’Oh, the desire of my heart, the famous town of Mansoul! how many nights have I watched, and how many weary steps have I taken, if perhaps I might do thee good!  Far be it, far be it from me to desire to make a war upon you; if ye will but willingly and quietly deliver up yourselves unto me.  You know that you were mine of old.  Remember also, that so long as you enjoyed me for your lord, and that I enjoyed you for my subjects, you wanted for nothing of all the delights of the earth, that I, your lord and prince, could get for you, or that I could invent to make you bonny and blithe withal.  Consider, you never had so many hard, dark, troublesome, and heart-afflicting hours, while you were mine, as you have had since you revolted from me; nor shall you ever have peace again, until you and I become one as before.  But, be but prevailed with to embrace me again, and I will grant, yea, enlarge your old charter with abundance of privileges; so that your license and liberty shall be to take, hold, enjoy, and make your own all that is pleasant from the east to the west.  Nor shall any of those incivilities, wherewith you have offended me, be ever charged upon you by me, so long as the sun and moon endure.  Nor shall any of those dear friends of mine that now, for the fear of you, lie lurking in dens, and holes, and caves in Mansoul, be hurtful to you any more; yea, they shall be your servants, and shall minister unto you of their substance, and of whatever shall come to hand.  I need speak no more; you know them, and have sometime since been much delighted in their company.  Why, then, should we abide at such odds?  Let us renew our old acquaintance and friendship again.

’Bear with your friend; I take the liberty at this time to speak thus freely unto you.  The love that I have to you presses me to do it, as also does the zeal of my heart for my friends with you:  put me not therefore to further trouble, nor yourselves to further fears and frights.  Have you I will, in a way of peace or war; nor do you flatter yourselves with the power and force of your captains, or that your Emmanuel will shortly come in to your help; for such strength will do you no pleasure.

’I am come against you with a stout and valiant army, and all the chief princes of the den are even at the head of it.  Besides, my captains are swifter than eagles, stronger than lions, and more greedy of prey than are the evening wolves.  What is Og of Bashan! what is Goliath of Gath! and what are an hundred more of them, to one of the least of my captains!  How, then, shall Mansoul think to escape my hand and force?’