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 was but in vain to give them any further summons, for they had rather die upon the place than yield. And now things seemed to be gone quite back, and Mansoul to be out of reach or call, yet the captains who knew what their Lord could do, would not yet be beat out of heart; they therefore sent them another summons, more sharp and severe than the last; but the oftener they were sent to, to reconcile to Shaddai, the further off they were. ‘As they called them, so they went from them—yea, though they called them to the Most High.’
So they ceased that way to deal with them any more, and inclined to think of another way. The captains, therefore, did gather themselves together, to have free conference among themselves, to know what was yet to be done to gain the town, and to deliver it from the tyranny of Diabolus; and one said after this manner, and another after that. Then stood up the right noble the Captain Conviction, and said, ‘My brethren, mine opinion is this:
‘First, that we continually play our slings into the town, and keep it in a continual alarm, molesting them day and night. By thus doing, we shall stop the growth of their rampant spirit; for a lion may be tamed by continual molestation.
‘Secondly, this done, I advise that, in the next place, we with one consent draw up a petition to our Lord Shaddai, by which, after we have showed our King the condition of Mansoul and of affairs here, and have begged his pardon for our no better success, we will earnestly implore his Majesty’s help, and that he will please to send us more force and power, and some gallant and well-spoken commander to head them, that so his Majesty may not lose the benefit of these his good beginnings, but may complete his conquest upon the town of Mansoul.’
To this speech of the noble Captain Conviction they as one man consented, and agreed that a petition should forthwith be drawn up, and sent by a fit man away to Shaddai with speed. The contents of the petition were thus:—
‘Most gracious and glorious King, the Lord of the best world, and the builder of the town of Mansoul, we have, dread Sovereign, at thy commandment, put our lives in jeopardy, and at thy bidding made a war upon the famous town of Mansoul. When we went up against it, we did, according to our commission, first offer conditions of peace unto it. But they, great King, set light by our counsel, and would none of our reproof. They were for shutting their gates, and for keeping us out of the town. They also mounted their guns, they sallied out upon us, and have done us what damage they could; but we pursued them with alarm upon alarm, requiting them with such retribution as was meet, and have done some execution upon the town.