And just now, while Diabolus was speaking these words to Mansoul,
Tisiphone shot at Captain Resistance, where he stood on the gate, and
mortally wounded him in the head, so that he, to the amazement of the
townsmen, fell down quite dead over the wall. Now, when Captain
Resistance was dead--and he was the only man of war in the town--poor
Mansoul was left wholly naked of courage. Then stood forth Mr.
Ill-pause, that Diabolus brought with him as his orator, and persuaded
the townsfolk to take of the tree which King Shaddai had forbidden; and
when they saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant
to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, they took and did
eat. Now even while this Ill-pause was making his speech, my lord
Innocent--whether by a shot from the camp of the giant, or from some
qualm that suddenly took him, or whether by the stinking breath of that
treacherous villain, old Ill-pause, for so I am most apt to think--sunk
down in the place where he stood still, nor could he be brought to life
again.
Now, these brave men being dead, what do the rest of the townsfolk but
fall down and yield obedience to Diabolus, and having eaten of the
forbidden fruit, they become drunk therewith, and so opened both Eargate
and Eyegate, and let in Diabolus and all his band, quite forgetting
their good Shaddai and his law.
Diabolus now bethinks himself of remodelling the town for his greater
security, setting up one and putting down another at pleasure. Wherefore
he put out of power and place my lord mayor, whose name was my lord
Understanding, and Mr. Recorder, whose name was Mr. Conscience. But my
lord Will-be-will, a man of great strength, resolution, and courage,
resolved to bear office under Diabolus, who, perceiving the willingness
of my lord to serve him forthwith, made him captain of the castle,
governor of the walls, and keeper of the gates of Mansoul. He also had
Mr. Mind for his clerk.
When the giant had thus engarrisoned himself in the town of Mansoul, he
betakes himself to defacing. Now, there was in the market-place, and
also in the gates of the castle, an image of the blessed King Shaddai.
This he commanded to be defaced, and it was basely done by the hand of
Mr. No-truth. Moreover, Diabolus made havoc of the remains of the laws
and statutes of Shaddai, and set up his own vain edicts, such as gave
liberty to the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride
of life.
_III.--The Re-Taking of Mansoul_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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