THE HOUSE OF JUDGEMENT
nd 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 unto 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.
The Teacher of Wisdom
Back to The
Oscar Wilde Collection
|