say, half afraid—­that when they and we shall come to push a pike, I shall find you want courage to stand it out any longer.  Wherefore have I commanded a watch, and that you should double your guards at the gates?  Wherefore have I endeavoured to make you as hard as iron, and your hearts as a piece of the nether millstone?  Was it, think you, that you might show yourselves women, and that you might go out like a company of innocents to gaze on your mortal foes?  Fie, fie! put yourselves into a posture of defence, beat up the drum, gather together in warlike manner, that our foes may know that, before they shall conquer this corporation, there are valiant men in the town of Mansoul.

’I will leave off now to chide, and will not further rebuke you; but I charge you, that henceforwards you let me see no more such actions.  Let not henceforward a man of you, without order first obtained from me, so much as show his head over the wall of the town of Mansoul.  You have now heard me; do as I have commanded, and you shall cause me that I dwell securely with you, and that I take care, as for myself, so for your safety and honour also.  Farewell.”

Now were the townsmen strangely altered; they were as men stricken with a panic fear; they ran to and fro through the streets of the town of Mansoul, crying out, ’Help, help! the men that turn the world upside down are come hither also.’  Nor could any of them be quiet after; but still, as men bereft of wit, they cried out, ’The destroyers of our peace and people are come.’  This went down with Diabolus.  ‘Ah,’ quoth he to himself, ’this I like well:  now it is as I would have it; now you show your obedience to your prince.  Hold you but here, and then let them take the town if they can.’

Well, before the King’s forces had sat before Mansoul three days, Captain Boanerges commanded his trumpeter to go down to Ear-gate, and there, in the name of the great Shaddai, to summon Mansoul to give audience to the message that he, in his Master’s name, was to them commanded to deliver.  So the trumpeter, whose name was Take-heed-what-you-hear, went up, as he was commanded, to Ear-gate, and there sounded his trumpet for a hearing; but there was none that appeared that gave answer or regard, for so had Diabolus commanded.  So the trumpeter returned to his captain, and told him what he had done, and also how he had sped; whereat the captain was grieved, but bid the trumpeter go to his tent.

Again Captain Boanerges sendeth his trumpeter to Ear-gate, to sound as before for a hearing; but they again kept close, came not out, nor would they give him an answer, so observant were they of the command of Diabolus their king.

Then the captains and other field officers called a council of war, to consider what further was to be done for the gaining of the town of Mansoul; and, after some close and thorough debate upon the contents of their commissions, they concluded yet to give to the town, by the hand of the fore-named trumpeter, another summons to hear; but if that shall be refused, said they, and that the town shall stand it out still, then they determined, and bid the trumpeter tell them so, that they would endeavour, by what means they could, to compel them by force to the obedience of their King.