The Purgatory of St. PatrickCalderón de la Barca, Pedro
Religion
The Purgatory of St. Patrick
Calderón de la Barca, Pedro
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463? -- Drama
"The Devils, perceiving they had been despised by the Soldier, cast
up a prodigious flame; and having tyed him Head and Foot, cast him
into the Fire, and with Iron Crooks dragg'd him to and fro, making a
most hideous Noise. Then the Soldier having on the Armour of God,
and remembering the Documents given him by the Holy Men, neither
forgetting the Arms of his Spiritual Warfare, called upon the Name of
his pious Redeemer, saying: Jesus Christ have pity upon me.
Whereupon he was so fully deliver'd from the said Flames, that the
least spark of all that great Fire did not appear. The Soldier
perceiving this mighty delivery, became more bold, and resolv'd to
fear no more those whom he saw so easily overcome by calling for the
Assistance of Jesus Christ."
"CHAPTER VI.
"Of the Four Penal Fields to which the Soldier was Dragged.
"Then the Devils leaving this Hall with an hideous Cry, and an horrid
Tumult separated themselves. Some of them dragged the Soldier thro'
a vast Region, that was so dark and obscure, that he cou'd see
nothing but the Devils. There blew a burning Wind in it, which cou'd
scarce be heard, but yet so dry that it seemed to Pierce his Body.
From thence they dragged him towards those bounds of the Earth where
the Sun rises at Midsummer, and being come thither, as unto the end
of the World, they turn'd to the right Hand and extended themselves
over a large Valley towards that part of the Earth where the Sun
rises in the Middle of Winter. Here the Soldier began to hear, at a
distance, the most lamentable Groans and Sighs of a vast Number of
People; and the nearer he drew, the more he heard their doleful
Lamentations. Being brought at last by the Devils to an exceeding
long and large Field, whose bounds were out of sight, he there
discover'd an infinite Number of Men and Women lying naked, flat on
their Bellies, with great Iron Spikes red hot fastening their Hands
and Feet to the Ground, and Miserably torturing them. Nay and
observed them now and then, biteing the Earth for Rage and Pain,
crying and bawling out; "Spare, spare; Pity, pity: when there was
none by, who wou'd Spare or Pity. On the contrary, the Devils ran
over them with great Scourges in their Hands lashing the Wretches,
and saying to the Soldier: "Thus shalt thou be tortur'd if thou dost
not agree to go back to the Door from when thou camest, and to which
we will conduct thee in Peace." But the Soldier calling to mind how
God had before delivered him, despised their Menaces: Then the
Devils cast him down on the Ground, and began to torture him. But
upon his invocating the Lord Jesus, they failed in their attempt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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