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 were not as yet satisfied with all the injuries they had
offer'd to the Soldier of Jesus Christ, and therefore dragged him
towards the South, where he saw before him a dreadful Flame of
Sulphurous Matter rising out of a Deep Pit, and vomiting up Men red
hot like Sparks of Fire, and as the force of the Flames abated,
falling down again into the Pit. When they came near this Pit, the
Devils said to the Soldier: 'This is the entrance to Hell; this is
our Habitation: and for as much as thou hast hitherto carefully
served us, here thou shalt for ever continue with us; for all those
who serve us dwell here everlastingly. And when thou shalt once go
in, thou shalt eternally perish both Body and Soul. Notwithstanding,
if thou wilt obey now, and return to the Door of the Cave into which
thou didst enter, thou may'st go safe home to thine own Dwelling.'
The Soldier, who had so often experienced God's Assistance before,
despised both their Threats and Promises. whereupon the Devils,
enraged to see themselves so often contemned, cast themselves
headlong into the Pit, and thrust the Soldier down before them. Who
the further he descended the larger he observed the Pit to grow, and
the more sensibly he felt the pain of the Fire: Here the poor Man
was put to the extent of his patience; for the pain was so
intolerably acute, that for a while he had quite lost his Senses, and
was not able to pronounce the Name of Jesus! but Almighty God taking
pity of him enabled him at last to utter in some manner that Divine
Name: Whereupon the Flame shot him up so as that he fell upon the
Brink of the Pit: but so disordered, that for awhile he knew not
where he was, neither cou'd he tell whither to turn himself. Then a
new and unknown Legion of devils rushing out of the Pit surrounded
him, and asked what he did there? 'Our Companions (say they) told
thee this was the Gate of Hell; but they told thee a lye, and thou
shalt know it is so; for we are always accustomed to tell lyes, that
we may deceive those we cannot by telling the Truth. This is not the
Hell, but now we will bring thee to it.' And having so said, they
dragged the Soldier along to a great and spacious River, that was
cover'd all over with a stinking sulphurous Flame, and filled up with
Devils and damned Souls. Know thou (say they unto him) that under
this River lyeth Hell. Now there was a great and lofty Bridge over
this River, in which three things appear'd very formidable, and
almost impossible to be overcome by those who were to pass over it.
The First, that the Surface of the Bridge was so slippery that it was
impossible for any Man to fix his feet upon it; the Second, that the
passage was so straight and narrow, that no Man cou'd stand or walk
on it. The Third, that the Bridge was so high up over the River, as
to create a Horror in any that shou'd look down. Thou must (added
the Devils) go over this Bridge, and we will raise a mighty Wind
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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