its votaries desirous of being
gods, while the former would make them desirous of being emperors; and
that under the influence of such loves men wish and strive to attain the
objects of their desires, so far as they are left without restraint.

265. Afterwards a hell was opened, where I saw two men, one sitting on a
bench, holding his feet in a basket full of serpents which seemed to be
creeping upwards by his breast even to his neck; and the other sitting
on a blazing ass, at whose sides red serpents were creeping, raising
their heads and necks, and pursuing the rider. I was told that they had
been popes who had compelled emperors to resign their dominions, and had
ill-treated them both in word and deed at Rome, whither they went to
supplicate and adore them; and that the basket in which were the
serpents, and the blazing ass with snakes at his sides, were
representations of their love of dominion grounded on self-love, and
that such appearances are seen only by those who look at them from a
distance. There were some canons present, whom I asked whether those had
really been popes? They said, that they were acquainted with them, and
knew that they had been such.

266. After beholding these sad and hideous spectacles, I looked around,
and saw two angels in conversation standing near me. One wore a woollen
robe that shone bright with flaming purple, and under it a vest of fine
bright linen; the other had on similar garments of scarlet, together
with a turban studded on the right side with carbuncles. I approached
them, and, greeting them with a salutation of peace, respectfully asked
them, "For what purpose are you here below?" They replied, "We have let
ourselves down from heaven by the Lord's command, to speak with you
respecting the blessed lot of those who are desirous to have dominion
from the love of uses. We are worshipers of the Lord. I am prince of a
society; my companion is chief priest of the same." The prince moreover
said, "I am the servant of my society, because I serve it by doing
uses:" the other said, "I am minister of the church there, because in
serving them I minister holy things to the uses of their souls. We both
are in perpetual joys grounded in the eternal happiness which is in them
from the Lord. All things in our society are splendid and magnificent;
they are splendid from gold and precious stones, and magnificent from
palaces and paradises. The reason of this is, because our love of
dominion