Welsh literature -- 18th century; Welsh literature -- Translations into English; Wynne, Ellis, 1671-1734
On our approach, I observed that over each door the name of the Death who
kept it was written, and also that at each door were an hundred various
things left all of a heap, showing plainly that those who went through
were in haste. Over one door I saw “Hunger,” and yet on the floor close
by were full purses, and bags, and brass-nailed trunks. “This is the
Porch of Misers,” said Sleep. “Whom do those rags belong to?” “To the
misers, mostly,” he replied, “but there are some which belong to idlers,
gossipmongers and others, who, poor in everything except in spirit,
preferred to die of hunger rather than ask for help.” Next door was
Death-by-Cold, and when I came opposite him I could hear much shuddering
and shivering, and at his door, were many books, pots and flagons, a few
sticks and bludgeons, compasses, cords and ship’s tackle. “Scholars have
gone this way,” said I. “Yea, lonely and helpless, far from the succour
of those who loved them, their very garments stolen from them. Those,”
he continued, pointing to the pots, “are relics of the boon companions,
whose feet were benumbed under the benches, while their heads were
seething in drink and noise; those things over there belonged to those
who journeyed amid snow-clad mountains, and to North Sea traders.” The
next was a lanky skeleton called Fear-Death—so transparent you could see
he had no heart; at his door, too, there were bags and chests, bars and
strongholds. Through this one went userers and traitors, oppressors and
murderers, though many of these last called at the next door, at which
was a Death named Gallows, with a rope ready round his neck. Next to him
was Love-Death, and at his feet thousands of musical instruments and
song-books, love-letters, spots and pigments to beautify the face, and
hundreds of tinselled toys for the same purpose, together with a few
swords: “With these rivals have fought duels for their mistresses, and
some have killed themselves,” said Sleep. I could see that this Death
was sandblind. At the next door was a Death whose colour was worst of
all, and whose liver was entirely gone—his name was Envy. “This is the
Death,” said Sleep, “which brings hither those who have lost money,
slanderers, and a rideress or two, who are jealous of the law which
demands that a wife should submit herself unto her husband.” “Pray, sir,
what is a rideress?” “A rideress is a woman who will over-ride her
husband, her neighbourhood, and the whole country if she can, and by dint
of long riding, at last, rides a devil from that door down to the
bottomless pit.” Next was the door of Ambition-Death for those who hold
their heads high, and break their necks, for want of looking on the
ground they tread on; at this door lay crowns, sceptres, standards,
petitions for offices, and all manner of arms of heraldry and war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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