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The House of Judgment
And there was silence in the House of Judgment, and
the Man came naked before God.
And God opened the Book of the Life of the Man.
And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil,
and thou hast shown cruelty to those who were in need of
succour, and to those who lacked help thou hast been
bitter and hard of heart. The poor called to thee and
thou didst not hearken, and thine ears were closed to the
cry of My afflicted. The inheritance of the fatherless
thou didst take unto thyself, and thou didst send the
foxes into the vineyard of thy neighbour's field. Thou
didst take the bread of the children and give it to the
dogs to eat, and My lepers who lived in the marshes, and
were at peace and praised Me, thou didst drive forth on
to the highways, and on Mine earth out of which I made
thee thou didst spill innocent blood.'
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'
And again God opened the Book of the Life of the
Man.
And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil,
and the Beauty I have shown thou hast sought for, and the
Good I have hidden thou didst pass by. The walls of thy
chamber were painted with images, and from the bed of
thine abominations thou didst rise up to the sound of
flutes. Thou didst build seven altars to the sins I have
suffered, and didst eat of the thing that may not be
eaten, and the purple of thy raiment was broidered with
the three signs of shame. Thine idols were neither of
gold nor of silver that endure, but of flesh that dieth.
Thou didst stain their hair with perfumes and put
pomegranates in their hands. Thou didst stain their feet
with saffron and spread carpets before them. With
antimony thou didst stain their eyelids and their bodies
thou didst smear with myrrh. Thou didst bow thyself to
the ground before them, and the thrones of thine idols
were set in the sun. Thou didst show to the sun thy shame
and to the moon thy madness.'
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'
And a third time God opened the Book of the Life of
the Man.
And God said to the Man, 'Evil hath been thy life,
and with evil didst thou requite good, and with
wrongdoing kindness. The hands that fed thee thou didst
wound, and the breasts that gave thee suck thou didst
despise. He who came to thee with water went away
thirsting, and the outlawed men who hid thee in their
tents at night thou didst betray before dawn. Thine enemy
who spared thee thou didst snare in an ambush, and the
friend who walked with thee thou didst sell for a price,
and to those who brought thee Love thou didst ever give
Lust in thy turn.'
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'
And God closed the Book of the Life of the Man, and
said, 'Surely I will send thee into Hell. Even into Hell
will I send thee.'
And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.'
And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send
thee to Hell, and for what reason?'
'Because in Hell have I always lived,' answered the
Man.
And there was silence in the House of Judgment.
And after a space God spake, and said to the Man, 'Seeing
that I may not send thee into Hell, surely I will send
thee unto Heaven. Even unto Heaven will I send thee.'
And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.'
And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send
thee to Heaven, and for what reason?'
'Because never, and in no place, have I been able
to imagine it,' answered the Man.
And there was silence in the House of Judgment.
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