The Sleeping Bard Part 4

After a little time, behold _Courts Comprised_ held betwixt two devils.

"O ho! angel of patience," said Lucifer, "are you come? Hold him fast on your peril," said he to the satellites. Before we had advanced far, there came the _Contriver_ and the _Slanderer_ bound betwixt forty devils, and whispering in each others ears. "O most mighty Lucifer!"

said the _Contriver_, "I am exceedingly grieved to see so much disturbance in your dominions, but I will teach you a way to prevent such in future, if you will but grant me a hearing. You only need, under pretence of a general parliament, to summon all the d.a.m.ned to the glowing pandemonium, and then cause the devils to cast them headlong into the throat of _Unknown_, and the gulf to be closed over them, and then, I warrant 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 d.a.m.ned 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 c.o.xcomb, 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 d.a.m.ned 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 d.a.m.ned 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." "Ha!"

said Lucifer, "cast her to that lost useless wench, who loved of yore Einion ab Gwalehmai, {108} of Anglesey." "Stay," said the fair one, "this is but the first offence. It is not yet above a year, since the day when I breathed my last, and was d.a.m.ned to your accursed government."

"She speaks true, O king of Torments! It is not yet a year by three weeks," said the devil who had brought her there. "Therefore," said she, "how would you have me so well versed as the d.a.m.ned, who have been here for three hundred, or out abroad depredating for five hundred years. If you desire from me better service, let me go into the world another time or two unchastised; and if I do not bring you twenty harlot-mongers, for every year that I am out, inflict upon me whatever punishment you please." But the verdict went against her, and she was condemned to punishment for a hundred long years, that she might remember better the second time.

At this moment, behold another devil pushing a fellow forward. "Here you have," said he, "a pretty dog of a messenger. As he was prowling about his old neighbourhood, above stairs, the other night, he saw a thief going to steal a stallion, and could not so much as help him to catch the horse without showing himself, frightening the thief so by his horrible appearance, that he took warning and became an honest man from that time." "With the permission of the court," said the fellow, "if the thief had got the gift from _above_ to see me, could I help it? But at worst this is a single peccadillo," said he; "it is not above a hundred years since the day which terminated my mortal career, yet how many of my friends and neighbours have I not tempted hither after me, during that time? May I be in the deepest pit, if I have not as much inclination for the trade as the best of you; but now and then the craftiest will err."

"Here," said Lucifer, "cast him to the school of the fairies, who are yet under the rod for their mischievous conduct of old, in strangling some people and threatening others; startling by such behaviour their neighbours from their heedlessness, upon whom the terror which they caused, had probably more effect than twenty sermons would have had."

Next appeared four catchpoles, an informer, and fifteen d.a.m.ned, hauling two _devils_ forward. "See," said the informer, "lest you should lay the blame of all that is mismanaged on the seed of Adam, we bring you two of your old angels, who have spent their time above, quite as badly as the two preceding. Here is a fellow who has been making as great a fool of himself, as the Devil did at Shrewsbury the other day; who, in the midst of the interlude of Doctor Faustus, whilst some, according to the custom on such occasions, were committing adultery with their eyes, some with their hands, others making a.s.signations for the same purpose, and doing various other things profitable to your kingdom, made his appearance to play his own part; by which blunder, he drove every one from taking his pleasure to praying. In like manner did this numskull act; for, whilst journeying over the world, on hearing two wenches talking of walking round the church at night, in order to see their sweethearts, he must needs show himself in the figure he wears at home, to the two fools, who on recovering their senses, which at first they lost from fright, solemnly abjured all frivolity for ever. There's a ninny-hammer for you!

Instead of appearing like a devil, he ought to have divided himself and a.s.sumed the forms of two dirty, unlicked boors; for the girls would have imagined themselves bound to accept them, and then the filthy goblin might have lived as husband with the two female parties, without troubling a clergyman to perform the marriage.

"And here is another," said he, "who went the last dark night, to visit two young maidens in Wales, who were _turning the shift_; and instead of enticing the girls to wantonness in the figure of a handsome youth, he must needs go to one with a _hea.r.s.e_ to sober her; and to the other with the _sound of war_ in an infernal whirlwind, to drive her farther from her senses than she was before, and there was no need for that. But this is not the whole, for after going into the last girl, he cast her down and tormented her furiously, so that her parents in horror, sent for some of our enemies the clergy, to pray over her and cast him out, which they did. Now, if he had been wise, instead of kicking up such a hubbub, he would have tempted her quietly to despair, and to make away with herself.

On another time, wishing to gain some of the conventiclers, he went to preach to them, and revealed the secrets of your kingdom; thus, instead of hindering, a.s.sisting their salvation." At the word _salvation_, I could see some emitting living fire for madness. "Capital stories both, I won't deny," said the goblin; "but I hope that Lucifer will not permit one of Adam's race of dirt, to put himself on an equality with me who am an angel, of a species and descent far superior." "Ha!" said Lucifer, "he may be sure of his punishment. But, sirrah, answer to these accusations speedily and clearly, or by hopeless Destruction I will--" "I have brought hither," said the goblin, "many a soul since Satan was in the garden of Eden, and ought to know my trade better than this novice of an informer." "Blood of an infernal fire-brand!" said Lucifer, "did I not command you to answer speedily and clearly." "Do but hear me," said the sprite. "As to preaching, by your own command I have been a hundred times _preaching_, and have forbidden people to follow several of the roads which lead to your territories, and yet silently, in the same breath, have led them hither safe enough, by some other vain paths; as I have done by preaching lately in Germany, and in one of the Faroe isles, and various other places.

"Thus through my preaching," he continued, "have come many of the _superst.i.tions_ of the papists, and the _old fables_ first to the world, and the whole under the shape of some goodness. For who ever swallows the hook without some bait? who ever would believe a story if there were not some measure of _truth_ mingled with the falsehood; or some semblance of _good_ to shade the _evil_? Thus if I find an opportunity in preaching, to push in amongst a hundred correct and salutary counsels, one of my own, with this one I will do you, either through _contentiousness_ or _superst.i.tion_, more advantage than all the rest of my counsels will do you harm." "Well," said Lucifer, "since you are of such utility in your pulpit, I order you for seven years, to take up your abode in the mouth of one of the barn-preachers, who will be sure to utter the first thing which comes to his tongue's end. Then you will find an opportunity to put in a word now and then, to your own purpose."

There were still many more devils and d.a.m.ned who were twisting through one another like lightning, around the throne of Terrors, to give an account of what they had done, and again to receive commissions. But suddenly and unexpectedly, an order was given to all the messengers and the prisoners, to go out of the palace, every one to his hole, and to leave the king and his chief counsellors there alone. "Had we not best depart," said I to my companion, "lest they should find us?" "You need not fear," said the angel "no unclean spirit will ever see through this veil." Thus we continued there invisible, to see what was the matter.

Then Lucifer began to speak graciously to his counsellors, in this manner:--"O ye, the chief spiritual evils!--ye, who for subtlety are unequalled in Unknown, I request you in my need, to exert to the uttermost your malicious wiles. No one here is unaware, that Britain and the surrounding isles, const.i.tute the kingdom most dangerous to my authority, and most abounding with my enemies; and what is a hundred times worse, there is at present there a queen, who does not offer to turn once hitherward, either by the road of Rome on the one hand, or the road of Geneva on the other. Notwithstanding, all the service which the Pope has rendered us there for a long time, and Oliver for some years past, how far are we from our object? what shall we do now? I am afraid that we shall lose there our ancient possession, and our market entirely, if we do not pave immediately some new way for its inhabitants to walk in, for they know all the old roads which lead hither too well. And, since yonder invincible fist shortens my chain, and prevents me from going myself to the earth, counsel me, I pray you, as to whom I shall make my deputy, to oppose yonder detestable queen, who is the deputy of our enemy." "O mighty emperor of Darkness!" said Cerberus, the devil of Tobacco, "make a deputy of me, from whom the crown of Britain derives the third part of its revenue. I will go and will send to you a hundred thousand of the souls of your enemies, through the hollow of a pipe."

"Well, well," said Lucifer, "you have done me excellent service, by causing the proprietors of tobacco in India to be slaughtered, and those who take it to die of diseases, and sending many to vend it idly from house to house, and making others to steal in order to obtain it, and thousands to love it so far, that they cannot be a day without it in their right senses.

"Therefore go and do thy best; but, I tell thee, that thou art little better than nothing in the present exigency." Thereupon Cerberus sat down, and uprose Mammon, devil of Money, and with a morose sinister look said:--"I showed men the first mine from which they got money, and therefore, I am always extolled and worshipped more than G.o.d; men undergo for me trouble and danger, and place their whole mind, their delight, and their trust upon me: there is no one easy, because he has not obtained somewhat more of my favour, and the more they obtain the farther are they ever from rest, until at length by seeking _easy circ.u.mstances_, they arrive at the country of Eternal Torments. How many a crafty old miser have I not deluded hither, along paths more difficult than those which lead to the kingdom of Happiness? At fair or market, sessions or elections, or any other a.s.semblage of people, who has more subjects? who has more power and authority than I? Cursing, swearing, fighting, litigating, plotting, deceiving, striking, h.o.a.rding, murdering and robbing, sabbath breaking and uncharitableness, all proceed from me: and there is no other black mark, which stamps men as belonging to the fold of Lucifer, which I have not a hand in giving, on which account I am called 'the root of all evil.' Therefore if it seem good to your majesty, I will go." And having said that he sat down.

Then arose Apollyon. "I do not know," said he, "any thing that will bring the Britons. .h.i.ther, more certainly than what brought yourselves--that is _Pride_: if she ever plant her pole within them and inflate them, there is no reason to fear that they will stoop to lift the cross, or go through the narrow gate. I will go," said he, "with my daughter Pride, and will cause the Welsh, by gazing on the magnificence of the English, and the English, by imitating the frivolities of the French, to tumble into this place before they know where they are."

Next arose Asmodeus, devil of Wantonness. "You cannot but be aware,"

said he, "O most mighty sovereign of the Abyss! and you, ye princes of the country of Despair! how I have crammed the nooks of h.e.l.l through debauchery and lasciviousness. What need have I to speak of the time, when I kindled such a flame of l.u.s.t in the whole world, that it was necessary to send the flood, to clear the earth of its inhabitants, and to sweep them to us in the unquenchable fire; or of Sodom and Gomorrah, fair and pleasant cities, whose people I burnt with wantonness, till their infernal l.u.s.ts brought down a fiery shower, which drove them hither alive to burn to all eternity; or of the vast army of the a.s.syrians, which was slain all in one night on account of me? Sarah I disappointed of seven husbands; Solomon, the wisest of men, and many thousand other kings I blinded by means of women. Therefore," said he, "suffer me to go with my _sweet sin_, and I will kindle in Britain the sparks of h.e.l.l so universally, that it shall become one with this place of unextinguishable flame; for there is not much chance, that any one will return from following me, to lay hold of the paths of Life." And thereupon he sat down.

Then arose Belphegor, prince of _Sloth and Idleness_. "I am," said he, "the great prince of Listlessness and Laziness; great is my power on myriads of men of all ages and degrees. I am the still pool, where 'the root of all evil' is generated; where coagulate the dregs of all destructive corruption and filthiness. What would you be worth, Asmodeus; or you, ye other master spirits of evil, without me who keep the window open for you, without any watch, so that you may go into man by his eyes, by his ears, by his mouth, and by every other orifice which he has, whensoever you please. I will go, and will roll to you all the inhabitants of Britain over the precipice in their sleep."

Then arose Satan, the devil of _Deceit_, who sat next to Lucifer on his left hand, and after turning a frightful visage on the king,--"It is unnecessary for me," he said, "to declare my deeds to you, O lost archangel! or to you, black princes of Destruction! because it was I who struck the first blow which man ever received; and a mighty blow it was, causing him to remain _mortal_, from the beginning of the world to its end. Do you imagine that I, who despoiled the whole world, cannot at present give counsel which will serve for a paltry islet? And cannot I, who cheated _Eve_ in _Paradise_, vanquish _Anne_ in _Britain_? If no natural craft will avail, and continued experience for more than five thousand years, my counsel to you is, to dress up your daughter _Hypocrisy_, to deceive Britain and its queen; you have not a daughter in the world, so useful to you as she; she has more extensive authority and more numerous subjects, than all your other daughters. Was it not through _her_ that I cheated the first woman? It was: and ever from that time she has remained and increased exceedingly upon the earth. At present indeed, the whole vast world is but one _Hypocrisy_; and if it were not for the skill of Hypocrisy, how should any one of us do business in any corner of the world? Because if people were to see _sin_ in its own _color_, and under its own _name_, who would ever come in contact with it? The world would no more do so, than it would embrace the Devil in his infernal shape and garb. If Hypocrisy were not able to disguise her _name_, and the _nature_ of every _evil_, under the similitude of some _good_, and were not able to give some evil nickname to all _goodness_, no one would approach, and no one would covet evil at all.

Traverse the whole city of Destruction, and you will see her in every corner. Go to the street of _Pride_, and enquire for an _arrogant man_, or for a pennyworth of _coquetry_, mixed up by Pride; 'woe's me,' says Hypocrisy, 'there is no such thing here; nothing at all I a.s.sure you in the whole street but grandeur.' Or go to the street of _Lucre_, and enquire for the house of the _Miser_; fie, there is no such person in it: or for the house of the _murderer_ amongst the physicians: or the house of the _arrant thief_ amongst the drovers, and see how you would fare; you would sooner get into prison for enquiring, than get any body to confess his name. Yes, Hypocrisy creeps between man and his own heart, and conceals every _iniquity_ so craftily, under the name and similitude of some virtue, that she has made every body almost unable to recognise himself. _Avarice_ she will call _economy_. In her language _dissipation_ is _innocent diversion_; _pride_ is _gentility_; a _perverse_ _man _is a _fine manly fellow_; _drunkenness_ is _good fellowship_, and _adultery_ is only the _heat of youth_. On the other hand, if _she_ and her disciples are to be believed, the _devout man_ is only a _hypocrite_ or a _blockhead_; the _gentle_ but a _sneaking dog_; the _sober_ a mere _hunks_, and so on. Send her, therefore," he continued, "thither, in her full array, I will warrant that she will deceive every body, and that she will blind the counsellors and the warriors, and all the officers, secular and ecclesiastical, and will draw them hither in mult.i.tudes presently, by means of her _mask of changeable hue_." And thereupon he sat down.

Then Beelzebub arose, the devil of _Inconsiderateness_, and with a rough, bellowing voice,--"I am," said he, "the mighty prince of _Bewilderment_; to me it pertains to prevent man from reflecting upon and considering his condition. I am the princ.i.p.al of those wicked, infernal _flies_ which craze mankind, by keeping them ever in a kind of continual buzz, about their possessions or their pleasures, without ever leaving them with my consent, a moment's respite, to think about their courses or their end.

It ill becomes one of you, to attempt to put himself on an equality with me, for feats useful to the kingdom of Darkness. For what is Tobacco but one of my meanest instruments, to carry bewilderment into the brain? And what is the kingdom of _Mammon_, but a branch of my vast domain? Yea, if I were to recite the ties which I have on the subjects of _Mammon_ and _Pride_--yea, and on the subjects of _Asmodeus_, _Belphegor_, and _Hypocrisy_--no man would tarry a minute longer under the rule of one of them. Therefore," said he, "I am the one to do the work, and let none of you boast again about his merits." Then Lucifer the Great arose himself from his burning throne, and with a would-be complaisant but nevertheless frightful look on both sides,--"Ye master-spirits of eternal Night! ye supreme possessors of the cunning of Despair!" he said, "though the vast black gulf and the wilds of Destruction, are indebted to no one for inhabitants, more than to my own royal majesty since I of yore, failing to drag the Omnipotent from his possession, drew millions of you, my swarthy angels to this place of horrors, and have since drawn millions of men to you; nevertheless, it cannot be denied, that ye too have all done your part, to sustain this vast infernal empire."

Then Lucifer began to answer them one by one. "For one of late origin, I will not deny, O _Cerberus_, that thou hast brought to us many a booty from the island of our enemies, by means of tobacco, a weed the cause of much deceit; for how much deceit is practiced in carrying it about, in mixing it, and in weighing it: a weed which entices some people to bib ale; others to curse, swear, and to flatter in order to obtain it, and others to tell lies in denying that they use it: a weed productive of maladies in various bodies, the excess of which is injurious to every man's body, without speaking of his _soul_: a weed, moreover, by which we get mult.i.tudes of the poor, whom we should never get, did they not set their love on tobacco, and allow it to master them, and pull the bread from the mouths of their children.

"And as for you, my brother _Mammon_, your power is so universal, and likewise so manifest upon the earth, that it has become a proverb that '_any thing can be got for money_.' And undoubtedly," said he, turning to Apollyon, "my beloved daughter _Pride_ is of great utility to us; for what is more capable of injuring a man in his condition, his body, and his soul, than that _proud_, _haughty idea_, which will make him squander a _hundred pounds_ for display, rather than stoop to give a _crown_ for peace. _She_ keeps people so stiff-necked, with their sight so intent on lofty things, that it is a pleasure to see them, by staring and reaching into the air, falling plump into the abysses of h.e.l.l. As for you, _Asmodeus_, we all remember your great services of yore; no one keeps his prisoners more firmly under the lock, and no one meets with less rebuke than yourself--the whole rebuke, indeed, consisting in a little laughing, at what is called wanton tricks. Yes, Asmodeus, I admit that your power is very great; though I cannot help reminding you," he added, with a jocular though truly infernal grin, "that you were all but starved, above there, during the last dear years. As for you, my son _Belphegor_, lousy prince of Sloth, n.o.body has afforded us more pleasure than yourself, so very great is your authority amongst gentle and simple, even down to the beggar. Nevertheless, if it were not for the skill of my daughter _Hypocrisy_, in coloring and disguising, who would ever swallow one of your hooks? And after all, if it were not for the diligent firmness of my brother _Beelzebub_, in keeping men in _inconsiderate bewilderment_, I question whether all of you united would be worth a straw. Now," said he, "let us review the whole.

"What would you be worth, Cerberus, with your excessive sucking, if it were not for the a.s.sistance of Mammon? What merchant would ever fetch your leaves from India, through so many perils, if it were not for the sake of Mammon? And if it were not for _his_ sake, what king would receive it, in Britain especially? And who, but for the sake of Mammon, would carry it to every corner of the kingdom? But, notwithstanding this, what wouldst thou be worth, Mammon, without Pride to squander thee upon fine houses, magnificent garments, needless litigations, music, horses and costly appurtenances, various dishes, beer and ale in a flood, far above the _means_ and _rank_ of the possessor; for if money were used within the limits of _necessity_ and _propriety_, of what advantage would Mammon be to us? Thus you would be worth nothing without _Pride_; and little would _Pride_ be worth without _Wantonness_, because b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are the most numerous and the fiercest subjects, which my daughter _Pride_ possesses in the world.

"You too, Asmodeus, prince of _Wantonness_, what would you be worth, if it were not for _Sloth and Idleness_; where but for them would you get a night's lodging? You could hardly expect it from a labourer or toiling student. And you, Belphegor of Idleness, who would welcome you a minute, attended as you would be with shame and reproach, if it were not for Hypocrisy, who conceals your ugliness under the name of _internal sickness_, or of a _well meaning person_, or under the shape of _despising riches_ and the like.

"And she too, my dear daughter _Hypocrisy_, what is she worth, or what would she ever be worth, skilful and resolute sempstress as she is, if it were not for your help, my eldest brother _Beelzebub_, mighty prince of _Inconsiderateness_. If he would leave people leisure and respite, to seriously consider the nature of things and their difference, how often would they spy holes in the folds of the gold-cloth robe of _Hypocrisy_, and perceive the hooks through the bait? What man, did not Inconsiderateness deprive him of his senses, would chase baubles and pleasures--evanescent, surfeiting, foolish and disgraceful--and prefer them to _peace of conscience_, and glorious _everlasting happiness_? And who would hesitate to suffer martyrdom for his faith, for an hour or a day, or to endure affliction for forty or sixty years, if he would reflect that his neighbours here are suffering in an hour, more than he can ever suffer upon the earth?

"_Tobacco_ then is nothing without _money_, nor money without _Pride_; and Pride is but feeble without Wantonness, and Wantonness is nothing without _Idleness_; Idleness without _Hypocrisy_, and Hypocrisy without _Inconsiderateness_. But," said Lucifer, (and he raised his fiendish hoofs on the fore claws,) "to speak my own opinion, however excellent all these may be, I have a _friend_ to send against the she-enemy of Britain, better than the whole."

Then I could see all the chief devils, with their ghastly mouths opened towards Lucifer, in anxious expectation of learning what this friend might be, whilst I was as impatient to hear as they. "The one I allude to," said Lucifer, "is called _Ease_; she is one whose merits I have too long disregarded, and whose merit, Satan, you yourself disregarded of yore, when in tempting Job you turned the unpleasant side of life towards him. She is my darling, and her I now const.i.tute deputy, immediately next to myself, in all matters relating to my earthly government; Ease is her name, and _she_ has d.a.m.ned more men than all ye together, and very few would ye catch without _her_. For in _war_, _or danger_, _or hunger_, _or sickness_, who would value _tobacco_, _or money_, or the pomposity of Pride, or would entertain a thought of welcoming either _Wantonness or Sloth_? Or who in such straits, would permit themselves to be distracted either by _Hypocrisy or Inconsiderateness_? No, no!

they are too awake then, and not one of the infernal _flies of Bewilderment_, which shows its beak, will buzz, during one of these storms. But _Ease_, smooth Ease, is the nurse of you all: in her calm shadow, and in her teeming bosom ye are all bred, and also every other infernal worm of the conscience, which will come to gnaw its possessor _here_ for ever, without intermission.

"As long as _Ease_ lasts, there is no talk but of some species of diversion, of banquets, bargains, pedigrees, stories, news, and the like.

There is no mention of _G.o.d_, except in idle swearing and cursing; whereas the _poor_ and the _sick_, who know nothing of ease, have G.o.d in their mouths and their hearts every minute.

"But go ye also in the rear of her, and keep every body in his sleep and his rest, in prosperity and comfort, abundance and carelessness; and then you will see the poor honest man, as soon as he shall drink of the alluring cup of Ease, become a perverse, proud, untractable churl--the industrious labourer change into a careless, waggish rattler--and every other person become just what you would desire him. Because pleasant _Ease_ is what every one seeks and loves; she hears not counsel, fears not punishment--if good, she will not recognise it--if bad, she will foster it of her own accord. _She_ is the prime-temptation; the man who is proof against _her_ tender charms, ye may fling your caps to--for we must bid farewell for ever to his company. _Ease_, then, is my terrestrial _deputy_, follow her to Britain, and be as obedient to her as to our own royal majesty."

At this moment the huge bolt was shaken, and Lucifer and his chief counsellors were struck to the vortex of _extremest h.e.l.l_; and oh, how horrible it was to see the throat of Unknown opening to receive them!

"Well," said the angel "we will now return; but you have not yet seen any thing in comparison with the _whole_, which is within the bounds of _Destruction_, and if you had seen the whole, it is nothing to the inexpressible misery which exists in _Unknown_, for it is not possible to form an idea of the World in extremest h.e.l.l." And at that word the celestial messenger s.n.a.t.c.hed me up to the firmament of the accursed kingdom of Darkness, by a way I had not seen, whence I obtained, from the palace along all the firmament of the black and hot _Destruction_, and the whole _land of Forgetfulness_, even to the walls of the _city of Destruction_, a full view of the accursed monster of a _giantess_, whose feet I had seen before--I do not possess words to describe her figure.

But I can tell you that she was a _triple-faced giantess_, having one very atrocious countenance turned towards the heavens, barking, snorting and vomiting accursed abomination against the celestial king; another countenance very fair towards the _earth_, to entice men to tarry in her shadow; and another, the most frightful countenance of all, turned towards _h.e.l.l_, to torment it to all eternity. She is larger than the entire earth, and is yet daily increasing, and a hundred times more frightful than the whole of h.e.l.l. She caused h.e.l.l to be made, and it is she who fills it with inhabitants. If _she_ were removed from h.e.l.l, h.e.l.l would become Paradise; and if she were removed from the earth, the little world would become Heaven; and if she were to go to Heaven, she would change the regions of bliss into utter h.e.l.l. There is nothing in all the universe, (except herself,) that G.o.d did not create. She is the mother of the four female deceivers of the city of Destruction; she is the mother of _Death_; she is the mother of every _evil_ and _misery_; and she has a fearful hold on every living man--her name is SIN. "_He who escapes from her hook_, _for ever blessed is he_!" said the angel.

Thereupon he departed, and I could hear his voice saying, "_write down what thou hast seen_, _and he who shall read it carefully shall never have reason to repent_."

The Heavy Heart.

Heavy's the heart with wandering below, And with seeing the things in the country of woe; Seeing lost men and the fiendish race, In their very horrible prison place; Seeing that the end of the crooked track Is a flaming lake, Where dragon and snake With rage are swelling.

I'd not, o'er a thousand worlds to reign, Behold again, Though safe from pain, The infernal dwelling.

Heavy's my heart, whilst so vividly The place is yet in my memory; To see so many, to me well known, Thither unwittingly sinking down.

To-day a h.e.l.l-dog is yesterday's man, And he has no plan, But others to trepan To h.e.l.l's dismal revels.

When he reach'd the pit he a fiend became, In face and in frame, And in mind the same As the very devils.

Heavy's the heart with viewing the bed, Where sin has the meed it has merited; What frightful taunts from forked tongue, On gentle and simple there are flung.

The ghastliness of the d.a.m.ned things to state.

Or the pains to relate Which will ne'er abate But increase for ever, No power have I, nor others I wot: Words cannot be got; The shapes and the spot Can be pictured never.

Heavy's the heart, as none will deny, At losing one's friend or the maid of one's eye; At losing one's freedom, one's land or wealth; At losing one's fame, or alas! one's health; At losing leisure; at losing ease; At losing peace And all things that please The heaven under.

At losing memory, beauty and grace, Heart-heaviness For a little s.p.a.ce Can cause no wonder.

Heavy's the heart of man when first He awakes from his worldly dream accursed, Fain would be freed from his awful load Of sin, and be reconciled with his G.o.d; When he feels for pleasures and luxuries Disgust arise, From the agonies Of the ferment unruly, Through which he becomes regenerate, Of Christ the mate, From his sinful state Springing blithe and holy.

Heavy's the heart of the best of mankind, Upon the bed of death reclined; In mind and body ill at ease, Betwixt remorse and the disease, Vext by sharp pangs and dreading more.

O mortal poor!

O dreadful hour!

Horrors surround him!

To the end of the vain world he has won; And dark and dun The eternal one Beholds beyond him.

Heavy's the heart, the pressure below, Of all the griefs I have mentioned now; But were they together all met in a ma.s.s, There's one grief still would all surpa.s.s; Hope frees from each woe, while we this side Of the wall abide-- At every tide 'Tis an outlet cranny.

But there's a grief beyond the bier; Hope will ne'er Its victims cheer, That cheers so many.

Heavy's the heart therewith that's fraught; How heavy is mine at merely the thought!

Our worldly woes, however hard, Are trifles when with that compared: That woe--which is known not here--that woe The lost ones know, And undergo In the nether regions; How wretched the man who exil'd to h.e.l.l, In h.e.l.l must dwell, And curse and yell With the h.e.l.lish legions!