ure, and intertwined with all their thoughts, words and actions,
almost since the time of their childhood." After I had inspected for a
time the falsehood of every corner of the edifice, a procession passed by
with a deal of weeping and groaning, and many men and horses dight in
habits of deep mourning. Presently came a wretched widow, closely
muffled, in order that she might look no more on this vile world; she was
feebly crying, and groaning slowly in the intervals of fainting
fits--verily, I could not help weeping myself, out of pity. "Pooh,
pooh," said the angel, "keep your tears for something more worthy; these
faintings are only a lesson of Hypocrisy, and in her great school these
black garments were fashioned. There is not one of these people weeping
seriously; the widow, before the body left the house, had wedded another
man, in her heart; and if she could get rid of the expense attending the
body, she would not care a rush if the soul of her husband were at the
bottom of hell; nor would her relations, more than herself; because when
his disease was hardest upon him, instead of giving him salutary counsel
and praying fervently, for the Lord to have mercy upon him, they only
talked to him about his effects, and about his testament, or his
pedigree, or what a handsome vigorous man he had been, and the like; so
all this lamenting is mere sham--some are mourning in obedience to custom
and habit, others for company's sake, and others for hire."

Scarcely had this procession passed by, when, lo, another crowd came in
sight. A certain nobleman, prodigiously magnificient, and his lady at
his side, were going along in state; many respectable men were capping
them, and there were a thousand also behind them, shewing them every kind
of submission and reverence, and by the _favours_, I perceived that it
was a wedding: "He must be a very exalted nobleman," said I, "who merits
so much respect from all these people." "If you should consider the
whole, you would say something quite different," said my guide; "that
nobleman is one from the street of Pleasure; and the female, is a damsel
from the street of Pride, and the old man yonder, who is speaking with
him, is one from the street of Lucre, who has lent money upon nearly all
the land of the nobleman, and is to-day come to settle accounts." We
drew nigh to hear the conversation.

"Verily, sir," says the usurer, "I would not for all I possess, that you
should want any th