'Ah! how knowest thou that devils are beautiful?'

'I was launching the boat, a week ago, with Father Aufugus; and on
the bank,....not very near,....there were two creatures....with long
hair, and striped all over the lower half of their bodies with
black, and red, and yellow....and they were gathering flowers on the
shore. Father Aufugus turned away; but I .... I could not help
thinking them the most beautiful things that I had ever seen....so I
asked him why he turned away; and he said that those were the same
sort of devils which tempted the blessed St. Anthony. Then I
recollected having heard it read aloud, how Satan tempted Anthony in
the shape of a beautiful woman .... And so .... and so .... those
figures on the wall were very like .... and I thought they might
be....'

And the poor boy, who considered that he was making confession of a
deadly and shameful sin, blushed scarlet, and stammered, and at last
stopped.

'And thou thoughtest them beautiful? Oh utter corruption of the
flesh!--oh subtilty of Satan! The Lord forgive thee, as I do, my
poor child; henceforth thou goest not beyond the garden walls.'

'Not beyond the walls! Impossible! I cannot! If thou wert not my
father, I would say, I will not!--I must have liberty!--I must see
for myself--I must judge for myself, what this world is of which you
all talk so bitterly. I long for no pomps and vanities. I will
promise you this moment, if you will, never to re-enter a heathen
temple--to hide my face in the dust whenever I approach a woman.