The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of MansoulBunyan, John
ReligionChristian
The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul
Bunyan, John
Christian fiction; Soul; Spiritual warfare -- Fiction
Now this man, as I told you, heard all the talk that was between old
Evil-Questioning and these Diabolonians; wherefore what does he but goes
to his lord, and tells him what he had heard. ‘And sayest thou so, my
trusty?’ quoth my lord. ‘Ay,’ quoth Diligence, ‘that I do; and if your
lordship will be pleased to go with me, you shall find it as I have
said.’ ‘And are they there?’ quoth my lord. ‘I know Evil-Questioning
well, for he and I were great in the time of our apostasy: but I know not
now where he dwells.’ ‘But I do,’ said his man, ‘and if your lordship
will go, I will lead you the way to his den.’ ‘Go!’ quoth my lord, ‘that
I will. Come, my Diligence, let us go find them out.’
So my lord and his man went together the direct way to his house. Now
his man went before to show him his way, and they went till they came
even under old Mr. Evil-Questioning’s wall. Then said Diligence, ‘Hark!
my lord, do you know the old gentleman’s tongue when you hear it?’
‘Yes,’ said my lord, ‘I know it well, but I have not seen him many a day.
This I know, he is cunning; I wish he doth not give us the slip.’ ‘Let
me alone for that,’ said his servant Diligence. ‘But how shall we find
the door?’ quoth my lord. ‘Let me alone for that, too,’ said his man.
So he had my Lord Willbewill about, and showed him the way to the door.
Then my lord, without more ado, broke open the door, rushed into the
house, and caught them all five together, even as Diligence his man had
told him. So my lord apprehended them, and led them away, and committed
them to the hand of Mr. Trueman, the gaoler, and commanded, and he did
put them in ward. This done, my Lord Mayor was acquainted in the morning
with what my Lord Willbewill had done over night, and his lordship
rejoiced much at the news, not only because there were doubters
apprehended, but because that old Evil-Questioning was taken; for he had
been a very great trouble to Mansoul, and much affliction to my Lord
Mayor himself. He had also been sought for often, but no hand could ever
be laid upon him till now.
Well, the next thing was to make preparation to try these five that by my
lord had been apprehended, and that were in the hands of Mr. Trueman, the
gaoler. So the day was set, and the court called and come together, and
the prisoners brought to the bar. My Lord Willbewill had power to have
slain them when at first he took them, and that without any more ado; but
he thought it at this time more for the honour of the Prince, the comfort
of Mansoul, and the discouragement of the enemy, to bring them forth to
public judgment.
But, I say, Mr. Trueman brought them in chains to the bar; to the
town-hall, for that was the place of judgment. So, to be short, the jury
was panelled, the witnesses sworn, and the prisoners tried for their
lives: the jury was the same that tried Mr. No-Truth, Pitiless, Haughty,
and the rest of their companions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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