第49章 Part 5(3)

Mr. Pitiless, thou art here indicted by the name of Pitiless, (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul,) for that thou didst most traitorously and wickedly shut up all bowels of compassion, and wouldest not suffer poor Mansoul to condole her own misery when she had apostatised from her rightful King, but didst evade, and at all times turn her mind awry from those thoughts that had in them a tendency to lead her to repentance. What sayest thou to this indictment? Guilty or not guilty?

'Not guilty of pitilessness: all I did was to cheer up, according to my name, for my name is not Pitiless, but Cheer-up; and I could not abide to see Mansoul inclined to melancholy.'

CLERK. How! do you deny your name, and say it is not Pitiless, but Cheer-up? Call for the witnesses. What say you, the witnesses, to this plea?

KNOW. My lord, his name is Pitiless; so he hath written himself in all papers of concern wherein he has had to do.

But these Diabolonians love to counterfeit their names: Mr.

Covetousness covers himself with the name of Good-Husbandry, or the like; Mr. Pride can, when need is, call himself Mr.

Neat, Mr. Handsome, or the like; and so of all the rest of them.

CLERK. Mr. Tell-True, what say you?

TELL. His name is Pitiless, my lord. I have known him from a child, and he hath done all that wickedness whereof he stands charged in the indictment; but there is a company of them that are not acquainted with the danger of damning, therefore they call all those melancholy that have serious thoughts how that state should be shunned by them.

CLERK. Set Mr. Haughty to the bar, gaoler. Mr. Haughty, thou art here indicted by the name of Haughty, (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul,) for that thou didst most traitorously and devilishly teach the town of Mansoul to carry it loftily and stoutly against the summons that was given them by the captains of the King Shaddai. Thou didst also teach the town of Mansoul to speak contemptuously and vilifyingly of their great King Shaddai; and didst moreover encourage, both by words and examples, Mansoul, to take up arms both against the King and his son Emmanuel. How sayest thou, art thou guilty of this indictment, or not?

HAUGHTY. Gentlemen, I have always been a man of courage and valour, and have not used, when under the greatest clouds, to sneak or hang down the head like a bulrush; nor did it at all at any time please me to see men veil their bonnets to those that have opposed them; yea, though their adversaries seemed to have ten times the advantage of them. I did not use to consider who was my foe, nor what the cause was in which Iwas engaged. It was enough to me if I carried it bravely, fought like a man, and came off a victor.

COURT. Mr. Haughty, you are not here indicted for that you have been a valiant man, nor for your courage and stoutness in times of distress, but for that you have made use of this your pretended valour to draw the town of Mansoul into acts of rebellion both against the great King, and Emmanuel his Son. This is the crime and the thing wherewith thou art charged in and by the indictment.

But he made no answer to that.

Now when the Court had thus far proceeded against the prisoners at the bar, then they put them over to the verdict of their jury, to whom they did apply themselves after this manner:

'Gentlemen of the jury, you have been here, and have seen these men; you have heard their indictments, their pleas, and what the witnesses have testified against them: now what remains, is, that you do forthwith withdraw yourselves to some place, where without confusion you may consider of what verdict, in a way of truth and righteousness, you ought to bring in for the King against them, and so bring it in accordingly.'

Then the jury, to wit, Mr. Belief, Mr. True-Heart, Mr.

Upright, Mr. Hate-bad, Mr. Love-God, Mr. See-Truth, Mr.

Heavenly-Mind, Mr. Moderate, Mr. Thankful, Mr. Humble, Mr.

Good-Work, and Mr. Zeal-for-God, withdrew themselves in order to their work. Now when they were shut up by themselves, they fell to discourse among themselves in order to the drawing up of their verdict.

And thus Mr. Belief (for he was the foreman) began:

'Gentlemen,' quoth he, 'for the men, the prisoners at the bar, for my part I believe that they all deserve death.'

'Very right,' said Mr. True-Heart; 'I am wholly of your opinion.' 'Oh what a mercy is it,' said Mr. Hate-Bad, 'that such villains as these are apprehended!' 'Ay! ay!' said Mr.

Love-God, 'this is one of the joyfullest days that ever I saw in my life.' Then said Mr. See-Truth, 'I know that if we judge them to death, our verdict shall stand before Shaddai himself' 'Nor do I at all question it,' said Mr. Heavenly-Mind; he said, moreover, 'When all such beasts as these are cast out of Mansoul, what a goodly town will it be then!'

'Then,' said Mr. Moderate, 'it is not my manner to pass my judgment with rashness; but for these their crimes are so notorious, and the witness so palpable, that that man must be wilfully blind who saith the prisoners ought not to die.'

'Blessed be God,' said Mr. Thankful, 'that the traitors are in safe custody.' 'And I join with you in this upon my bare knees,' said Mr. Humble. 'I am glad also,' said Mr. Good-Work. Then said the warm man, and true-hearted Mr. Zeal-for-God, 'Cut them off; they have been the plague, and have sought the destruction of Mansoul.'

Thus, therefore, being all agreed in their verdict, they come instantly into the Court.

CLERK. Gentlemen of the jury, answer all to your names: Mr.

Belief, one; Mr. True-Heart, two; Mr. Upright, three; Mr.

Hate-Bad, four; Mr. Love-God, five; Mr. See-Truth, six; Mr.

Heavenly-mind, seven; Mr. Moderate, eight; Mr. Thankful, nine; Mr. Humble, ten; Mr. Good-Work, eleven; and Mr. Zeal-for-God, twelve. Good men and true, stand together in your verdict: are you all agreed?

JURY. Yes, my lord.

CLERK. Who shall speak for you?

JURY. Our foreman.