this apparition, I stepped hastily back, two or three paces, and drew my sword, suspecting that some one was thus disguised, to do me an injury. The porter, perceiving my embarrassment, approached, telling me to fear nothing; for he was thus clothed, to deter the saints, who constantly endeavoured to abstract the damned from hell. “It is then true, that this is hell,” said I. “Yes, at your service: enter, enter, my lord, one had better come here living than dead.” I immediately walked in, and besought a devil whom I met, to show me the apartments of the palace: he called himself _Curiosity_; this was his appellation of war, or rather that of his employment; for as angels take theirs from their offices near God or men, so likewise demons are named, from the services they execute, or the dignities with which they are invested. “They denominate me _Curiosity_,” said the demon, “because it is I who inspire men with the desire of seeing, listening, proving, and tasting; and as it is curiosity that opens the door of sin, so it is I who open that of hell.” “You may conduct me there,” said I, “on condition that you bring me back to the gate again, after I have examined it; and you will oblige me still farther, by leading me afterwards to paradise, which I would also visit.” “It is not I,” replied Curiosity, “who can conduct you thither, and open the door; the guide of the way is Retirement, the porter, Virtue; but I will show you every thing worthy of notice here, and reconduct you to the place from whence I take you.” “Very well,” said I, and followed him. We first entered into a spacious court, where the devils were scourging the unhappy, who cried, “pardon, pardon, my God! I did not reflect—I did not believe—who told me of these things;” and many other similar expostulations. “These,” observed the devil, “are people, that have come to hell without thinking about it, without fear, and without believing it.” “They were then honest in their faith; but why punish those guilty only through ignorance?” The devil replied, “they ought to think upon the matter, to instruct themselves, and be persuaded that hell is no place for mercy—so much the worse for them.” I passed from thence into a great chamber, where there were many men gaming, who swore and blasphemed because they had lost a little money, or played a bad card. “Behold these people,” said I to the devil, “how impatient and hasty!” “That is the cause of their being here.” In another room we found comedians, who mourned at their captivity, shut up for having made the world laugh. Said they; “if by chance some equivocal words have impressed the spectators with evil thoughts, was it not rather their fault than ours?”