom. ii. 15. Conscience records our actions; and in the great day of judgment, the book of conscience is one of those which shall be opened, Diabolus's Oration. gaged. tion, and said, "Gentlemen of the famous town of Mansoul, I am, as you may perceive, no far dweller from you; but near, and one that is bound by the King to do you homage, and what service I can; wherefore, that I may be faithful to myself and to you, I have somewhat of concern to impart unto you; wherefore grant me your audience, and hear me patiently. And, first, I will assure you, it is not myself but you, not mine but your advantage, that I seek by what I now do, as will full well be made manifest, by that I have opened my mind to you. For, Gentlemen, I am (to tell you the truth) come to show you how you may obtain great and ample deliverance from a bondage that unawares to yourselves you are captivated and enslaved under." At this the town of Mansoul began to prick up its ears. Mansoul en"And what is it, pray? what is it?" thought they. And he said, "I have something to say to you concerning your King, concerning his law, and also touching yourselves. Touching your King, I know he is great and potent; but yet, all that he has said to you is neither true, nor yet for your advantage. 1. Diabolus's It is not true; for that wherewith he hath subtlety made hitherto awed you, shall not come to pass, up of lies, though you do the thing he hath forbidden. But if there was danger, what a slavery it is to live always in fear of the greatest of punishments, for doing so small and trivial a thing as eating a little fruit is! 2. Touching his laws, this I say, further, they are both unreasonable, intricate, and intolerable. Unreasonable, as was hinted before, for that the punishment is not proportioned to the offence: there is a great difference and disproportion betwixt the_life, and an apple; yet the one must go for the other by the law of your Shaddai. But it is also intricate, in that he saith, first you may eat of all: and yet, after forbids the eating of one. And then, in the last place, it must needs be intolerable; forasmuch as that fruit, which you are forbidden to eat of (if you are forbidden any,) is that, and that False reasonalone, which is able by your eating, to minister ing by Diabo. you a good, as yet unknown by you. This is lus. manifest by the very name of the tree, it is called the Tree of knowledge of good and evil: and have you that knowledge as yet? No, no; nor can you conceive how good, how pleasant, and how much to be desired to make one wise, it is, so long as you stand by your King's commandment. Why should you be holden in ignorance and blindness! Why should you not be enlarged in knowledge and understanding? And now, O ye inhabitants of the famous town of Mansoul, to speak more particularly to your |