ves."

Then the righteous angels answered him benevol- 2525
ently:

"Thou shalt be successful in this petition, now thou
speakest about that city: withdraw immediately to that
fastness. We shall keep thee in peace and safety. We
must not wreak the wrath of God upon these law- 2530
breakers and destroy the sinful race, before thou hast
led thy children and wife likewise into Saegor."

Then the kinsman of Abraham set out for the fastness:
the chieftain did not spare the pace for his womenfolk, 2535
but he pushed his steps most hastily until he had brought
his wife and children to the citadel of Saegor. When the
sun rose, [when] the peaceful luminary of the nations
went forth, then, I have heard, the Master of Glory sent 2540
sulphur out of heaven, and swart flame for the punish-
ment of men, swelling fire, since they had offended the
Lord for a long period in former days: thus the Ruler of
spirits gave them retribution. Utmost terror seized upon 2545
the heathen race: tumult arose in the city, the outcry
of the accursed race over shameful death, just beginning.
The flame seized upon all that it found green, in the rich
city, just as around outside no small portion of the broad 2550
earth was filled with conflagration and terror: trees
and earth's harvests turned to ashes and embers, even
as far as the avenging curse direly extended over the 2555
broad country of the people. The devastating fire
rushing on in tumult devoured all things together, far
and wide, that men had owned in the cities of Sodoma
and Gomorra: all this, together with the people, God 2560
the Lord destroyed.

When Loth's wife, his bride in the city, heard the din
of fire, the death of the people, then she looked back-
ward [to see] this devastation. The Scriptures tell us
that she immediately turned into the likeness of a pillar
of salt: ever since then this statue has stood there 2565
motion less (this is a strange story), where she incurred
this severe penalty because she would not obey the
ministers of glory in their commands: now, stiff and
erect, she will have to await her doom in that place, at 2570
the Lord's Judgment Day, when the world has com-
pleted its [allotted] number of years. This is one of
the miracles which the King of Glory has wrought.

XXXI.

Then Abraham went forth alone, at