irit. But thou must consider
all things diligently; for therefore
am I sent into thy house by that
venerable messenger, that when
thou shalt have seen all things
powerfully, thou mayest not be
afraid as before.

5 And he led me to the height
of a mountain in Arcadia, and we
sat upon its top. And he showed
me a great plain, and about it
twelve mountains in different
figures.

6 The first was black as soot.
The second was smooth, without
herbs. The third was full of
thorns and thistles. The fourth
had herbs half dried; of which
the upper part was green, but that
next the root was dry; and some
of the herbs, when the sun grew
hot, were dry.

7 The fifth mountain was very
rugged; but yet had green herbs.
The sixth mountain was full of
clefts, some lesser, and some
greater; and in these clefts grew
grass, not flourishing, but which
seemed to be withering.

8 The seventh mountain had
delightful pasture, and was wholly
fruitful; and all kinds of cattle,
and of the birds of heaven; fed
upon it; and the more they fed
on it, the more and better did the
grass grow.

9 The eighth mountain was full
of fountains, and from those
fountains were watered all kinds of
the creatures of Cod. The ninth
mountain had no water at all, but
was wholly destitute of it; and
nourished deadly serpents, very
destructive to men.

10 The tenth mountain was full
of tall trees, and altogether shady;
and under the shade of them lay
cattle resting and chewing the cud.

11 The eleventh mountain was
full of the thickest trees, and
those trees seemed to be loaded
with several sorts of fruits; that
whosoever saw them could not choose
but desire to eat of their fruit.

12 The twelfth mountain was
altogether white, and of a most
pleasant aspect, and itself gave a
most excellent beauty to itself.

13 In the middle of the plain
he showed me a huge white rock,
which rose out of the plain, and
the rock was higher than those
mountains, and was square; so
that it seemed capable of supporting
the whole world.

14 It looked to me to be old,
yet it had in it a new gate, which
seemed to have been newly hewn
out of it. Now that gate was
bright beyond the sun itself;
insomuch, that I greatly wondered
at its light.

15 About the gate stood twelve
virgins; of which four that stood
at the corners of the gate, seemed
to me to be the chiefest, although
the rest were also of worth: and
they stood in the four parts of the