HOLY WAR, The. 'The Holy War,' written by John Bunyan about 1684, is an al legory of sufficient excellence to have brought fame and immortality to any man. Even though in all its imagery and nomenclature it belongs to a by-gone age, doing unpardonable violence to many scriptural texts, and careless of theo logical accuracy, it still has power to grip with an interest that flows from a seemingly living plot and from the force of dramatic presenta tion. This masterly piece of literature has been almost obliterated by the brightness of its truly remarkable predecessor, 'The Pilgrim's Prog ress.' It is however likely that had the order of production and publication been reversed 'The Holy War' would have dropped into second place because it lacks what the 'Progress' has, a hero with a definite and stirringly real personality. The theme of 'The Holy War' and in places the treatment and characters re mind one of 'Paradise Lost' which without doubt Bunyan had never had knowledge of. Bunyan images man, the soul, or other-than body man as a "fair and delicate town, a cor poration, called Mansoul.* "The first founder and builder of it . . . was one Shaddai,' the name for deity which the author adopts. *This famous town of Mansoul had set in the walls gates in at which to come out at which to go . . . Eye-gate, Ear-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate and Feel-gate.) The state of Mansoul was at the first perfect in life, loyal and obedient to its king, Shaddai. Diabolus (Devil), originally a servant and prince in Shaddai's government being cast out of office and "down into the horrible pits,) because of rebellion, has deter mined to revenge himself by making war upon Mansoul and capturing it. Approaching the town "under the shape and in the body of a dragon)—Bunyan's interpretation of the Garden of-Eden serpent—Diabolus "drew up and sat down before and attacked with subtle arguments made familiar through the Biblical story. "Lord and "Captain Resist
ance' are slain in the encounter by Diabolus' associates, and "Mr. Recorder' (Conscience) is thrown out of office. The town of Mansoul Speedily capitulates and is entirely in the pos session of Diabolus who thereupon organizes the life of the town according to his own will and scheme, making his mastery more conspicu ously complete by defacing the image of Shaddai which "was in the market-place of Mansoul On hearing the news Shaddai "and his Son re tired into the privy chamber) to plan for the recovery of Mansoul. Captains "Conviction,) *judgment) and "Execution) undertake the first campaign. The attacks are all verbal exhortations to repent warnings and threats of what Shaddai will do. The attacks fail ex cept in stirring up discord and discontent in Mansoul. Then the king, Shaddai, sends his son, Emmanuel, to "conquer the town of Mansoul.) The expedition is successful and Emmanuel enters the town of Mansonl as con queror, puts Diabolus in chains and proclaims a full pardon for all in Mansoul who have re belled against the King Shaddai. The life of Mansonl is reorganized and given a new char ter with "Free and full and "ever lasting comfort and consolation) as the fore most provisions. But the town does not stay conquered. Under the influence of "Mr. Carnal Security" Mansonl backslides and the warfare is renewed. And so the allegory goes on to picture, as only Bunyan can, the fluctuating for tunes of the struggle between the forces of Shaddai and Diabolus. It is a most vivid and realistic presentation, by personifying the dif ferent sentiments and passions and thoughts, of the idea that the soul of man is the battle ground where Good and Evil fight for the mastery.