arrant you, they will give you no more trouble." "See," said Lucifer,
frowning very horribly on the _Contriver_, "the universal Meddler is
still behind." On returning again to the porch of the infernal palace,
who should come with the fairest face imaginable to meet the king but the
_Meddler_. "O my liege," said he, "I have a word for you." "Perhaps I
have one or two for you," said the Fiend. "I have been," continued the
Meddler, "over half _Destruction_, to observe how your affairs are
standing. You have many officers in the East doing nothing at all; but
sitting still instead of looking to the torments of their prisoners, or
keeping guard over them, and this has been the cause of all this great
disturbance. Besides," said he, "many of your devils, and your damned
too, whom you dispatched to the world to tempt folks, are not returned,
though their time is out; and others have arrived in a sculking manner,
and not given an account of their errands."

Then Lucifer caused the herald to proclaim another parliament; and lo!
before you could turn your hand, all the potentates and satellites were
met together, to hold the infernal sessions again. The first thing which
was done was to change the officers, and to cause a place to be made
about the throat of Unknown, for the reception of the Coxcomb, the
bouncing lady, and the rest; the two first were tied nose to nose, and
the other rioters tail to tail. Then a law was promulgated, that whoever
should henceforth neglect his duty, whether imp or lost man, should be
cast there among them until the day of judgment. At these words you
might see all the goblins--yea, Lucifer himself--tremble and look
agitated. The next thing was to call some devils and some damned to
reckoning, who had been sent to the world to hunt up recruits: the devils
gave a very good account of themselves; but some of the damned were lame
in their reckoning, and were sent to the hot school, where they were
scourged with twisted fiery serpents, for not learning their lesson
better.

"Hear my complaint," said a little informing devil. "Here is a pretty
woman when trimmed out, who was sent up to the world, to hunt subjects
for you by means of their hearts; and to whom did she offer herself, but
to a hard-working labourer coming home late from his occupation, who
instead of enjoying himself with her, went upon his knees to pray against
the Devil and his angels: at another time, she went to a sick man."