“Hah!” said Rinaldo; “and may I ask whether they can be saved?”

“It is a bold thing to ask,” said the devil; “but do you take the Redeemer for a partisan, and fancy he died for you only?  Be assured he died for the whole world, Antipodes and all.  Perhaps not one soul will be left out the pale of salvation at last, but the whole human race adore the truth, and find mercy.  The Christian is the only true religion; but Heaven loves all goodness that believes honestly, whatsoever the belief may be.”

Rinaldo was mightily taken with the humanity of the devil’s opinions:  but they were now approaching the end of their journey, and began to hear the noise of the battle; and he could no longer think of any thing but the delight of being near Orlando, and plunging into the middle of it.

“You shall be in the very heart of it instantly,” said his bearer.  “I love you, and would fain do all you desire.  Do not fancy that all nobleness of spirit is lost among us people below.  You know what the proverb says, ’There’s never a fruit, however degenerate, but will taste of its stock.’  I was of a different order of beings once, and—­But it is as well not to talk of happy times.  Yonder is Marsilius; and there goes Orlando.  Farewell, and give me a place in your memory.”

Rinaldo could not find words to express his sense of the devil’s good-will, nor of that of Foul Mouth himself.  He said:  “Ashtaroth, I am as sorry to part with you as if you were a brother; and I certainly do believe that nobleness of spirit exists, as you say, among your people below.  I shall be glad to see you both sometimes, if you can come; and I pray God (if my poor prayer be worth any thing) that you may all repent, and obtain his pardon; for without repentance, you know, nothing can be done for you.”

“If I might suggest a favour,” returned Ashtaroth, “since you are so good as to wish to do me one, persuade Malagigi to free me from his service, and I am yours for ever.  To serve you will be a pleasure to me.  You will only have to say, ‘Ashtaroth,’ and my good friend here will be with you in an instant.”

“I am obliged to you,” cried Rinaldo, “and so is my brother.  I will write Malagigi, not merely a letter, but a whole packet-full of your praises; and so I will to Orlando; and you shall be set free, depend on it, your company has been so perfectly agreeable.”

“Your humble servant,” said Ashtaroth, and vanished with his companion like lightning.

But they did not go far.

There was a little chapel by the road-side in Roncesvalles, which had a couple of bells; and on the top of that chapel did the devils place themselves, in order that they might catch the souls of the infidels as they died, and so carry them off to the infernal regions.  Guess if their wings had plenty to do that day!  Guess if Minos and Rhadamanthus were busy, and Charon sung in his boat, and Lucifer hugged himself for joy.  Guess, also, if the tables in heaven groaned with nectar and ambrosia, and good old St. Peter had a dry hair in his beard.