A Journey from This World to the Next — John Shaqi
A Journey from This World to the NextFielding, Henry
General
A Journey from This World to the Next
Fielding, Henry
English fiction; Paranormal fiction; Supernatural -- Fiction
A venerable spirit appeared next, whom I found to be the great historian
Livy. Alexander the Great, who was just arrived from the palace of
death, passed by him with a frown. The historian, observing it, said,
“Ay, you may frown; but those troops which conquered the base Asiatic
slaves would have made no figure against the Romans.” We then privately
lamented the loss of the most valuable part of his history; after which
he took occasion to commend the judicious collection made by Mr. Hook,
which, he said, was infinitely preferable to all others; and at my
mentioning Echard’s he gave a bounce, not unlike the going off of
a squib, and was departing from me, when I begged him to satisfy my
curiosity in one point--whether he was really superstitious or no? For
I had always believed he was till Mr. Leibnitz had assured me to the
contrary. He answered sullenly, “Doth Mr. Leibnitz know my mind better
than myself?” and then walked away.
CHAPTER X
The author is surprised at meeting Julian the apostate in
Elysium; but is satisfied by him by what means he procured
his entrance there. Julian relates his adventures in the
character of a slave.
As he was departing I heard him salute a spirit by the name of Mr.
Julian the apostate. This exceedingly amazed me; for I had concluded
that no man ever had a better title to the bottomless pit than he. But
I soon found that this same Julian the apostate was also the very
individual archbishop Latimer. He told me that several lies had been
raised on him in his former capacity, nor was he so bad a man as he had
been represented. However, he had been denied admittance, and forced
to undergo several subsequent pilgrimages on earth, and to act in the
different characters of a slave, a Jew, a general, an heir, a carpenter,
a beau, a monk, a fiddler, a wise man, a king, a fool, a beggar, a
prince, a statesman, a soldier, a tailor, an alderman, a poet, a knight,
a dancing-master, and three times a bishop, before his martyrdom, which,
together with his other behavior in this last character, satisfied the
judge, and procured him a passage to the blessed regions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account