101 



animals. At length they arrive at the court of 

 Varna whose appearance is terrible; his height is 

 two hundred and forty miles, the hairs of his 

 body are as long as a palm-tree, his voice is as 

 lond as thunder, his eyes send out flames of fire, 

 and the noise of his breathing is like a roaring 

 tempest. His conduct towards them corresponds 

 to his terrible appearance." (Purgatory p. L50). 

 The Zoroaster system reveals the following 

 belief. Rawlinson says: "Immediately after 

 death, the souls of men, both good and bad, pro- 

 ceed together along an appointed path to 'the 

 bridge of the gathering." Chinvat. This was a 

 narrow road conducting to heaven, or paradise. 

 over which the souls of the pious alone could 

 pass, while the wicked fell from it into the gulf 

 below, where they found themselves in the place 

 of punishment." (Quoted in Purgatory). 



" Of all religions in the world." says S. Lane- 

 Poole," Islam is the most uncompromising in its 

 conception of hell.*' 



The peculiar ideas of the Muslim are expressed 

 quite graphically in the "torture of the grave."' 

 called the Azab el Kobr. 



The following questions are propounded to an 

 infidel. " Who is thy Lord?" he answers. "Alas, 

 alas! I know not." "What is thy religion?" 

 "Alas, alas! I know not:" "What of the 

 apostle who was sent to thee?" "Alas, alas! 



