Grant me, therefore, what force thou shalt in thy wisdom think meet; and I will go and will deliver from Diabolus, and from his power, thy perishing town of Mansoul. My heart has been often pained within me for the miserable town of Mansoul; but now it is rejoiced, but now it is glad,'
And with that he leaped over the mountains for joy, saying, 'I have not, in my heart, thought anything too dear for Mansoul: the day of vengeance is in mine heart for thee, my Mansoul: and glad am I that thou, my Father, hast made me the Captain of their salvation. And I will now begin to plague all those that have been a plague to my town of Mansoul, and will deliver it from their hand.'
When the King's Son had said thus to his Father, it presently flew like lightning round about at court; yea, it there became the only talk what Emmanuel was to go to do for the famous town of Mansoul. But you cannot think how the courtiers, too, were taken with this design of the Prince;yea, so affected were they with this work, and with the justness of the war, that the highest lord and greatest peer of the kingdom did covet to have commissions under Emmanuel, to go to help to recover again to Shaddai the miserable town of Mansoul.
Then was it concluded that some should go and carry tidings to the camp, that Emmanuel was to come to recover Mansoul, and that he would bring along with him so mighty, so impregnable a force, that he could not be resisted. But, oh! how ready were the high ones at court to run like lackeys to carry these tidings to the camp that was at Mansoul. Now, when the captains perceived that the King would send Emmanuel his Son, and that it also delighted the Son to be sent on this errand by the great Shaddai his Father, they also, to show how they were pleased at the thoughts of his coming gave a shout that made the earth rend at the sound thereof. Yea, the mountains did answer again by echo, and Diabolus himself did totter and shake.
For you must know, that though the town of Mansoul itself was not much, if at all concerned with the project, (for, alas for them! they were wofully besotted, for they chiefly regarded their pleasure and their lusts,) yet Diabolus their governor was; for he had his spies continually abroad, who brought him intelligence of all things, and they told him what was doing at court against him, and that Emmanuel would shortly certainly come with a power to invade him. Nor was there any man at court, nor peer of the kingdom, that Diabolus so feared as he feared this Prince; for, if you remember, I showed you before that Diabolus had felt the weight of his hand already; so that, since it was he that was to come, this made him the more afraid.
Well, you see how I have told you that the King's Son was engaged to come from the court to save Mansoul, and that his Father had made him the Captain of the forces. The time, therefore, of his setting forth being now expired, he addressed himself for his march, and taketh with him, for his power, five noble captains and their forces.
1. The first was that famous captain, the noble Captain Credence. His were the red colours, and Mr. Promise bare them; and for a scutcheon he had the holy lamb and golden shield; and he had ten thousand men at his feet.
2. The second was that famous captain, the Captain Good-Hope.
His were the blue colours; his standard-bearer was Mr.
Expectation, and for his scutcheon he had the three golden anchors; and he had ten thousand men at his feet.
3. The third was that valiant captain, the Captain Charity.
His standard-bearer was Mr. Pitiful: his were the green colours, and for his scutcheon he had three naked orphans embraced in the bosom; and he had ten thousand men at his feet.
4. The fourth was that gallant commander, the Captain Innocent. His standard-bearer was Mr. Harmless: his were the white colours, and for his scutcheon he had the three golden doves.
5. The fifth was the truly loyal and well-beloved captain, the Captain Patience. His standard-bearer was Mr. Suffer-Long: his were the black colours, and for a scutcheon he had three arrows through the golden heart.
These were Emmanuel's captains; these their standard-bearers, their colours, and their scutcheons; and these the men under their command. So, as was said, the brave Prince took his march to go to the town of Mansoul. Captain Credence led the van, and Captain Patience brought up the rear; so the other three, with their men, made up the main body, the Prince himself riding in his chariot at the head of them.
But when they set out for their march, oh, how the trumpets sounded, their armour glittered, and how the colours waved in the wind! The Prince's armour was all of gold, and it shone like the sun in the firmament; the captains' armour was of proof, and was in appearance like the glittering stars.
There were also some from the court that rode reformades for the love that they had to the King Shaddai, and for the happy deliverance of the town of Mansoul.
Emmanuel also, when he had thus set forwards to go to recover the town of Mansoul, took with him, at the commandment of his Father, fifty-four battering-rams, and twelve slings to whirl stones withal. Every one of these was made of pure gold, and these they carried with them, in the heart and body of their army, all along as they went to Mansoul.
