midnight
For now could not Mansoul sleep securely as before , nor could they now go to their debaucheries with that quietness as in times past ; for they had from the camp of Shaddai such frequent , warm , and terrifying alarms , yea , alarms upon alarms , first at one gate and then at another , and again at all the gates at once , that they were broken as to former peace . Yea , they had their alarms so frequently , and that when the nights were at longest , the weather coldest , and so consequently the season most unseasonable , that that winter was to the town of Mansoul a winter by itself . Sometimes the trumpets would sound , and sometimes the slings would whirl the stones into the town . Sometimes ten thousand of the King 's soldiers would be running round the walls of Mansoul at midnight , shouting and lifting up the voice for the battle . Sometimes , again , some of them in the town would be wounded , and their cry and lamentable voice would be heard , to the great molestation of the now languishing town of Mansoul . Yea , so distressed with those that laid siege against them were they , that , I dare say , Diabolus , their king , had in these days his rest much broken . In these days , as I was informed , new thoughts , and thoughts that began to run counter one to another , began to possess the minds of the men of the town of Mansoul .