登陆注册
19631900000078

第78章 Part 7(13)

Then said the Secretary to them, 'What petition is it that you would have me draw up for you?' But they said, 'Our Lord knows best the state and condition of the town of Mansoul;and how we are backslidden and degenerated from the Prince: thou also knowest who is come up to war against us, and how Mansoul is now the seat of war. My Lord knows, moreover, what barbarous usages our men, women, and children have suffered at their hands; and how our homebred Diabolonians do walk now with more boldness than dare the townsmen in the streets of Mansoul. Let our Lord therefore, according to the wisdom of God that is in him, draw up a petition for his poor servants to our Prince Emmanuel.' 'Well,' said the Lord Secretary, 'I will draw up a petition for you, and will also set my hand thereto.' Then said they, 'But when shall we call for it at the hands of our Lord?' But he answered, 'Yourselves must be present at the doing of it; yea, you must put your desires to it. True, the hand and pen shall be mine, but the ink and paper must be yours; else how can you say it is your petition? Nor have I need to petition for myself, because I have not offended.' He also added as followeth: 'No petition goes from me in my name to the Prince, and so to his Father by him, but when the people that are chiefly concerned therein do join in heart and soul in the matter, for that must be inserted therein.'

So they did heartily agree with the sentence of the Lord, and a petition was forthwith drawn up for them. But now, who should carry it? that was next. But the Secretary advised that Captain Credence should carry it; for he was a well-spoken man. They therefore called for him, and propounded to him the business. 'Well,' said the captain, 'I gladly accept of the motion; and though I am lame, I will do this business for you with as much speed, and as well as I can.'

The contents of the petition were to this purpose 'O our Lord, and Sovereign Prince Emmanuel, the potent, the long-suffering Prince! grace is poured into thy lips, and to thee belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against thee. We, who are no more worthy to be called thy Mansoul, nor yet fit to partake of common benefits, do beseech thee, and thy Father by thee, to do away our transgressions. We confess that thou mightest cast us away for them; but do it not for thy name's sake: let the Lord rather take an opportunity, at our miserable condition, to let out his bowels and compassions to us. We are compassed on every side, Lord; our own backslidings reprove us; our Diabolonians within our town fright us; and the army of the angel of the bottomless pit distresses us. Thy grace can be our salvation, and whither to go but to thee we know not.

'Furthermore, O gracious Prince, we have weakened our captains, and they are discouraged, sick, and, of late, some of them grievously worsted and beaten out of the field by the power and force of the tyrant. Yea, even those of our captains, in whose valour we did formerly use to put most of our confidence, they are as wounded men. Besides, Lord, our enemies are lively, and they are strong; they vaunt and boast themselves, and do threaten to part us among themselves for a booty. They are fallen also upon us, Lord, with many thousand doubters, such as with whom we cannot tell what to do; they are all grim-looked and unmerciful ones, and they bid defiance to us and thee.

'Our wisdom is gone, our power is gone, because thou art departed from us; nor have we what we may call ours but sin, shame, and confusion of face for sin. Take pity upon us, OLord, take pity upon us, thy miserable town of Mansoul, and save us out of the hands of our enemies. Amen.'

This petition, as was touched afore, was handed by the Lord Secretary, and carried to the court by the brave and most stout Captain Credence. Now he carried it out at Mouth-gate, (for that, as I said, was the sally-port of the town,) and he went and came to Emmanuel with it. Now how it came out, I do not know; but for certain it did, and that so far as to reach the ears of Diabolus. Thus I conclude, because that the tyrant had it presently by the end, and charged the town of Mansoul with it, saying, 'Thou rebellious and stubborn-hearted Mansoul, I will make thee to leave off petitioning.

Art thou yet for petitioning? I will make thee to leave.'

Yea, he also knew who the messenger was that carried the petition to the Prince, and it made him both to fear and rage.

Wherefore he commanded that his drum should be beat again, a thing that Mansoul could not abide to hear: but when Diabolus will have his drum beat, Mansoul must abide the noise. Well, the drum was beat, and the Diabolonians were gathered together.

Then said Diabolus, 'O ye stout Diabolonians, be it known unto you, that there is treachery hatched against us in the rebellious town of Mansoul; for albeit the town is in our possession, as you see, yet these miserable Mansoulians have attempted to dare, and have been so hardy as yet to send to the court to Emmanuel for help. This I give you to understand, that ye may yet know how to carry it to the wretched town of Mansoul. Wherefore, O my trusty Diabolonians, I command that yet more and more ye distress this town of Mansoul, and vex it with your wiles, ravish their women, deflower their virgins, slay their children, brain their ancients, fire their town, and what other mischief you can; and let this be the reward of the Mansoulians from me, for their desperate rebellions against me.'

同类推荐
  • 上清六甲祈祷秘法

    上清六甲祈祷秘法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 小栖霞说稗

    小栖霞说稗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大博干禅师语录

    大博干禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 庐陵官下记

    庐陵官下记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Tracks of a Rolling Stone

    Tracks of a Rolling Stone

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 做人做到位

    做人做到位

    做人做到位,成功做一个真正的人,做一个能战胜自己的人,做一个能让自己心灵放飞的人。用点心思,琢磨做人的道理,提升做人的修养,为自己奠定一生成功的基础。事业成功的人,通常是那些把人放在第一位的人。做人做到位了,事业做到位了,财富自然也就随着来了,事业自然也就成功了。
  • 拒嫁豪门公子

    拒嫁豪门公子

    乐小凡用特别的方式来告别令人伤心的昨日爱情,林楠宇一个喜欢用金钱摆脱一切纠缠的花花公子,在莫一天早晨醒来,却遭遇了匪夷所思的事情,林楠宇的自尊受到前所未有的重创。两个人开始上演野蛮超女加野蛮公子的大战,最后升级到拳打脚踢。一切在预料中,一切又好象脱离了本来的轨道。当华丽的序幕开始的时候,上演的将会是什么样的精彩故事?
  • 衣依

    衣依

    一次穿越,我似乎,变了。该怎么办。还痛吗?
  • 证契大乘经

    证契大乘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大圣金刚

    大圣金刚

    额滴师父是八百万斗神将中战功第一、勇力第一的阿修斗罗!额滴师姐是南明离火之精、太古凤凰之种的离鸾!额滴娘是帝释天第一王后舍脂!额滴爹……额滴爹是神秘人!额?俺是一只小金刚~
  • 归云录

    归云录

    当你历经坎坷时,当你爱恨交加时,当天下人都与你为敌时,你是否还会记得当初的誓言吗?何为正,何为邪,一切尽在心中。或许直到最后才发现,所有的欲望,都将归于凡尘……
  • 高道李真果

    高道李真果

    《高道李真果》是一部传记体小说,塑造了一个极富神秘色彩的传奇人物——李真果,他遍读圣贤经典,问道玄门绝学,精练各派武术,集武功、丹道、道家医术绝学于一身。本书以社会性质截然不同的几个时代为背景,通过传主所经历的清朝末年、民国时期、抗日战争、新中国成立和改革开放初期等历史巨大变迁,讲述大道士李真果穿越百年、历经艰辛磨难的传奇人生,彰显其爱国爱教、悬壶济世的美德,全面而真实生动地反映他“忧以天下,乐以天下”、载道行道的修真之旅和中华民族精神及人格风范。
  • 柯南侦探推理书:聪明人都在读的365个侦探推理题

    柯南侦探推理书:聪明人都在读的365个侦探推理题

    本地户包括案件推理、死亡推理、密码推理、逻辑推理和数学推理等内容,涵盖了逻辑学、运筹学、博弈论、犯罪心理学、概率论等多种知识学科,并将其交叉、融合、拓展,最大限度地锻炼读者的推理思维能力。
  • The Diary of a Nobody

    The Diary of a Nobody

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 机动王师异界纵横

    机动王师异界纵横

    万年前,获得六芒星方舟反应堆传承的杨千重意外降临在指环王的世界,参与到魔戒战争之中,成为了魔戒远征军的第十人!万年后,当杨千重重临这个世界时,却发现指环王世界已经焕然一新。大陆上除了魔法与斗气之外,居然还多出了使用‘灵力’的第三主流职业——戒灵师!戒灵师分类:器物型、寄生型、种族型、结晶型、神纹型!虽然如今全世界都是满大人,但身怀六大核心科技的杨千重,依旧很淡定!头部热感仪使暗杀者哭泣,前臂核弹头让魔法师落泪。用反浩克铠甲砸死黄金比蒙,拿反雷神战衣虐杀雷电泰坦……异世界种族再多,我的钢铁战衣和机甲皆能完美克制!不一样的钢铁侠影,更强悍的机战王者,当科学与魔法交汇之时,异世界的传奇物语也自此开始!PS:本书QQ群号:9807574,加入时请添加‘起点书友’认证,谢谢!!!