" The angel then said to me,
"All hell consists of such persons, who are there called satans and
devils; satans, if they have confirmed themselves in favor of nature to
the denial of God, and devils, if they have lived wickedly, and thereby
rejected all acknowledgement of God from their hearts; but I will lead
you to the _gymnasia_, which are in the south-west, where such persons
dwell, having not yet departed to their infernal abodes." He took me by
the hand and led me there. I saw some small houses, in which were
apartments for the studious, and in the midst of them one which served
as a principal hall to the rest. It was constructed of a pitchy kind of
stone, covered with a sort of glazed plates, that seemed to sparkle with
gold and silver, like the stones called _Glades Mariae_; and here and
there were interspersed shells which glittered in like manner. We
approached and knocked at the door, which was presently opened by one
who bade us welcome. He then went to the table, and fetched four books,
and said, "These books are the wisdom which is at this day the
admiration of many kingdoms: this book or wisdom is the admiration of
many in France, this of many in Germany, this of some in Holland, and
this of some in England:" He further said, "If you wish to see it, I
will cause these four books to shine brightly before your eyes:" he then
poured forth and spread around them the glory of his own reputation, and
the books presently shone as with light; but this light instantly
vanished from our sight.
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