第三篇“从我这里走进苦恼之城，走进罪恶之渊，走进幽灵队里。正义感动了我的创世主：我是神权，神智，神爱的作品。除水存的东西之外，在我之前没有所造的物，我和天地同在：你们走进来，把创的希望抛在脑后罢！”
我看见上段文字，黑沉沉地写在大门上；我说：“老师，这些文字的意思叫我很难懂。”他像是一个博学多才的人，对我说：“到了这个地方，一切的恐怖和畏惧都要放在脑后。我们已经到了我对你说起的地方：在这里我们将要看见一群苦恼的、不懂什么叫幸福的幽灵。”于是他拉了我的手，脸上露出微笑，使我心里得到安慰，他引导我走进幽冥之国。
在这里，叹息声，抱怨声，悲啼声，在没有星光的昏暗的空气里应和着。我一阵心酸，不觉掉下泪来。千奇百怪的语音，痛苦的叫喊，可怕的怒骂，高喊和暗泣，拍手和顿足，空气里面喧闹不已，永无静寂，又好似风卷沙尘，遮天蔽日。那时我毛骨悚然，问道：“老师，我所听见的是什么？发出这样痛苦呼声的又是什么人类呢？”他答道：“这些都是无有名声的懦夫，还混杂了一些卑微鄙陋的天使：他们是只知自利的骑墙派，他们对于上帝既不反叛，也不忠实；这一班幽灵既为天国所排斥，因为天国要保持他的纯洁，又不为地狱所收容，因为罪恶之徒尚有一点自夸之处呢。”我说：“那未他们受了什么刑罚，使他们这样痛苦呢？”他答道：“我可以极简单地对你说。他们既没有寂灭的希望，只是过着昏聩平庸的活，也没有改进的可能。世界上对于他们没有记载；正义和慈悲都轻视他们：我们也不必再谈论他们了，看看就走罢！”
那时我看见一面旗子摇动着向前跑，兜着圈子，一刻也不停息，跟着旗子后面的是一大群的幽灵。我要是不看见，真不会相信死神已经办完了这许多！在这些幽灵之中，我还认识几个，我最看得清楚的是那个因为懦怯而让位的。于是我明白了，这一群下贱昏庸的人为上帝所不喜而为他的仇人所不容呀！这些不幸的人，肉体虽生，精神已死；他们都赤身露体，有蚂蜂和牛虻刺着他们；血和泪从他们脸上流到脚跟上，做了毒虫们的食料。
我向远处望去，又看见一群人在一条大河的岸上，于是我说：”老师，允许我知道那里的一群人么？靠着一点弱的光亮我看得见一群人在那里挤着渡河，究竟是谁迫使他们这样做呢？”他答道：“我们走到那条名叫阿刻隆的惨淡的河边就明白了。”因为问话不及时，我觉得有些惭愧，只好低着头，一言不发，直走到河边。
那里看见一个须发皆的老人立在船上，大喊道：“不幸的你们，罪恶的灵魂！不要再希望看见天日了！我来引你们到彼岸：走进幽乡，走进人民，走进冰池。至于你呢，你是活人，快离开他们罢，这些都是死人呀！”他看见我还是站着不动，便怒道：“你另有一条路走，另有一个渡口，另有一个较轻的船来渡你呢。”我的引路人对他说：“卡隆，你不要来阻止，这是上帝的意思，不必多说了。”
老人听罢，果然不说话了，他把发火的眼睛向岸上一望，那些焦枯的裸露着的灵魂都变了面色，紧咬着牙齿；他们咒骂上帝和先祖，一切人类，子子孙孙，甚至他们自己降生的地方和出世的时辰。于是他们走近那可诅咒的青黑色的河，那里等待一切不怕上帝的人。魔鬼卡隆目光如烧着的火炭一般，指挥他们一一登船，迟延的就要受到拷打。好象秋天的黄叶，从树枝上一片一片落到地上，这些亚当的不肖子孙，也一个一个下了船；老舰夫使着一个个眼色，众幽魂就像小鸟们闻唤来归一样。于是他们坐着船渡河了，还没有到达彼岸，这边岸上又聚成一个新群。善良的引路人对我说：“我的孩子，我告诉你，那些遭逢上帝之怒而死的，都从各地聚集在这里。他们急着要渡过这条河，因为神的正义刺着他们，因为他们的害怕，就变得自愿了。善良的灵魂都不走这条路、卡隆所以拒绝你的理由，你也可以明白了。”
他的话说完了，幽暗之乡忽有剧烈的地震，我现在回想起来，还使我浑身出了一阵冷汗呢。在这泪水浸湿之地又刮起了大风，同时带着赤色的闪电，于是我的神经昏乱，耳沉目眩，如睡着了一般。
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
"All hope abandon ye who enter here."
Such characters in colour dim I mark'd
Over a portal's lofty arch inscrib'd:
Whereat I thus: "Master, these words import
Hard meaning." He as one prepar'd replied:
"Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;
Here be vile fear extinguish'd. We are come
Where I have told thee we shall see the souls
To misery doom'd, who intellectual good
Have lost." And when his hand he had stretch'd forth
To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer'd,
Into that secret place he led me on.
Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans
Resounded through the air pierc'd by no star,
That e'en I wept at entering. Various tongues,
Horrible languages, outcries of woe,
Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,
With hands together smote that swell'd the sounds,
Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls
Round through that air with solid darkness stain'd,
Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.
I then, with error yet encompass'd, cried:
"O master! What is this I hear? What race
Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?"
He thus to me: "This miserable fate
Suffer the wretched souls of those, who liv'd
Without or praise or blame, with that ill band
Of angels mix'd, who nor rebellious prov'd
Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves
Were only. From his bounds Heaven drove them forth,
Not to impair his lustre, nor the depth
Of Hell receives them, lest th' accursed tribe
Should glory thence with exultation vain."
I then: "Master! what doth aggrieve them thus,
That they lament so loud?" He straight replied:
"That will I tell thee briefly. These of death
No hope may entertain: and their blind life
So meanly passes, that all other lots
They envy. Fame of them the world hath none,
Nor suffers; mercy and justice scorn them both.
Speak not of them, but look, and pass them by."
And I, who straightway look'd, beheld a flag,
Which whirling ran around so rapidly,
That it no pause obtain'd: and following came
Such a long train of spirits, I should ne'er
Have thought, that death so many had despoil'd.
When some of these I recogniz'd, I saw
And knew the shade of him, who to base fear
Yielding, abjur'd his high estate. Forthwith
I understood for certain this the tribe
Of those ill spirits both to God displeasing
And to his foes. These wretches, who ne'er lived,
Went on in nakedness, and sorely stung
By wasps and hornets, which bedew'd their cheeks
With blood, that mix'd with tears dropp'd to their feet,
And by disgustful worms was gather'd there.
Then looking farther onwards I beheld
A throng upon the shore of a great stream:
Whereat I thus: "Sir! grant me now to know
Whom here we view, and whence impell'd they seem
So eager to pass o'er, as I discern
Through the blear light?" He thus to me in few:
"This shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive
Beside the woeful tide of Acheron."
Then with eyes downward cast and fill'd with shame,
Fearing my words offensive to his ear,
Till we had reach'd the river, I from speech
Abstain'd. And lo! toward us in a bark
Comes on an old man hoary white with eld,
Crying, "Woe to you wicked spirits! hope not
Ever to see the sky again. I come
To take you to the other shore across,
Into eternal darkness, there to dwell
In fierce heat and in ice. And thou, who there
Standest, live spirit! get thee hence, and leave
These who are dead." But soon as he beheld
I left them not, "By other way," said he,
"By other haven shalt thou come to shore,
Not by this passage; thee a nimbler boat
Must carry." Then to him thus spake my guide:
"Charon! thyself torment not: so 't is will'd,
Where will and power are one: ask thou no more."
Straightway in silence fell the shaggy cheeks
Of him the boatman o'er the livid lake,
Around whose eyes glar'd wheeling flames. Meanwhile
Those spirits, faint and naked, color chang'd,
And gnash'd their teeth, soon as the cruel words
They heard. God and their parents they blasphem'd,
The human kind, the place, the time, and seed
That did engender them and give them birth.
Then all together sorely wailing drew
To the curs'd strand, that every man must pass
Who fears not God. Charon, demoniac form,
With eyes of burning coal, collects them all,
Beck'ning, and each, that lingers, with his oar
Strikes. As fall off the light autumnal leaves,
One still another following, till the bough
Strews all its honours on the earth beneath;
E'en in like manner Adam's evil brood
Cast themselves one by one down from the shore,
Each at a beck, as falcon at his call.
Thus go they over through the umber'd wave,
And ever they on the opposing bank
Be landed, on this side another throng
Still gathers. "Son," thus spake the courteous guide,
"Those, who die subject to the wrath of God,
All here together come from every clime,
And to o'erpass the river are not loth:
For so heaven's justice goads them on, that fear
Is turn'd into desire. Hence ne'er hath past
Good spirit. If of thee Charon complain,
Now mayst thou know the import of his words."
This said, the gloomy region trembling shook
So terribly, that yet with clammy dews
Fear chills my brow. The sad earth gave a blast,
That, lightening, shot forth a vermilion flame,
Which all my senses conquer'd quite, and I
Down dropp'd, as one with sudden slumber seiz'd.