ted in heaven.

The king, his son, his high lords, his chief captains and nobles were
all assembled to hear. There was universal grief, in which the king
and his son shared or rather seemed to share--for at once the drama of
the Fall of mankind becomes no better than a Mystery Play. 'Shaddai
and his son had foreseen it all long before, and had provided for the
relief of Mansoul, though they told not everybody thereof--but because
they would have a share in condoling of the misery of Mansoul they
did, and that at the rate of the highest degree, bewail the losing of
Mansoul'--'thus to show their love and compassion.'

'Paradise Lost' was published at the time that Bunyan wrote this
passage. If he had not seen it, the coincidences of treatment are
singularly curious. It is equally singular, if he had seen it, that
Milton should not here at least have taught him to avoid making the
Almighty into a stage actor. The Father and Son consult how 'to do
what they had designed before.' They decide that at a certain time,
which they preordain, the Son,'a sweet and comely person,' shall make
a journey into the Universe and lay a foundation there for Mansoul's
deliverance. Milton offends in the scene less than Bunyan; but Milton
cannot persuade us that it is one which should have been represented
by either of them. They should have left 'plans of salvation' to
eloquent orators in the pulpit.

Though the day of deliverance by the method proposed was as yet far
off, the war against Diabolus was to be commenced immediately. The
Lord Chief Secretary was ordered to put in writing Shaddai's
intentions, and cause them to be published.[7] Mansoul, it was
announced, was to be put into a better condition than it was in before
Diabolus took it.

[Footnote 7: The Scriptures.]

The report of the Council in Heaven was brought to Diabolus, who took
his measures accordingly, Lord Will be Will standing by him and
executing all his directions Mansoul was forbidden to read Shaddai's
proclamation. Diabolus imposed a great oath on the townspeople never
to desert him; he believed that if they entered into a covenant of
this kind Shaddai could not absolve them from it. They 'swallowed the
engagement as if it had been a sprat in the mouth of a whale.' Being
now Diabolus's trusty children, he gave them leave 'to do whatever
their appetites prompted to do.' They would thus involve themselves in
all kinds of wickedness, and Shaddai's son 'being Holy' wou