The Holy War – John Bunyan

of our town, but spare us according to the greatness of thy mercy, and let us
not die, but live in thy sight; so shall we be willing to be thy servants, and if
thou shalt think fit, to gather our meat under thy table.[10] Amen.'
So the petitioner went as was said with his petition to the Prince, and the
Prince took it at his hand, but sent him away with silence. This still afflicted
the town of Mansoul, but yet considering that now they must either petition,
or die--for now they could not do anything else--therefore they consulted
again, and sent another petition, and this petition was much after the form
and method of the former.
But when the petition was drawn up, by whom should they send it was
the next question; for they would not send this by him by whom they sent the
first, for they thought that the Prince had taken some offence at the manner
of his deportment before him; so they attempted to make Captain Conviction
their messenger with it, but he said that he neither durst, nor would petition
Emmanuel for traitors; nor be to the Prince an advocate for rebels. Yet
withal, said he, our Prince is good, and you may adventure to send it by the
hand of one of your town, provided he went with a rope about his head, and
pleaded nothing but mercy.[11]
Well, they made, through fear, their delays as long as they could, and
longer than delays were good; but fearing at last the dangerousness of them,
they thought, but with many a fainting in their minds, to send their petition
by Mr. Desires-awake; so they sent for Mr. Desiresawake. Now he dwelt in a
very mean cottage in Mansoul, and he came at his neighbour's request. So
they told him what they had done, and what they would do concerning
petitioning, and that they did desire of him that he would go therewith to the
Prince.
Then said Mr. Desires-awake, why should not I do the best I can to save
so famous a town as Mansoul from deserved destruction? They therefore
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