Портрет художника в юності
Chapter 3
Inoldentimesitwasthecustomtopunishtheparricide,themanwhohadraisedhismurderoushandagainsthisfather,bycastinghimintothedepthsoftheseainasackinwhichwereplacedacock,amonkey,andaserpent.Theintentionofthoselaw-giverswhoframedsuchalaw,whichseemscruelinourtimes,wastopunishthecriminalbythecompanyofhurtfulandhatefulbeasts.Butwhatisthefuryofthosedumbbeastscomparedwiththefuryofexecrationwhichburstsfromtheparchedlipsandachingthroatsofthedamnedinhellwhentheybeholdintheircompanionsinmiserythosewhoaidedandabettedtheminsin,thosewhosewordssowedthefirstseedsofevilthinkingandevillivingintheirminds,thosewhoseimmodestsuggestionsledthemontosin,thosewhoseeyestemptedandalluredthemfromthepathofvirtue.Theyturnuponthoseaccomplicesandupbraidthemandcursethem.Buttheyarehelplessandhopeless:itistoolatenowforrepentance.
—Lastofallconsiderthefrightfultormenttothosedamnedsouls,temptersandtemptedalike,ofthecompanyofthedevils.Thesedevilswillafflictthedamnedintwoways,bytheirpresenceandbytheirreproaches.Wecanhavenoideaofhowhorriblethesedevilsare.SaintCatherineofSienaoncesawadevilandshehaswrittenthat,ratherthanlookagainforonesingleinstantonsuchafrightfulmonster,shewouldprefertowalkuntiltheendofherlifealongatrackofredcoals.Thesedevils,whowereoncebeautifulangels,havebecomeashideousanduglyastheyoncewerebeautiful.
