After two Diabolonians, Lord Covetousness and Lord Lasciviousness, infiltrated and corrupted Mansoul by deceit and disguise, these vagabonds plotted how to be ready so Diabolus could attack, and they all agreed upon this, that a market day would be best for that work. Why? For then the townsfolk would be busy in their ways, and always take this for a rule. When people are most busy in the world, they least fear a surprise. We also then, said they, shall be able with less suspicion to gather ourselves together for the work. of our friends and lords. Yes, and in such a day, if we shall attempt our work and miss it, we may, when they shall give us the route, the better hide ourselves in the crowd and escape. Take heed, man's soul. These things behind thus far agreed upon by them, they wrote another letter to Diabolus and sent it by the hand of Mr. Profane, the contents of which were these. The Lords of Looseness send to the great and high Diabolus from our dens, caves, holes, and strongholds in and about the wall of the town of Mansoul. Greeting. Look to it, Mansoul. Our great Lord and the nourisher of our lives, Diabolus, how glad we were when we heard of your fatherhood's readiness to comply with us and help forward our scheme in attempts to ruin Mansoul. None can tell but those who, as we do, set themselves against all appearance of good whenever and wherever we find it. touching the encouragement that your greatness is pleased to give to us to continue to devise, contrive, and study the utter desolation of man's soul, that we are not anxious about it, for we know quite well that it cannot be but pleasing and profitable to us to see our enemies and them that seek our lives die at our feet and flee before us. We therefore are still contriving, and that to the best of our cunning, to make this work most easily conquerable to your lordships and to us. Look to it, Mansell. First, we consider of that most hellishly cunning compacted threefold project you had proposed to us in your last letter, and have concluded that though to blow them up with the gunpowder of pride would do well, and to do it by tempting them to be loose and vain will be helpful. yet to contrive to bring them into the gulf of desperation we think will do best of all. Now we, who are at your beck and call, have thought of two ways to do this. First, for our parts, we will make them as vile as we can, and then at a time appointed, you together with us shall be ready to fall upon them with the utmost force. And of all the nations that answer to your whistle, we think an army of doubters may be the most likely to attack and overcome the town of Mansoul. Thus shall we overcome these enemies, otherwise the pit shall open her mouth upon them and desperation shall thrust them down into it. To make this desirable plan effective, we have already sent three of our trusty diabolonians among them. They are disguised in garb. They have changed their names and are now accepted of them, namely covetousness, lasciviousness, and anger. The name of covetousness was changed to prudent thrifty. and hired by Mr. Mind, who has become almost as bad as our friend. Lasciviousness has changed his name to Harmless Mirth. who has become the Lord Willbewill's lackey, and his efforts have made his master very wanton and morally unrestrained. Anger changed his name into Goodzeal, and was entertained by Mr. Goodfear, or excuse me, by Mr. Godlyfear, but the peevish old gentleman took pepper in the nose, quickly saw through Anger's disguise, and turned our companion out of his house. Nay, if he had not run away and informed us, surely his old master would have hanged him for his labor. Take heed, Mansoul. Now, these have helped much to forward our work and plan upon Mansoul, for notwithstanding the spite and quarrelsome temper of the old gentleman last mentioned, the other two have plied their business well and are likely to ripen the work quickly. Look to it, Mansoul. Bless you. The next step of our plan is this. Its conclusion will be that you come on the town upon a market day when they are actively involved in the heat of their business. For then, surely, they will feel most secure and be least likely to think an assault would be made upon them. At such a time, they will also be less able to defend themselves and to offend you in the prosecution of our scheme. And we, your trusty ones, and we are sure your beloved ones, when you make your furious assault outside, we will be ready to second the business within. So shall we, in all likelihood, be able to put Mansoul to utter confusion and to swallow them up before they realize what is happening. If your serpentine heads, most subtle dragons, and our highly esteemed lords know of a better way than this, let us quickly know your minds. Take heed, Mansoul. To the monsters of the Infernal Cave, from the house of Mr. Mischief in Mansoul, by the hand of Mr. Profane. Now all the while that the raging renegades and hellish diabolonians were thus contriving the ruin of the town of Mansoul, they, namely the poor town itself, were in sad and woeful health, partly because they had so grievously offended Shaddai and his son, and partly because their enemies within had renewed their strength. and also because though they made many petitions to Prince Emmanuel and to his father Shaddai by him for their pardon and favor, they had not yet obtained a single smile. On the contrary, through the craft and subtlety of the domestic Diabolonians, their cloud grew blacker and blacker, and their Emmanuel stood at a further distance. The sickness also still greatly raged in Mansoul, both among the captains and the inhabitants of the town. Only their enemies were now lively and strong, and it seemed likely that they would become the head while Mansoul would be the tail. By this time, the letter last mentioned, the one written by the Diabolonians, who still lurked in the town of Mansoul, was conveyed to Diabolus in the black den carried by the hand of Mr. Profane. He took the letter to Hellgate Hill as before and conveyed it by Cerberus to his lord. But when Cerberus and Mr. Profane met, they were in short time as great as beggars, falling into a conversation about Mansoul and about the scheme against her. "'Ah, old friend,' said Cerberus, "'have you come to Hellgate Hill again? "'By St. Mary, I am glad to see you.' "'Profane answered, "'Yes, my lord, I have come again "'about the concerns of the town of Mansoul.' "'Cerberus said, "'Tell me, I pray, "'what condition is that town of Mansoul in at present?' And Profane answered, in a brave condition for us, my lord, and for my lords, the lords of this place, I think. For they are greatly decayed as to godliness, and that is as well as our heart can wish. Their lord is noticeably absent from them, and that also pleases us well. We have also a foot in their door already, for our Diabolonian friends abide in their bosoms, And all we lack now is to become masters of the place. Besides, our trusty friends in Mansoul are daily plotting to betray it to the lords of this town. Moreover, the sickness rages bitterly among them. And as a whole, we hope at last to prevail. Then said the dog of Hellgate, no time like the present to assault them. I wish that the undertaking is close to follow and that the desired success may soon be accomplished. Yes, I wish it for the poor Diabolonians' sakes. still living in continual fear of their lives in that traitorous town of Mansoul. And Profane responded, the contrivance is almost finished. The lords in Mansoul that are Diabolonians are at it day and night. The others are likely silly doves lacking a heart to be continued.