The Holy War by John Bunyan (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

Mr. Conscience, the preacher, he also did his utmost to keep all his good documents alive upon the hearts of the people of Mansoul.

Well, awhile after, the captains and stout ones of the town of Mansoul agreed and resolved upon a time to make a sally out upon the camp of Diabolus, and this must be done in the night; and there was the folly of Mansoul, (for the night is always the best for the enemy, but the worst for Mansoul to fight in,) but yet they would do it, their courage was so high; their last victory also still stuck in their memories.

So the night appointed being come, the Prince’s brave captains cast lots who should lead the van in this new and desperate expedition against Diabolus, and against his Diabolonian army; and the lot fell to Captain Credence, to Captain Experience, and to Captain Good-Hope, to lead the forlorn hope. (This Captain Experience the Prince created such when himself did reside in the town of Mansoul.) So, as I said, they made their sally out upon the army that lay in the siege against them; and their hap was to fall in with the main body of their enemies. Now Diabolus and his men being expertly accustomed to night-work, took the alarm presently, and were as ready to give them battle, as if they had sent them word of their coming. Wherefore to it they went amain, and blows were hard on every side; the hell drum also was beat most furiously, while the trumpets of the Prince most sweetly sounded.

And thus the battle was joined; and Captain Insatiable looked to the enemy’s carriages, and waited when he should receive some prey.

The Prince’s captains fought it stoutly, beyond what indeed could be expected they should; they wounded many; they made the whole army of Diabolus to make a retreat. But I cannot tell how, but the brave Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope, and Captain Experience, as they were upon the pursuit, cutting down, and following hard after the enemy in the rear, Captain Credence stumbled and fell, by which fall he caught so great a hurt, that he could not rise till Captain Experience did help him up, at which their men were put in disorder. The captain also was so full of pain, that he could not forbear but aloud to cry out: at this, the other two captains fainted, supposing that Captain Credence had received his mortal wound; their men also were more disordered, and had no list to fight. Now Diabolus being very observing, though at this time as yet he was put to the worst, perceiving that a halt was made among the men that were the pursuers, what does he but, taking it for granted that the captains were either wounded or dead, he therefore makes at first a stand, then faces about, and so comes up upon the Prince’s army with as much of his fury as hell could help him to; and his hap was to fall in just among the three captains, Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope, and Captain Experience, and did cut, wound, and pierce them so dreadfully, that what through discouragement, what through disorder, and what through the wounds that they had received, and also the loss of much blood, they scarce were able, though they had for their power the three best hands in Mansoul, to get safe into the hold again.

Now, when the body of the Prince’s army saw how these three captains were put to the worst, they thought it their wisdom to make as safe and good a retreat as they could, and so returned by the sallyport again; and so there was an end of this present action. But Diabolus was so flushed with this night’s work, that he promised himself, in few days, an easy and complete conquest over the town of Mansoul; wherefore, on the day following, he comes up to the sides thereof with great boldness, and demands entrance, and that forthwith they deliver themselves up to his government.

The Diabolonians, too, that were within, they began to be somewhat brisk, as we shall show afterward.

But the valiant Lord Mayor replied, that what he got he must get by force; for as long as Emmanuel, their Prince, was alive, (though he at present was not so with them as they wished,) they should never consent to yield Mansoul up to another.

And with that the Lord Willbewill stood up, and said, ‘Diabolus, thou master of the den, and enemy to all that is good, we poor inhabitants of the town of Mansoul are too well acquainted with thy rule and government, and with the end of those things that for certain will follow submitting to thee, to do it. Wherefore though while we were without knowledge we suffered thee to take us, (as the bird that saw not the snare fell into the hands of the fowler,) yet since we have been turned from darkness to light, we have also been turned from the power of Satan to God. And though through thy subtlety, and also the subtlety of the Diabolonians within, we have sustained much loss, and also plunged ourselves into much perplexity, yet give up ourselves, lay down our arms, and yield to so horrid a tyrant as thou, we shall not; die upon the place we choose rather to do. Besides, we have hopes that in time deliverance will come from court unto us, and therefore we yet will maintain a war against thee.’

This brave speech of the Lord Willbewill, with that also of the Lord Mayor, did somewhat abate the boldness of Diabolus, though it kindled the fury of his rage. It also succoured the townsmen and captains; yea, it was as a plaster to the brave Captain Credence’s wound; for you must know that a brave speech now (when the captains of the town with their men of war came home routed, and when the enemy took courage and boldness at the success that he had obtained to draw up to the walls, and demand entrance, as he did) was in season, and also advantageous.

The Lord Willbewill also did play the man within; for while the captains and soldiers were in the field, he was in arms in the town, and wherever by him there was a Diabolonian found, they were forced to feel the weight of his heavy hand, and also the edge of his penetrating sword: many therefore of the Diabolonians he wounded, as the Lord Cavil, the Lord Brisk, the Lord Pragmatic, and the Lord Murmur; several also of the meaner sort he did sorely maim; though there cannot at this time an account be given you of any that he slew outright. The cause, or rather the advantage that my Lord Willbewill had at this time to do thus, was for that the captains were gone out to fight the enemy in the field. ‘For now,’

thought the Diabolonians within, ‘is our time to stir and make an uproar in the town.’ What do they therefore but quickly get themselves into a body, and fall forthwith to hurricaning in Mansoul, as if now nothing but whirlwind and tempest should be there. Wherefore, as I said, he takes this opportunity to fall in among them with his men, cutting and slashing with courage that was undaunted; at which the Diabolonians with all haste dispersed themselves to their holds, and my lord to his place as before.

This brave act of my lord did somewhat revenge the wrong done by Diabolus to the captains, and also did let them know that Mansoul was not to be parted with for the loss of a victory or two; wherefore the wing of the tyrant was clipped again, as to boasting,—I mean in comparison of what he would have done, if the Diabolonians had put the town to the same plight to which he had put the captains.

Well, Diabolus yet resolves to have the other bout with Mansoul.

‘For,’ thought he, ‘since I beat them once, I may beat them twice.’

Wherefore he commanded his men to be ready at such an hour of the night, to make a fresh assault upon the town; and he gave it out in special that they should bend all their force against Feel-gate, and attempt to break into the town through that. The word that then he did give to his officers and soldiers was Hell-fire.

‘And,’ said he, ‘if we break in upon them, as I wish we do, either with some, or with all our force, let them that break in look to it, that they forget not the word. And let nothing be heard in the town of Mansoul but, “Hell-fire! Hell-fire! Hell-fire!”’ The drummer was also to beat without ceasing, and the standard-bearers were to display their colours; the soldiers, too, were to put on what courage they could, and to see that they played manfully their parts against the town.

So when night was come, and all things by the tyrant made ready for the work, he suddenly makes his assault upon Feel-gate, and after he had awhile struggled there, he throws the gate wide open: for the truth is, those gates were but weak, and so most easily made to yield. When Diabolus had thus far made his attempt, he placed his captains (namely, Torment and No-Ease) there; so he attempted to press forward, but the Prince’s captains came down upon him, and made his entrance more difficult than he desired. And, to speak truth, they made what resistance they could; but the three of their best and most valiant captains being wounded, and by their wounds made much incapable of doing the town that service they would, (and all the rest having more than their hands full of the doubters, and their captains that did follow Diabolus,) they were overpowered with force, nor could they keep them out of the town. Wherefore the Prince’s men and their captains betook themselves to the castle, as to the stronghold of the town: and this they did partly for their own security, partly for the security of the town, and partly, or rather chiefly, to preserve to Emmanuel the prerogative-royal of Mansoul; for so was the castle of Mansoul.

The captains therefore being fled into the castle, the enemy, without much resistance, possess themselves of the rest of the town, and spreading themselves as they went into every corner, they cried out as they marched, according to the command of the tyrant, ‘Hell-fire! Hell-fire! Hell-fire!’ so that nothing for a while throughout the town of Mansoul could be heard but the direful noise of ‘Hell-fire!’ together with the roaring of Diabolus’s drum. And now did the clouds hang black over Mansoul, nor to reason did anything but ruin seem to attend it. Diabolus also quartered his soldiers in the houses of the inhabitants of the town of Mansoul.

Yea, the subordinate preacher’s house was as full of these outlandish doubters as ever it could hold, and so was my Lord Mayor’s, and my Lord Willbewill’s also. Yea, where was there a corner, a cottage, a barn, or a hogstye, that now was not full of these vermin? Yea, they turned the men of the town out of their houses, and would lie in their beds, and sit at their tables themselves. Ah, poor Mansoul! now thou feelest the fruits of sin, yea, what venom was in the flattering words of Mr. Carnal-Security!

They made great havoc of whatever they laid their hands on; yea, they fired the town in several places; many young children also were by them dashed in pieces; and those that were yet unborn they destroyed in their mothers’