The Holy War – John Bunyan

oyal pavilion.
But O how this return, and specially this last clause of it, that the
prisoners must go out to the Prince into the camp, brake all their loins in
pieces! Wherefore, with one voice, they set up a cry that reached up to the
heavens.[23] This done, each of the three prepared himself to die; and the
Recorder* said unto them, This was the thing that I feared; for they
concluded that to-morrow, by that the sun went down, they should be
tumbled out of the world. The whole town also counted of no other but that,
in their time and order, they must all drink of the same cup. Wherefore the
town of Mansoul spent that night in mourning, and sackcloth, and ashes. The
prisoners also, when the time was come for them to go down before the
Prince, dressed themselves in mourning attire, with ropes upon their
heads.[24] The whole town of Mansoul also showed themselves upon the
wall, all clad in mourning weeds, if, perhaps, the Prince, with the sight
thereof, might be moved with compassion. But O how the busy-bodies* that
were in the town of Mansoul did now concern themselves! They did run here
and there through the streets of the town by companies, crying out as they
ran in tumultuous wise, one after one manner, and another the quite contrary,
to the almost utter distraction of Mansoul.
Well, the time is come that the prisoners must go down to the camp, and
appear before the Prince. And thus was the manner of their going down.
Captain Boanerges went with a guard before them, and Captain Conviction
came behind, and the prisoners went down bound in chains in the midst; so, I
say, the prisoners went in the midst, and the guard went with flying colours
behind and before, but the prisoners went with drooping spirits.
Or, more particularly, thus:
The prisoners went down all in mourning; they put ropes upon
themselves; they went on smiting themselves on the breasts, but durst not lift
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