Diabolus, therefore, feared the Recorder more than any that was left alive in the town of Mansoul, because, as I said, his words did shake the whole town; they were like the rattling thunder, and also like thunder-claps.  Since, therefore, the giant could not make him wholly his own, what doth he do but studies all that he could to debauch the old gentleman, and by debauchery to stupefy his mind, and more harden his heart in the ways of vanity.  And as he attempted, so he accomplished his design:  he debauched the man, and by little and little so drew him into sin and wickedness, that at last he was not only debauched, as at first, and so by consequence defiled, but was almost (at last, I say) past all conscience of sin.  And this was the farthest Diabolus could go.  Wherefore he bethinks him of another project, and that was, to persuade the men of the town that Mr. Recorder was mad, and so not to be regarded.  And for this he urged his fits, and said, ’If he be himself, why doth he not do thus always?  But,’ quoth he, ’as all mad folks have their fits, and in them their raving language, so hath this old and doating gentleman.’

Thus, by one means or another, he quickly got Mansoul to slight, neglect, and despise whatever Mr. Recorder could say.  For, besides what already you have heard, Diabolus had a way to make the old gentleman, when he was merry, unsay and deny what he in his fits had affirmed.  And, indeed, this was the next way to make himself ridiculous, and to cause that no man should regard him.  Also now he never spake freely for King Shaddai, but also by force and constraint.  Besides, he would at one time be hot against that at which, at another, he would hold his peace; so uneven was he now in his doings.  Sometimes he would be as if fast asleep, and again sometimes as dead, even then when the whole town of Mansoul was in her career after vanity, and in her dance after the giant’s pipe.

Wherefore, sometimes when Mansoul did use to be frighted with the thundering voice of the Recorder that was, and when they did tell Diabolus of it, he would answer, that what the old gentleman said was neither of love to him nor pity to them, but of a foolish fondness that he had to be prating; and so would hush, still, and put all to quiet again.  And that he might leave no argument unurged that might tend to make them secure, he said, and said it often, ’O Mansoul! consider that, notwithstanding the old gentleman’s rage, and the rattle of his high and thundering words, you hear nothing of Shaddai himself;’ when, liar and deceiver that he was, every outcry of Mr. Recorder against the sin of Mansoul was the voice of God in him to them.  But he goes on, and says, ’You see that he values not the loss nor rebellion of the town of Mansoul, nor will he trouble himself with calling his town to a reckoning for their giving themselves to me.  He knows that though you were his, now you are lawfully mine; so, leaving us one to another, he now hath shaken his hands of us.