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

As for the blood-men, they also were under command and the names of their captains were, Captain Cain, Captain Nimrod, Captain Ishmael, Captain Esau, Captain Saul, Captain Absalom, Captain Judas, and Captain Pope.

1. Captain Cain was over two bands, namely, the zealous and the angry blood-men: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was the murdering club.

2. Captain Nimrod was captain over two bands, namely, the tyrannical and encroaching blood-men: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was the great bloodhound.

3. Captain Ishmael was captain over two bands, namely, the mocking and scorning blood-men: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was one mocking at Abraham’s Isaac.

4. Captain Esau was captain over two bands, namely, the blood-men that grudged that another should have the blessing; also over the blood-men that are for executing their private revenge upon others: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was one privately lurking to murder Jacob.

5. Captain Saul was captain over two bands, namely, the groundlessly jealous and the devilishly furious blood-men: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was three bloody darts cast at harmless David.

6. Captain Absalom was captain over two bands, namely, over the blood-men that will kill a father or a friend for the glory of this world; also over those blood-men that will hold one fair in hand with words, till they shall have pierced him with their swords: his standard-bearer did bear the red colours, and his scutcheon was the son pursuing the father’s blood.

7. Captain Judas was over two bands, namely, the blood-men that will sell a man’s life for money, and those also that will betray their friend with a kiss: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was thirty pieces of silver and the halter.

8. Captain Pope was captain over one band, for all these spirits are joined in one under him: his standard-bearer bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was the stake, the flame, and the good man in it.

Now, the reason why Diabolus did so soon rally another force, after he had been beaten out of the field, was, for that he put mighty confidence in this army of blood-men; for he put a great deal of more trust in them than he did before in his army of doubters; though they had also often done great service for him in the strengthening of him in his kingdom. But these blood-men, he had proved them often, and their sword did seldom return empty.

Besides, he knew that these, like mastiffs, would fasten upon any; upon father, mother, brother, sister, prince, or governor, yea upon the Prince of princes. And that which encouraged him the more was, for that they once did force Emmanuel out of the kingdom of Universe; ‘And why,’ thought he, ‘may they not also drive him from the town of Mansoul?’

So this army of five-and-twenty thousand strong was, by their general, the great Lord Incredulity, led up against the town of Mansoul. Now Mr. Prywell, the scoutmaster-general, did himself go out to spy, and he did bring Mansoul tidings of their coming.

Wherefore they shut up their gates, and put themselves in a posture of defence against these new Diabolonians that came up against the town.

So Diabolus brought up his army, and beleaguered the town of Mansoul; the doubters were placed about Feel-gate, and the blood-men set down before Eye-gate and Ear-gate.

Now when this army had thus encamped themselves, Incredulity did, in the name of Diabolus, his own name, and in the name of the blood-men and the rest that were with him, send a summons as hot as a red-hot iron to Mansoul, to yield to their demands; threatening, that if they still stood it out against them, they would presently burn down Mansoul with fire. For you must know that, as for the blood-men, they were not so much that Mansoul should be surrendered, as that Mansoul should be destroyed, and cut off out of the land of the living. True, they send to them to surrender; but should they so do, that would not stench or quench the thirsts of these men. They must have blood, the blood of Mansoul, else they die; and it is from hence that they have their name.

Wherefore these blood-men he reserved while now that they might, when all his engines proved ineffectual, as his last and sure card be played against the town of Mansoul.

Now, when the townsmen had received this red-hot summons, it begat in them at present some changing and interchanging thoughts; but they jointly agreed, in less than half an hour, to carry the summons to the Prince, the which they did when they had writ at the bottom of it, ‘Lord, save Mansoul from bloody men!’

So he took it, and looked upon it, and considered it, and took notice also of that short petition that the men of Mansoul had written at the bottom of it, and called to him the noble Captain Credence, and bid him go and take Captain Patience with him, and go and take care of that side of Mansoul that was beleaguered by the blood-men. So they went and did as they were commanded: the Captain Credence went and took Captain Patience, and they both secured that side of Mansoul that was besieged by the blood-men.

Then he commanded that Captain Good-hope and Captain Charity, and my Lord Willbewill, should take charge of the other side of the town. ‘And I,’ said the Prince, ‘will set my standard upon the battlements of your castle, and do you three watch against the doubters.’ This done, he again commanded that the brave captain, the Captain Experience, should draw up his men in the marketplace, and that there he should exercise them day by day before the people of the town of Mansoul. Now this siege was long, and many a fierce attempt did the enemy, especially those called the blood-men, make upon the town of Mansoul; and many a shrewd brush did some of the townsmen meet with from them, especially Captain Self-Denial, who, I should have told you before, was commanded to take the care of Ear-gate and Eye-gate now against the blood-men. This Captain Self-Denial was a young man, but stout, and a townsman in Mansoul, as Captain Experience also was. And Emmanuel, at his second return to Mansoul, made him a captain over a thousand of the Mansoulians, for the good of the corporation. This captain, therefore, being an hardy man, and a man of great courage, and willing to venture himself for the good of the town of Mansoul, would now and then sally out upon the blood-men, and give them many notable alarms, and entered several brisk skirmishes with them, and also did some execution upon them; but you must think that this could not easily be done, but he must meet with brushes himself, for he carried several of their marks in his face; yea, and some in some other parts of his body.

So, after some time spent for the trial of the faith, and hope, and love of the town of Mansoul, the Prince Emmanuel upon a day calls his captains and men of war together, and divides them into two companies; this done, he commands them at a time appointed, and that in the morning very early, to sally out upon the enemy, saying: ‘Let half of you fall upon the doubters, and half of you fall upon the blood-men. Those of you that go out against the doubters, kill and slay, and cause to perish so many of them as by any means you can lay hands on; but for you that go out against the blood-men, slay them not, but take them alive.’

So, at the time appointed, betimes in the morning, the captains went out as they were commanded, against the enemies. Captain Good-Hope, Captain Charity, and those that were joined with them, as Captain Innocent and Captain Experience, went out against the doubters; and Captain Credence, and Captain Patience, with Captain Self-Denial, and the rest that were to join with them, went out against the blood-men.

Now, those that went out against the doubters drew up into a body before the plain, and marched on to bid them battle. But the doubters, remembering their last success, made a retreat, not daring to stand the shock, but fled from the Prince’s men; wherefore they pursued them, and in their pursuit slew many, but they could not catch them all. Now those that escaped went some of them home; and the rest by fives, nines, and seventeens, like wanderers, went straggling up and down the country, where they upon the barbarous people showed and exercised many of their Diabolonian actions: nor did these people rise up in arms against them, but suffered themselves to be enslaved by them. They would also after this show themselves in companies before the town of Mansoul, but never to abide in it; for if Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope, or Captain Experience did but show themselves, they fled.

Those that went out against the blood-men did as they were commanded: they forbore to slay any, but sought to compass them about. But the blood-men, when they saw that no Emmanuel was in the field, concluded also that no Emmanuel was in Mansoul; wherefore they, looking upon what the captains did to be, as they called it, a fruit of the extravagancy of their wild and foolish fancies, rather despised them than feared them. But the captains, minding their business, at last did compass them round; they also that had routed the doubters came in amain to their aid: so, in fine, after some little struggling, (for the blood-men also would have run for it, only now it was too late; for though they are mischievous and cruel, where they can overcome, yet all blood-men are chicken-hearted men, when they once come to see themselves matched and equalled,)—so the captains took them, and brought them to the Prince.

Now when they were taken, had before the Prince, and examined, he found them to be of three several counties, though they all came out of one land.

1. One sort of them came out of Blind-man-shire, and they were such as did ignorantly what they did.

2. Another sort of them came out of Blind-zeal-shire, and they did superstitiously what they did.

3. The third sort of them came out of the town of Malice, in the county of Envy, and they did what they did out of spite and implacableness.

For the first of these, namely, they that came out of Blind-man-shire, when they saw where they were, and against whom they had fought, they trembled and cried, as they stood before him; and as many of these as asked him mercy, he touched their lips with his golden sceptre.

They that came out of Blind-zeal-shire, they did not as their fellows did; for they pleaded that they had a right to do what they did, because Mansoul was a town whose laws and customs were diverse from all that dwelt thereabouts. Very few of these could be brought to see their evil; but those that did, and asked mercy, they also obtained favour.

Now, they that came out of the town of Malice, that is in the county of Envy, they neither wept, nor disputed, nor repented, but stood gnawing their tongues before him for anguish and madness, because they could not have their will upon Mansoul. Now these last, with all those of the other two sorts that did not unfeignedly ask pardon for their faults,—those he made to enter into sufficient bond to answer for what they had done against Mansoul, and against her King, at