’Great Sir,—­As to what, by your messenger, you have signified to us, whether we will accept of your mercy, or fall by your justice, we are bound by the law and custom of this place, and can give you no positive answer; for it is against the law, government, and the prerogative royal of our king, to make either peace or war without him.  But this we will do,—­we will petition that our prince will come down to the wall, and there give you such treatment as he shall think fit and profitable for us.’

When the good Prince Emmanuel heard this answer, and saw the slavery and bondage of the people, and how much content they were to abide in the chains of the tyrant Diabolus, it grieved him at the heart; and, indeed, when at any time he perceived that any were contented under the slavery of the giant, he would be affected with it.

But to return again to our purpose.  After the town had carried this news to Diabolus, and had told him, moreover, that the Prince, that lay in the leaguer without the wall, waited upon them for an answer, he refused, and huffed as well as he could; but in heart he was afraid.

Then said he, ’I will go down to the gates myself, and give him such an answer as I think fit.’  So he went down to Mouth-gate, and there addressed himself to speak to Emmanuel, (but in such language as the town understood not,) the contents whereof were as follows:-

’O thou great Emmanuel, Lord of all the world, I know thee, that thou art the Son of the great Shaddai!  Wherefore art thou come to torment me, and to cast me out of my possession?  This town of Mansoul, as thou very well knowest, is mine, and that by a twofold right. 1.  It is mine by right of conquest; I won it in the open field; and shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive be delivered? 2.  This town of Mansoul is mine also by their subjection.  They have opened the gates of their town unto me; they have sworn fidelity to me, and have openly chosen me to be their king; they have also given their castle into my hands; yea, they have put the whole strength of Mansoul under me.

’Moreover, this town of Mansoul hath disavowed thee, yea, they have cast thy law, thy name, thy image, and all that is thine, behind their back, and have accepted and set up in their room my law, my name, my image, and all that ever is mine.  Ask else thy captains, and they will tell thee that Mansoul hath, in answer to all their summonses, shown love and loyalty to me, but always disdain, despite, contempt, and scorn to thee and thine.  Now, thou art the Just One and the Holy, and shouldest do no iniquity.  Depart, then, I pray thee, therefore, from me, and leave me to my just inheritance peaceably.’

This oration was made in the language of Diabolus himself; for although he can, to every man, speak in their own language, (else he could not tempt them all as he does,) yet he has a language proper to himself, and it is the language of the infernal cave, or black pit.