to blind all, let him assume the body of one of those beasts that Mansoul deems to be wiser than any of the rest.’  This advice was applauded of all:  so it was determined that the giant Diabolus should assume the dragon, for that he was in those days as familiar with the town of Mansoul as now is the bird with the boy; for nothing that was in its primitive state was at all amazing to them.  Then they proceeded to the third thing, which was: 

3.  Whether they had best to show their intentions, or the design of his coming, to Mansoul, or no.  This also was answered in the negative, because of the weight that was in the former reasons, to wit, for that Mansoul were a strong people, a strong people in a strong town, whose wall and gates were impregnable, (to say nothing of their castle,) nor can they by any means be won but by their own consent.  ‘Besides,’ said Legion, (for he gave answer to this,) ’a discovery of our intentions may make them send to their king for aid; and if that be done, I know quickly what time of day it will be with us.  Therefore let us assault them in all pretended fairness, covering our intentions with all manner of lies, flatteries, delusive words; feigning things that never will be, and promising that to them that they shall never find.  This is the way to win Mansoul, and to make them of themselves open their gates to us; yea, and to desire us too to come in to them.  And the reason why I think that this project will do is, because the people of Mansoul now are, every one, simple and innocent, all honest and true; nor do they as yet know what it is to be assaulted with fraud, guile, and hypocrisy.  They are strangers to lying and dissembling lips; wherefore we cannot, if thus we be disguised, by them at all be discerned; our lies shall go for true sayings, and our dissimulations for upright dealings.  What we promise them they will in that believe us, especially if, in all our lies and feigned words, we pretend great love to them, and that our design is only their advantage and honour.’  Now there was not one bit of a reply against this; this went as current down as doth the water down a steep descent.  Wherefore they go to consider of the last proposal, which was: 

4.  Whether they had not best to give out orders to some of their company to shoot some one or more of the principal of the townsmen, if they judge that their cause may be promoted thereby.  This was carried in the affirmative, and the man that was designed by this stratagem to be destroyed was one Mr. Resistance, otherwise called Captain Resistance.  And a great man in Mansoul this Captain Resistance was, and a man that the giant Diabolus and his band more feared than they feared the whole town of Mansoul besides.  Now who should be the actor to do the murder?  That was the next, and they appointed one Tisiphone, a fury of the lake, to do it.

They thus having ended their council of war, rose up, and essayed to do as they had determined; they marched towards Mansoul, but all in a manner invisible, save one, only one; nor did he approach the town in his own likeness, but under the shade and in the body of the dragon.