praise. I defy any man," quoth he, "to show a lovelier woman in all the
Street of Pride, or a nobler than you in all the Street of Pleasure, or a
kinder than you, good mine uncle, in all the Street of Lucre." "Ah, that
is your good opinion," said my lord, "but I cannot believe that any
couple were ever more united in the bonds of love than we twain." As
they went on the crowd increased, and everyone had a pleasant smile and
low bow for the other, and hastened to salute each other with their noses
to the ground, like a pair of gamecocks on the point of striking. "Know
then," said the Angel, "that thou hast seen naught of civility nor heard
one word which Hypocrisy has not taught. There is no one here, after all
this gentleness, who has a hap'orth of love one to another, yea, many of
them are sworn foes. This lord is the butt {23a} of everybody, and all
have their dig at him. The lady looks only to his greatness and high
degree, so that she may thereby ascend a step above many of her
neighbours. Old Money-bags has his eye on my lord's lands for his own
son, and all the others on the money he received as dowry; for they are
all his dependants, his merchants, tailors, cobblers and other craftsmen,
who have decked him out and maintained him in this splendor, and have
never had a brass farthing for it, nor are likely to get aught save
smooth words and sometimes threats perhaps. 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