’O hard-hearted and deplorable town of Mansoul, how long wilt thou love thy sinful, sinful simplicity, and, ye fools, delight in your scorning?  As yet despise you the offers of peace and deliverance?  As yet will ye refuse the golden offers of Shaddai, and trust to the lies and falsehoods of Diabolus?  Think you, when Shaddai shall have conquered you, that the remembrance of these your carriages towards him will yield you peace and comfort, or that by ruffling language you can make him afraid as a grasshopper?  Doth he entreat you for fear of you?  Do you think that you are stronger than he?  Look to the heavens, and behold and consider the stars, how high are they?  Can you stop the sun from running his course, and hinder the moon from giving her light?  Can you count the number of the stars, or stay the bottles of heaven?  Can you call for the waters of the sea, and cause them to cover the face of the ground?  Can you behold every one that is proud, and abase him, and bind their faces in secret?  Yet these are some of the works of our King, in whose name this day we come up unto you, that you may be brought under his authority.  In his name, therefore, I summon you again to yield up yourselves to his captains.’

At this summons the Mansoulians seemed to be at a stand, and knew not what answer to make.  Wherefore Diabolus forthwith appeared, and took upon him to do it himself; and thus he begins, but turns his speech to them of Mansoul.

‘Gentlemen,’ quoth he, ’and my faithful subjects, if it is true that this summoner hath said concerning the greatness of their King, by his terror you will always be kept in bondage, and so be made to sneak.  Yea, how can you now, though he is at a distance, endure to think of such a mighty one?  And if not to think of him while at a distance, how can you endure to be in his presence?  I, your prince, am familiar with you, and you may play with me as you would with a grasshopper.  Consider, therefore, what is for your profit, and remember the immunities that I have granted you.

’Farther, if all be true that this man hath said, how comes it to pass that the subjects of Shaddai are so enslaved in all places where they come?  None in the universe so unhappy as they, none so trampled upon as they.

’Consider, my Mansoul:  would thou wert as loath to leave me as I am loath to leave thee.  But consider, I say, the ball is yet at thy foot; liberty you have, if you know how to use it; yea, a king you have too, if you can tell how to love and obey him.’

Upon this speech, the town of Mansoul did again harden their hearts yet more against the captains of Shaddai.  The thoughts of his greatness did quite quash them, and the thoughts of his holiness sunk them in despair.  Wherefore, after a short consult, they (of the Diabolonian party they were) sent back this word by the trumpeter, That, for their parts, they were resolved to stick to their king, but never to yield to Shaddai; so it