Emmanuel commanded a judicial court to convene for the trial of the Diabolonians who had been arrested in Mansoul. The first brought before the bar was Diabolus' alderman, Atheism. The second witness, Mr. Teltrew, testified about Atheism to the town clerk, Mr. Do-Right, saying, I have often heard him say, and that with very great perverse stubbornness, that he believed There was neither God, angel, nor spirit. The clerk said, where did you hear him say so? Tell truth said, in Blackmouth Lane and in Blasphemer's Row and in many other places besides. Have you much knowledge of him? I know him to be a Diabolonian, the son of a Diabolonian, and a horrible man to deny a deity. His father's name was Never Be Good, and he had more children than this atheism. I have no more to say. And the clerk said, Mr. Hate Lies, look upon the prisoner at the bar. Do you know him? My Lord, this atheism is one of the vilest wretches whom I had ever come across or had to do with in my life. I have heard him say that there is no God. I have heard him say that there is no world to come, no sin nor punishment hereafter. And moreover, I have heard him say that it was as good as go to a brothel as it was to hear a Bible sermon. Where did you hear him say these things? in Drunkard's Row, just at Rascal Land's end, at a house in which Mr. Impiety lived. The clerk said, set him aside, jailkeeper, and set Mr. Lustings to the bar. Mr. Lustings, you are here indicted by the name of Lustings, an intruder upon the town of Mansoul, for you have devilishly and traitorously taught by practice and filthy words that it is lawful and profitable for man to give in to his carnal desires. and that you, for your part, have not nor never will deny yourself of any sinful delight as long as your name is Lustings. How say you? Are you guilty of this indictment or not? Then said Mr. Lustings, my Lord, I am a man of high birth and have always enjoyed pleasures and pastimes of greatness. I am not accustomed to being snubbed for my doings. but have been left to follow my will as if it were law. And it seems strange to me that I should this day be called into question for that. that not only I, but almost all men, do either secretly or openly countenance, love, and approve of. The clerk said, Sir, we are not concerned with your greatness, though the higher you were, the better you should have been. But we are concerned, and so are you now, about an indictment preferred against you. How say you? Are you guilty of it or not? Not guilty, said Lust. Crier, call upon the witnesses to stand forth and give their evidence. The crier called out, gentlemen, you, the witnesses for the king, come in and give your evidence for the Lord the king against the prisoner at the bar. And the clerk said, come, Mr. Know-all. Look upon the prisoner at the bar. Do you know him? Yes, my Lord, I know him. What is his name? Well, his name is Lustings. He was the son of one Beastly, and his mother bore him on Flesh Street. She was the daughter of Evil Desire. I knew all the generation of them. Clerk said, well said. You have heard his indictment. What say you to it? Is he guilty of the things charged against him or not? My Lord, he has, as he said, been a great man indeed, and greater in wickedness than by pedigree more than a thousandfold. But what do you know of his particular actions, and especially with reference to his indictment? I know him to be a liar, a Sabbath-breaker, and one who swears freely with profanities. I know him to be a fornicator and an unclean person. I know him also to be guilty of an abundance of evils. He has been, to my knowledge, a very filthy man. But where did he used to commit his wickedness? In some private corners or more open and shamelessly? All over town, my Lord. Come, Mr. Teltrew, what have you to say for our lord the king against the prisoner at the bar? Teltrew said, My lord, all the first witness has said I know to be true, and a great deal more besides. Mr. Lustings, do you hear what these gentlemen say? Mr. Lusting said, I was always of the opinion that the happiest life a man could live on earth was to withhold nothing he desired in the world. Nor have I been false at any time to this opinion of mine, but have lived in the love of my notions all my days. Nor was I ever so selfish, having found such sweetness in them myself, as to not commend them to others. Then said the court, enough has proceeded from his own mouth to openly condemn him. Therefore, set him aside, jail keeper, and set Mr. Incredulity to the bar. Incredulity set to the bar. Young people, do you remember who Mr. Incredulity was? Another name for him is Disbelief. Incredulity could be also called Mr. Disbelief. The clerk said, Mr. Incredulity, you are here indicted by the name of Incredulity, an intruder upon the town of Mansoul, for you have feloniously and wickedly acted as an officer in the town of Mansoul and led resistance against the captains of the great king Shaddai when they came and demanded possession of Mansoul. Yes, you ordered defiance to the names, forces, and cause of the king. And moreover, as did Diabolus, your captain, stirred up and encouraged the town of Mansoul to oppose and resist said force of the king. What do you say to this indictment? Are you guilty of it or not? Then said Incredulity, I don't know, should I? I love my old prince. I thought it my duty to be true to my trust and to do what I could to possess the minds of the men of Mansoul, to do their utmost to resist strangers and foreigners with and with might, to fight against them. Nor have I, nor shall I change my opinion for fear of trouble, though you currently possess place and power. Then said the court, this man, as you see, is incorrigible. He maintains his villainies by stout words and his rebellion with impudent confidence. And therefore, set him aside, jailkeeper, and set Mr. Forgetgood to the bar. Forgetgood set to the bar. And the clerk said, Mr. Forgetgood. You are here indicted by the name of Forget-Good, an intruder upon the town of Mansoul. For you, when the whole affairs of the town of Mansoul were in your hand, utterly forgot to serve them in what was good, and fell in with the tyrant Diabolus against Shaddai the king, against his captains, and all his hosts, to the dishonor of Shaddai, the breach of his laws, and endangered the famous town of Mansoul with destruction. What do you say to this indictment? Are you guilty or not guilty?" Then said, forget good, to be continued.