Great wail and cruel sound of stripes that city sendeth out,
And iron clanking therewithal of fetters dragged about.

Then fearfully AEneas stayed, and drank the tumult in:
"O tell me, Maiden, what is there? What images of sin? 560
What torments bear they? What the wail yon city casts abroad?"

Then so began the seer to speak: "O glorious Teucrian lord,
On wicked threshold of the place no righteous foot may stand:
But when great Hecate made me Queen of that Avernus land,
She taught me of God's punishments and led me down the path.
--There Gnosian Rhadamanthus now most heavy lordship hath,
And heareth lies, and punisheth, and maketh men confess
Their deeds of earth, whereof made glad by foolish wickedness,
They thrust the late repentance off till death drew nigh to grip:
Those guilty drives Tisiphone, armed with avenging whip, 570
And mocks their writhings, casting forth her other dreadful hand
Filled with the snakes, and crying on her cruel sister's band.
And then at last on awful hinge loud-clanging opens wide
The Door of Doom:--and lo, behold what door-ward doth abide
Within the porch, what thing it is the city gate doth hold!
More dreadful yet the Water-worm, with black mouth fiftyfold,
Hath dwelling in the inner parts. Then Tartarus aright
Gapes sheer adown; and twice so far it thrusteth under night
As up unto the roof of heaven Olympus lifteth high:
And there the ancient race of Earth, the Titan children, lie, 580
Cast down by thunder, wallowing in bottomless abode.
There of the twin Aloidae the monstrous bodies' load
I saw; who fell on mighty heaven to cleave it with their hands,
That they might pluck the Father Jove from out his glorious lands;
And Salmoneus I saw withal, paying the cruel pain
That fire of Jove and heaven's own voice on earth he needs must feign:
He, drawn by fourfold rush of steeds, and shaking torches' glare,
Amidmost of the Grecian folks, amidst of Elis fair,
Went glorying, and the name of God and utter worship sought.
O fool! the glory of the storm, and lightning like to nought, 590
He feigned with rattling copper things and beat of horny hoof.
Him the Almighty Father smote from cloudy rack aloof,
But never brand nor pitchy flame of smoky pine-tree cast,
As headlong there he drave him down amid the whirl