The Holy War – John Bunyan

was my Lord Mayor's, and my Lord Will-be-will's also. Yea, where was
there a corner, a cottage, a barn, or a hog-stye, that now were not full of these
vermin? yea, they turned the men of the town out of their houses, and would
lie in their beds, and sit at their tables themselves. Ah, poor Mansoul! Now
thou feelest the fruits of sin, and what venom was in the flattering words of
Mr. Carnal-security! They made great havoc of whatever they laid their
hands on; yea, they fired the town in several places, many young children
also were by them dashed in pieces, yea, those that were yet unborn they
destroyed in their mothers' wombs; for you must needs think that it could not
now be otherwise; for what conscience, what pity, what bowels of
compassion can any expect at the hands of outlandish Doubters; many in
Mansoul that were women, both young and old, they forced, ravished, and
beastlike abused, so that they swooned, miscarried, and many of them died,
and so lay at the top of every street, and in all by- places of the town.
And now did Mansoul seem to be nothing but a den of dragons, an
emblem of hell, and a place of total darkness. Now did Mansoul lie almost
like the barren wilderness, nothing but nettles, briars, thorns, weeds, and
stinking things seemed now to cover the face of Mansoul. I told you before,
how that these Diabolonian Doubters turned the men of Mansoul out of their
beds; and now I will add, they wounded them, they mauled them, yea, and
almost brained many of them. Many did I say, yea, most, if not all of them;
Mr. Conscience they so wounded, yea, and his wounds so festered, that he
could have no ease day nor night, but lay as if continually upon a rack; but
that Shaddai rules all, certainly they had slain him outright. Mr. Lord Mayor
they so abused that they almost put out his eyes, and had not my Lord Willbewill
got into the castle, they intended to have chopped him all to pieces,
for they did look upon him, as his heart now stood, to be one of the very
worst that was in Mansoul against Diabolus and his crew. And indeed he
hath shown himself a man, and more of his exploits you will hear of
afterwards.
275