, memory, and
understanding--conscience is tearing the lost one, in a manner far worse
than all the devils in Hell could tear him with their claws."

On coming out of this wonderful nook I heard a confused talking, and
after every word such a ghastly laughter, as if five hundred devils were
casting their horns with laughing. On approaching to see the cause of
such a rarity as laughter in Hell, I discovered that it was only got up
to incense two honorable gentlemen, newly arrived, who were insisting on
being shown respect suitable to their gentility. One of them was a round
bodied squire, having with him a big roll of parchment--namely his map of
pedigree--out of which he recited from which of the fifty tribes of North
Wales he was sprung, and how many justices of the peace, and how many
sheriffs his house had produced. "Come, come," said one of the devils,
"we know the merits of the greater part of your ancestry. If you had
been like your father or your great grandfather, we should not have
ventured to come in contact with you; but you are only the heir of the
pit of darkness, you dirty hell-dog! You are scarcely worthy of a
night's lodging," added he, "and yet we'll grant you some nook, wherein
to await the dawn;" and with that word the goblin with his pitchfork,
gave him more than thirty tosses in the fiery air, until he at length
cast him into an abyss out of sight. "That may do," said the other, "for
a squire of half blood, but I hope you will behave better to a knight,
who has had the honor of serving the king in person, and can name twelve
earls and fifty baronets belonging to his ancient house." "If your
ancestors and your ancient house be all that you can bring in your
defence, you may go the same road as he," said one of the devils,
"because we can scarcely remember one ancient house, of which some
oppressor, murderer, or strong thief did not lay the foundation, and
which he did not transmit to people as froward as himself, or to lazy
drones, or drunken swine, to maintain whose extravagant magnificence, the
vassals and the tenantry must be squeezed to death, whilst every handsome
colt or pretty cow in the neighbourhood must be parted with for the
pleasure of the mistress, and every lass or married woman, may consider
herself fortunate, if she escape the pleasure of the master; the
freeholders, meanwhile, being either obliged to follow him like fawning
hounds, rob themselves for his benefit, and sell their