I made all haste to leave their loathsome kennel, but I had not proceeded far before I observed, to my astonishment, another prison full of women, still more abominable; some had become frogs; some, dragons; some, serpents, and there they swam about, hissing and foaming, and butting one another, in a fœtid, stagnant pool that was much larger than Bala Lake. “Pray, what can these be?” asked I. “There are here,” said he, “four chief classes of women, not to mention their minions—_Firstly_: Panders, who maintained harlots to sell their virginity an hundred times, and the worst of these around them. _Secondly_: Mistresses of gossip, surrounded by thousands of tale-bearing hags. _Thirdly_: Huntresses followed by a pack of cowardly, skulking hounds, for no man ever dared approach them, unless in fear of them. _Fourthly_: The scolds, become a hundredfold more horrid than snakes, always grinding and gnashing their venomous stings.” “I would have deemed Lucifer too gracious a monarch to place a noble lady of my rank with these vulgar furies,” complained one, who much resembled the others, but was far more hideous than a winged serpent. “Oh, that he would send hither seven hundred of the basest demons of hell in exchange for thee, thou poisonous hellworm,” cried another ugly viper. “Many thanks to you,” quoth a gigantic devil, overhearing them, “we regard our place and worth as something better; though ye would cause everyone as much pain as we, yet we do not choose to be deprived of our office in your favor.” “And Lucifer hath another reason,” whispered the Angel, “for keeping strict guard over these, and that is, lest on breaking loose, they might send all hell into utter confusion.”