Touch not (quoth he) that's none of thine,

But wend and walk with me,

And see thou mark each several thing,
Which I shall show to thee

I wonder'd greatly at his words,
Yet went with him away,
Till on a goodly pleasant bank,
With him he bade me stay.

With branches then of lillies white
Mine eyes there wiped he,
When this was done he bad me look,
What I far off could see.

I looked up, and lo at last
I did a city see,

So fair a thing did never man
Behold with mortal eye!

Of diamonds, pearls, and precious stones,
It seem'd the walls were made;

The houses all with beaten gold
Were tiled, and overlaid.

More brighter than the morning sun,

The light thereof did show,

And every creature in the same,

Like crowned kings did go.

The fields about this city fair,
Were all with roses set,...
Gilly-flowers, and carnations fair,
Which canker could not fret.

And from these fields there did proceed The sweet'st and pleasant'st smell That ever living creature felt,

The scent did so excell.

Besides such sweet triumphant mirth,

Did from the city sound, That I therewith was ravished,

My joy did so abound.

With musick, mirth, and melody,

Princes did there embrace, And in my heart I long'd to be Within that joyful place.

The more I gaz'd, the more I might,
The sight pleas'd me so well;
For what I saw in every thing,
My tongue can no way tell.

Then of the man I did demand,

What place the same might be, Whereas so many kings do dwell In joy and melody?

Quoth he, that blessed place is heaven,
Where yet thou must not rest,

And those that do like Princes walk,
Are men whom God hath blest.

Then did he turn me round about,
And on the other side.

He bad me view, and mark as much,
What things are to be spied.

With that I saw a coal-black den,
All tann'd with soot and smoke,
Where stinking brimestone burning was,
Which made me like to choke.

Whose face with knives was slasht,

And in a caldron of poison'd filth,

His ugly corpse was wash'd.

About his neck were fiery ruffs,

That flamed on every

side;

I ask'd, and lo! the young man said,
That he was damn'd for pride.

Another sort then did I see,

Whose bowels vipers tore,
And grievously with gaping mouth
They did both yell and roar.

A spotted person by each one
Stood gnawing on their hearts,
And this was Conscience, I was told,
That plagued their envious parts.

These were no sooner out of sight,
But straight came in their place,
A sort still throwing burning fire,
Which fell against their face.

And ladles full of melted gold
Were poured down their throats;
And these were set (it seem'd to me)
In midst of burning boats.

The foremost of this company
Was Judas, I was told,
Who had for filthy lucre's sake,
His lord and master sold.

For covetousness these were condemn'd,

So it was told to me :

And then methought another rout

Of hell-hounds I did see.

Their faces they seem'd fat in sight,
Yet all their bones were bare,
And dishes full of crawling toads
Was made their finest fare.

From arms, from hands, from thighs and feet,

With red hot pincers then,

The flesh was pluck'd even from the bone

Of these vile gluttonous men.

On coal-black beds another sort
In grievous sort did lie,

And underneath them burning brands,
Their flesh did burn and fry,

With brimstone fierce their pillows eke,
Whereon their heads were laid,
And fiends with whips of glowing fire,
Their lecherous skin off flaid.

Then did I see another come,
Stab'd in with daggers thick,
And filthy fiends, with fiery darts,
Their hearts did wound and prick.

And mighty bowls of corrupt blood,
Was brought for them to drink,
And these men for murder plagued,
From which they could not shrink.

I saw, when these were gone away,
The Swearer, and the Liar,

And these were hung up by their tongues,
Right o'er a flaming fire.