which when they had carried out the first slain combatant, with armed men, and a dying stroke of the Drum, clothed all in the colour which best notes by his external hue the internal sorrow. Then next there entered two Pages all in silver white, crowned with Bays, carrying their Torches aloft declaring the height of their glory by the height of their flames: next to them divers Trumpeters and all in white, urging forth into the vast air their victorious flourishes, next a great standard bearer, and I cannot tell what, but the conclusion was, that the triumph was exceeding great and pompous, adorned with as many ceremonies as such a victory might or could be, the Spirit when they were all gone began to speak and said, this was the battle which was fought for the great Realm of Asia, by Hercules and Orontides, where Orontides was slain, and Hercules sore wounded, but yet recovered, after which he achieved his twelve labours, and the thirteenth of which the Poet speaketh, the hardest of all. _Tertius hinc decimus labor est durissimus, una Quinquaginta simul stuprauit nocte puellas._ This History is as I do think in the Chronicle of Hell, for I did never hear of it before, nor anybody else, I appeal to all the Histories. Marry it may be this was when Hercules was a little Boy, and then peradventure indeed the records make no mention of it, but yet we have that recorded which he did when he was less than a little Boy, as his killing of a Serpent in his Cradle, and such a History as I do remember is enrolled in the golden Book of the seven wise Masters of Rome, an authentical author. But let that pass and let us draw more near unto the cause: For as the Devil was afore our days, so by authority he may allege experience, and we must of necessity believe that it is either true or a lie. Mephostophiles continued his speech for all this parenthesis, declaring to Wagner his meaning in this point for (quoth he) as you see these two champions contending for the title of victory, one of them must needs, if they try the extremest as they did, receive the dishonour, the other the glory, so in the combat wherein the dying body battleth with the lively soul, the soul, if grace hath made acceptable, shall enjoy those everlasting pleasures of Paradise, and dwell in heaven blessed and glorious amongst the beautiful Angels, but if it be counted as reprobate and outcast of God, then according to that punishment which his great sins did deserve, he can have no other place but the continual horror of hell, wherein we miserable dwell, and the ugly company of black Devils and his frightful Angels. There is no other mean but honour or dishonour in this case, no other mean but joy or pain, no other mean but heaven or hell perpetually: there is no place left for a third. I could more copiously dispute of this matter, but that I will not be too tedious in so exile[54] a question. For where it is said in an author to which I am witness,