The Greek Pilgrim's progress. Generally known as the Picture, by Kebes

First: the Gate of Life and its Delusions.

Happening one day to be meditatively visiting a temple of Saturn, we reverently contemplated its votive inscriptions. Prominently affixed to the front of the temple, loomed up large a strange pictorial tablet, containing certain peculiar words, whose significance we were not able to fathom.

It seemed to represent, not some city or military camp, but a triple ring, formed by three concentric walled enclosures.

Within the outer circular wall might be seen a crowd of women; while outside, around the outer gate, surged a large mob, to whose entering streams a certain old man seemed, by his gestures, to be uttering some command.

We stood a long while, questioning with each other about the symbology of the Picture, then an Old man who chanced to pass by stopped, and addressed us, in the following words:

'O Strangers! Not exceptional is this your experience of uncertainty about this Picture: for it is a puzzle even to many of the local inhabitants, this votive symbol does not originate from this locality. A Stranger, full of understanding, and impressive with wisdom, arrived here long since, following with zeal the rule of life of Pythagoras or Parmenides in word and deed. It was he who dedicated to Saturn both Temple and Picture.'

'So you yourself saw and knew this man, did you?' asked I.

'Yes, indeed ! And what is more, I admired him for a long time during my youth.

'It was his way to indulge in many serious conversations. Many is the time that I have heard him expound this symbolic Picture!'

'By Jupiter!' cried I, 'unless you happen to have a most pressing engagement elsewhere, do please explain the Picture to us also! I assure you that we are most anxious to understand the meaning of this symbol!'

'With pleasure, Strangers!' said he. 'But first you must hear that such an explanation is not without its very real dangers.'

'How so?' cried we all.

'Should you,' said he, 'understand and assimilate what I should say, you shall become wise and happy; but if not, you will live badly, having become foolish, unfortunate, bitter, and ignorant.

'For the explanation is not unlike the Sphinx's Riddle, that he propounded to all men. Whoever solved it was saved; but destruction by the Sphinx overtook those who could not. And this was the Sphinx's question: Within our life, What is a good? What is an evil? What is neither?

'If anyone does not solve this, the Sphinx destroys him, not all at once, as in ancient times, but gradually, in his whole life, he perishes away, just like victims tortured to death.

'But if he understands, he is saved, and attains felicity.

'Attention, therefore! and make sure you understand!'

'Now, by Hercules! What Fires hast thou lit in us, if what thou saidst is true!'

'Why, surely!' said he.

'Start in to explain immediately, then! For we shall attend to some purpose, especially in view of the nature of the retribution.'

'Well,' said the Old man, pointing with a wand, 'do you see that outer circular wall?'

'Yes, indeed!'

'First, you must know that the name of this whole place is the Life. This innumerable multitude surging in front of the Gate, are they who are about to enter into Life.

'The Old man who holds in one hand a scroll, and with the other is pointing out something is the Good Genius.

'To those who are entering is he setting forth what they should do when they shall have entered; and he is pointing out to them which Way they shall have to walk in if they propose to be saved is 'the Life.'

'Which way does he command them to go? And why?' said I.

'You see,' said he, 'by the side of the Gate by which the Multitude are to enter, a throne, on which is seated a Woman dressed stylishly – indeed, over-dressed, who holds in her hands as it were some sort of cups – do you see that?'

'Indeed I do,' responded I, 'but who is She?'

'Delusion is her name,' answered he, for the reason that She deludes and misleads every human being.'

'But what is her office?'

'She quenches the thirst of every soul that proceeds into Life, by making it drink of her very own essence.'

'And what might her drink be, I wonder?'

'Error and Ignorance' said he.

'Why so?'

'Because they would not enter into the Life, unless they were under that influence.'

'I wonder whether this Delusion is drunk by all, or only by some?'

'All drink,' said he; 'although there are degrees, some drinking more, others less.

'Then, do you not see within the Gate a crowd of Women wearing the motley garb of Courtesans?'