Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/259

Rh eels and serpents fighting, hustling, holding on to each other, trying to lift themselves out of the mire.

"And I said to the Spirit of Truth: 'Why are these so many? Surely they do outnumber all others in hell.' And the Spirit answered: 'Because all men are liars. Some lie to each other, and some to God, and some to themselves; but all are liars, and none speak the truth. Some indeed know not what truth is.'

"Then I said: 'Tell me what others dwell in hell.' And Truth replied: 'There are the mischief-makers. Their hell is like unto the liars', save that an eternal wind doth blow on their ears; and there are the traitors; they too are in a bottomless pit, and are divided thus: traitors to their country, traitors to their Lord, traitors to their friends, traitors to their kinsmen. These last are worst of all; for, if a man honour not his own flesh and blood, whom then will he honour? Besides, these are they who weary souls by much reproving, and they who judge. They who judge are weighed in balances; day and night are they weighed, and ever are they found wanting; and the weighing ceaseth never and every evil thought they have had towards others is returned into their own bosom.'

"Then I inquired: 'Wherefore still remaineth so much room in hell?' And Truth answered: 'For the generations to come, there are many races and many generations yet to come, and each that cometh after will be judged more hardly, because it hath known the truth and hath suffered lighter persecution. Last of all will come the judgment of them of the West, who make profession of belief in Jesus;