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!’