in your evidence concerning the prisoner at the bar, about that for which he stands here, as you see, indicted before this honourable court. Tell-true. My lord, I have heard him often say, he had rather think of the vilest thing, than of what is contained in the holy scriptures. Clerk. Where did you hear him say such grievous words? Tell-true. Where? in a great many places; particularly in Nauseous-street, in the house of one Shameless; and in Filth-lane, at the sign of the Reprobate, next door to the Descent-into-thepit. Court. Gentlemen, you have heard the indictment, his plea, and the testimony of the wit nesses. Gaoler, set Mr. Hard-heart to the bar. Hard-heart set to the bar. Clerk. Mr. Hard-heart, thou art here indicted by the name of Hard-heart (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul,) for that thou didst most desperately and wickedly possess the town of Mansoul with impenitency and obdurateness; and didst His indictment. keep them from remorse and sorrow for their evils all the time of their apostacy from, and rebellion against, the blessed king Shaddai. What sayest thou to this indictment? art thou guilty, or not guilty? Hard-heart. My lord, I never knew what remorse or sorrow meant, in all my life: I am im· penetrable, I care for no man; nor can I be 6 Forgetfulness of good pleads a weak head, but the witnesses prove an avowed hatred of every thing scriptural and religious; it is therefore the fault of the heart rather than of the head, for who is he that cannot remember what he loves? pierced with men's grief, their groans will not enter into my heart; whomsoever I mischief, whomsoever I wrong, to me it is music, when to others mourning. False-peace set to the bar. ( Court. You see the man is a right Diabolonian, and has convicted himself". Set him by, Gaoler, and set Mr. False-peace to the bar. Mr. False-peace, thou art here, indicted by the name of False-peace (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul), for that thou didst most wickedly and satanically bring, hold, and keep the town of Mansoul, both in her apostacy, and in her helHis indictment. lish rebellion, in a false, groundless, and dangerous peace, and damnable security, to the dishonour of the king, the transgression of his law, and the great damage of the town of Mansoul. What sayest thou? art thou guilty of this indictment, or not? He denies his name. Then said Mr. False-peace, Gentlemen, and you now appointed to be my judges, I acknowledge that my name is Mr. Peace; but that my name is False-peace, I utterly deny. If your honours should please to send for any that intimately know me, or for the midwife that laid my mother of me, or for the gossips that were at my christening, they will any or all of them prove, that my name is not False-peace, but Peace. Wherefore I cannot plead to this indictment, forasmuch as my name is not inserted therein; and as is my true name, so also are my conditions. I was always a man that loved to live at quiet; and what I loved myself, that I thought others might love also. Wherefore when I saw 7 Hardness of heart is quite in character; he is impenetrable, and knows not how to relent; he also is self-condemned. that any of my neighbours laboured under a disquieted mind, I endeavoured to help them what I could; and I could give many instances of this good temper of mine: As, duct. 1. When at the beginning our town of Mansoul False-peace jus- declined the ways of Shaddai, some tifies his con- of them afterwards began to have disquieting reflections on themselves for what they had done: but I, as one troubled to see them disquieted, presently sought out means to get them quiet again. 2. When the ways of the old world, and of Sodom, were in fashion; if any thing happened to molest those that were for the customs of the present times, I laboured to make them quiet again, and to cause them to act without molestation. 3. To come nearer home: when the wars broke out between Shaddai and Diabolus, if at any time I saw any of the town of Mansoul afraid of destruction, I often used, by some way, device, invention or other, to labour to bring them to peace again. Wherefore, since I have been always the man of so virtuous a temper, as some say a peacemaker is, and if a peace-maker be so deserving a man, as some have been bold to attest he is; then let me, gentlemen, be accounted by you, who have a great name for justice and equity in Mansoul, for a man that deserveth not this inhuman way of treatment, but liberty, and also a licence to seek damage of those that have been my accusers. Then said the clerk, Crier, make proclamation. Crier. "O yes! Forasmuch as the prisoner at "the bar hath denied his name to "be that which is mentioned in the "indictment; the court requireth, "that if there be any in this place, who can give "information to the court, of the original and Proclamation 66 for the witnesses to come forth. " right name of the prisoner, they would come "forth and give in their evidence: for the prisoner """stands upon his own innocence." Then came two into the court, and desired that they might have leave to speak what they knew concerning the prisoner at the bar; the name of the one was Search-truth, and the name of the other Vouch-truth: so the court demanded of these men, if they knew the prisoner, and what they could say concerning him? for he stands, said they, upon his own vindication. Then said Mr. Search-truth, My lord Court. Hold; give him his oath. Then they swore him so he proceeded. The evidence given by Mr. Search-truth. Search-truth. My lord, I know, and have known this man from a child, and can attest that his name is False-peace. I knew his father; his name was Mr. Flatterer; and his mother, before she was married, was called by the name of Mrs. Sooth-up: and these two, when they came together, lived not long without this son; and when he was born, they called his name False-peace. I was his playfellow, only I was somewhat older than he; and when his mother used to call him home from his play, she would say to him, False-peace, False-peace, come home quick, or I will fetch you. Yea, I knew him when he sucked; and though I was then but little, yet I can remember, that when his mother used to sit at the door with him, or played with him in her arms, she would call him twenty times together, My little False-peace, my pretty Falsepeace! and my sweet rogue, False-peace! and again, O my little bird, False-peace! and, How do I love my child! The gossips also know it is thus, though he has had the face to deny it in open court. Mr. Vouchtruth's evi dence against False-peace. Then Mr. Vouch-truth was called upon to speak what he knew of him. So they sware him. Then said Mr. Vouch-truth, My lord, all that the former witness hath said, is true: his name is False-peace, the son of Mr. Flatterer, and Mrs. Sooth-up his mother. And I have in former times seen him angry with those that called him any thing else but False-peace, for he would say that all such mocked and nicknamed him; but this at the time when Mr. False-peace was a great man, and when the Diabolonians were the brave men in Mansoul. was Court. Gentlemen, you have heard what these two men have sworn against the prisoner at the bar. And now, Mr. False-peace, to you: You have denied your name to be False-peace; yet you see that these honest men have sworn that this is peace discovered. your name. As to your plea, in that you are. quite besides the matter of your indictment, you are not by it charged for evil doing, because you are a man of peace, or a peace-maker among your The true cha- neighbours; but that you did wickracter of False- edly and satanically bring, keep, and hold the town of Mansoul both under its apostacy from, and in its rebellion against its king, in a false, lying, and damnable peace, contrary to the law of Shaddai, and to the hazard of the destruction of the then miserable town of Mansoul. All that All that you have pleaded for yourself, is, that you have denied your name, &c. but here you see, we have witnesses to prove that you are the man. For the peace that you so much boast of making among your neighbours, know, that the peace that is not a companion of truth and holiness, but is without this foundation, is grounded upon a lie, |