The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul. John Bunyan

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СКАЧАТЬ therefore, feared the Recorder more than any that was left alive in the town of Mansoul, because, as I said, his words did shake the whole town; they were like the rattling thunder, and also like thunder-claps.  Since, therefore, the giant could not make him wholly his own, what doth he do but studies all that he could to debauch the old gentleman, and by debauchery to stupefy his mind, and more harden his heart in the ways of vanity.  And as he attempted, so he accomplished his design: he debauched the man, and by little and little so drew him into sin and wickedness, that at last he was not only debauched, as at first, and so by consequence defiled, but was almost (at last, I say) past all conscience of sin.  And this was the farthest Diabolus could go.  Wherefore he bethinks him of another project, and that was, to persuade the men of the town that Mr. Recorder was mad, and so not to be regarded.  And for this he urged his fits, and said, ‘If he be himself, why doth he not do thus always?  But,’ quoth he, ‘as all mad folks have their fits, and in them their raving language, so hath this old and doating gentleman.’

      Thus, by one means or another, he quickly got Mansoul to slight, neglect, and despise whatever Mr. Recorder could say.  For, besides what already you have heard, Diabolus had a way to make the old gentleman, when he was merry, unsay and deny what he in his fits had affirmed.  And, indeed, this was the next way to make himself ridiculous, and to cause that no man should regard him.  Also now he never spake freely for King Shaddai, but also by force and constraint.  Besides, he would at one time be hot against that at which, at another, he would hold his peace; so uneven was he now in his doings.  Sometimes he would be as if fast asleep, and again sometimes as dead, even then when the whole town of Mansoul was in her career after vanity, and in her dance after the giant’s pipe.

      Wherefore, sometimes when Mansoul did use to be frighted with the thundering voice of the Recorder that was, and when they did tell Diabolus of it, he would answer, that what the old gentleman said was neither of love to him nor pity to them, but of a foolish fondness that he had to be prating; and so would hush, still, and put all to quiet again.  And that he might leave no argument unurged that might tend to make them secure, he said, and said it often, ‘O Mansoul! consider that, notwithstanding the old gentleman’s rage, and the rattle of his high and thundering words, you hear nothing of Shaddai himself;’ when, liar and deceiver that he was, every outcry of Mr. Recorder against the sin of Mansoul was the voice of God in him to them.  But he goes on, and says, ‘You see that he values not the loss nor rebellion of the town of Mansoul, nor will he trouble himself with calling his town to a reckoning for their giving themselves to me.  He knows that though you were his, now you are lawfully mine; so, leaving us one to another, he now hath shaken his hands of us.

      ‘Moreover, O Mansoul!’ quoth he, ‘consider how I have served you, even to the uttermost of my power; and that with the best that I have, could get, or procure for you in all the world: besides, I dare say that the laws and customs that you now are under, and by which you do homage to me, do yield you more solace and content than did the paradise that at first you possessed.  Your liberty also, as yourselves do very well know, has been greatly widened and enlarged by me; whereas I found you a penned-up people.  I have not laid any restraint upon you; you have no law, statute, or judgment of mine to fright you; I call none of you to account for your doings, except the madman—you know who I mean; I have granted you to live, each man like a prince in his own, even with as little control from me as I myself have from you.’

      And thus would Diabolus hush up and quiet the town of Mansoul, when the Recorder that was, did at times molest them: yea, and with such cursed orations as these, would set the whole town in a rage and fury against the old gentleman.  Yea, the rascal crew at some times would be for destroying him.  They have often wished, in my hearing, that he had lived a thousand miles off from them: his company, his words, yea, the sight of him, and specially when they remembered how in old times he did use to threaten and condemn them, (for all he was now so debauched,) did terrify and afflict them sore.

      But all wishes were vain, for I do not know how, unless by the power of Shaddai, and his wisdom, he was preserved in being amongst them.  Besides, his house was as strong as a castle, and stood hard by a stronghold of the town: moreover, if at any time any of the crew or rabble attempted to make him away, he could pull up the sluices, and let in such floods as would drown all round about him.

      But to leave Mr. Recorder, and to come to my Lord Willbewill, another of the gentry of the famous town of Mansoul.  This Willbewill was as high-born as any man in Mansoul, and was as much, if not more, a freeholder than many of them were; besides, if I remember my tale aright, he had some privileges peculiar to himself in the famous town of Mansoul.  Now, together with these, he was a man of great strength, resolution, and courage, nor in his occasion could any turn him away.  But I say, whether he was proud of his estate, privileges, strength, or what, (but sure it was through pride of something,) he scorns now to be a slave in Mansoul; and therefore resolves to bear office under Diabolus, that he might (such an one as he was) be a petty ruler and governor in Mansoul.  And, headstrong man that he was! thus he began betimes; for this man, when Diabolus did make his oration at Ear-gate, was one of the first that was for consenting to his words, and for accepting his counsel at wholesome, and that was for the opening of the gate, and for letting him into the town; wherefore Diabolus had a kindness for him, and therefore he designed for him a place.  And perceiving the valour and stoutness of the man, he coveted to have him for one of his great ones, to act and do in matters of the highest concern.

      So he sent for him, and talked with him of that secret matter that lay in his breast, but there needed not much persuasion in the case.  For as at first he was willing that Diabolus should be let into the town, so now he was as willing to serve him there.  When the tyrant, therefore, perceived the willingness of my lord to serve him, and that his mind stood bending that way, he forthwith made him the captain of the castle, governor of the wall, and keeper of the gates of Mansoul: yea, there was a clause in his commission, that nothing without him should be done in all the town of Mansoul.  So that now, next to Diabolus himself, who but my Lord Willbewill in all the town of Mansoul! nor could anything now be done, but at his will and pleasure, throughout the town of Mansoul.  He had also one Mr. Mind for his clerk, a man to speak on every way like his master: for he and his lord were in principle one, and in practice not far asunder.  And now was Mansoul brought under to purpose, and made to fulfil the lusts of the will, and of the mind.

      But it will not out of my thoughts what a desperate one this Willbewill was when power was put into his hand.  First, he flatly denied that he owed any suit or service to his former prince and liege lord.  This done, in the next place he took an oath, and swore fidelity to his great master Diabolus, and then, being stated and settled in his places, offices, advancements, and preferments, oh! you cannot think, unless you had seen it, the strange work that this workman made in the town of Mansoul.

      First, he maligned Mr. Recorder to death; he would neither endure to see him, nor hear the words of his mouth; he would shut his eyes when he saw him, and stop his ears when he heard him speak.  Also he could not endure that so much as a fragment of the law of Shaddai should be anywhere seen in the town.  For example, his clerk, Mr. Mind, had some old, rent, and torn parchments of the law of Shaddai in his house, but when Willbewill saw them, he cast them behind his back.  True, Mr. Recorder had some of the laws in his study; but my lord could by no means come at them.  He also thought and said, that the windows of my old Lord Mayor’s house were always too light for the profit of the town of Mansoul.  The light of a candle he could not endure.  Now nothing at all pleased Willbewill but what pleased Diabolus his lord.

      There was none like him to trumpet about the streets the brave nature, the wise conduct, and great glory of the king Diabolus.  He would range and rove throughout all the streets of Mansoul to cry up his illustrious lord, and would make himself even as an abject, among the base and rascal crew, to cry up his valiant prince.  And I say, when and wheresoever he found these vassals, he would even make himself as one of them.  In all ill courses he would act without bidding, and do mischief without commandment.

      The Lord Willbewill СКАЧАТЬ