How many layers, how many
folds had Hypocrisy laid over the face of Truth! He, promising greatness
to his love, while his lands were on the point of being sold; she,
promising him dower and beauty, while her beauty is but artificial, and
cancer is consuming both her dowry and her body." "Well, this teaches
us," said I, "never to judge by appearances." "Yes verily," said he,
"but come on and I will show thee more."
At the word he transported me up to where the churches of the City of
Destruction were; for everyone therein, even the unbelieving, has a
semblance of religion. And it was to the temple of the unbelievers that
we first came, and there I saw some worshipping a human form, others the
sun, the moon and a countless other like gods down to onions and garlic;
and a great goddess called Deceit was universally worshipped. However,
there were some traces of the influence of Christianity to be found in
most of these religions. Thence we came to a congregation of mutes,
{24a} where there was nothing but sighing and quaking and beating the
breast. "Here," said the Angel, "is the appearance of great repentance
and humility, but which in reality is perversity, stubbornness, pride and
utter darkness; although they talk much about the light within, they have
not even the spectacles of nature which the heathen thou erstwhile saw,
possess.
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