第十九篇魔法师西门呀！他的一群不幸的徒子徒孙呀！应该与善行合在一起的上帝之物，你们的贪心把他去换了金银，现在判决你们的喇叭响了，这里的第三条沟就是你们的归宿之地！
我们已经登上第三座桥的顶点，正望到那条新沟的中心。无上的智慧呀！你的工程，无论在天上，在地面，或在罪恶的世界，是多么的伟大呀！你的布置是多么的公正呀！我看见灰色的岩石上，或在沟底，或在沟壁，都有许多孔穴，都是圆形的，而且是一样的大小。因此我回忆起我那美丽的圣约翰教堂，在那儿的洗礼盘旁边，也有类此大小的大理石做的孔穴，这是施洗者立足之处。不多年以前，我曾经打碎其中的一个，因为当时有一个人跌下去爬不起来；我趁此机会，解释世人的误会。在那每个孔穴之口，露着罪人的脚和小腿，其余的身体都埋在里面。他们脚底都燃着火，因此他们的腿抖动得非常剧烈，假使有绳索缚牢，也要给他们弄断的。那里的火，和烧着涂油的东西一般，只烧在表面上，从脚跟烧到脚尖。
我说：“老师呀！那个筋肉抽搐得最厉害的，脚底火光最红的是谁呢？”他对我说：“假使你愿意我把你带到那里，从那边的堤岸走下去，你就可以听见他自己的说话，知道他的罪恶。”我说：“你是我的老师，我不会违背你的意见，我赞成：而且你知道我不曾说出口的思想。”
于是我们走到第四条堤岸，向右边转弯，降入狭隘而有孔穴的沟里。善良的老师扶着我，直走到那用腿的抖动来表示痛苦的灵魂旁边。我开头说：“不幸的幽灵呀！你的上部倒转在下面，好像一个木桩钉在那里，你是谁呀？假使你能够说话，那末请你告诉我罢。”我说话像一个教士的口吻，面对着一个谋杀犯，现在他的罪已在执行了，他还在那里忏悔，以延长他的寿命呢。于是他叫道：“你已经站在这里么，卜尼法斯？那末预言书对我说了几年诳呢。你厌弃了你的财富这样快么？你用诈骗的手段，得了绝代的美人，稍后你又遗弃了她。”
找听了他这几句活，真是糊涂，所以也不知道怎样回答。那时维吉尔对我说：“你快些对他说：我不是他，我不是你所猜想的人。”我就照他的话回答了。于是那幽灵剧烈地扭动他的脚，后来悲伤了一回，带着哭声对我说：“那末你要问我什么？你从堤岸上走下来，假使你是真心要知道我是谁，那末我告诉你：我穿的是一个大斗篷；我确是熊的儿子，我要繁殖我的后代，我在世时装满了我的袋子，在这里我又装了我自己。在我下面的，是那些在我之前做着圣职买卖的，他们都倒栽在石缝里面。我也要移到下面去的，只等着方才我把你当做他的那个人来到。我倒栽在这里，脚底给火烧着，我受的这种痛苦要比我的后继人要长，他将要倒栽在我这个窟窿里，一双脚红着。因为在他以后，将有一个从西方来的牧师，这个牧师无法无天，行为更加丑恶，又要做他的后继人。这个牧师可说是伊阿宋再世，这个伊阿宋的事迹载在《玛喀比传》一书中；有一个国王听从伊阿宋。听从这个牧师的则是统治法兰西的国王。”
在这个时候，我不知道我自己是否发疯了，因为我用下面的一番话回答他：“原来如此；请你告诉我，我主给圣彼得钥匙之前，我主要了多少财宝？他没有要一点，他不过说：‘你跟从我！’当那个叛徒出走之后，马提亚被推为使徒之一，但是彼得和别人都没有收受他的金银。所以，你安心在这里罢，你的刑罚是罪有应得的；你抓住你的不义之财罢，他买得动你以猛烈地反对查理呢。假使不是你在生前掌握过那至大的钥匙，我就要用更严厉的话句：因为你的贪心，使世界变为悲惨，把善良踩在脚底下，把凶恶捧在头顶上。《福音书》的著作者就想到你这样的牧师，当他看见她坐在众水之上，和那些君王奸淫；她生有七头十角，只要她的丈夫爱好德行，她是有力量的。你把金银当作上帝，试问你和那些崇拜偶像的有什么两样，他们崇拜一个偶像，而你却崇拜一百个罢了。君士坦丁呀！从你生出许多的罪恶，并不是因为你的改变信仰，实在是因为那第一个富有的教父接受你的赠品太大了！”
当我用这些话说着他的时候，或者使他愤怒，或者使他悔恨而生苦恼，他剧烈地挥动他的脚。我想我的话使那引路人听了欢喜呢，因为我的话句句都是真理呀！因此他用两臂抱着我，从下降的路回上去。他并不感到吃力，他一直把我抱到第四座桥的顶上，那里他才把我慢慢地放下来，因为那里的路非常难走，就是山羊走着也要发怵呢。在那里，我们发见了另外一条沟。
His wretched followers! who the things of God,
Which should be wedded unto goodness, them,
Rapacious as ye are, do prostitute
For gold and silver in adultery!
Now must the trumpet sound for you, since yours
Is the third chasm. ?Upon the following vault
We now had mounted, where the rock impends
Directly o'er the centre of the foss.
Wisdom Supreme! how wonderful the art,
Which thou dost manifest in heaven, in earth,
And in the evil world, how just a meed
Allotting by thy virtue unto all!
I saw the livid stone, throughout the sides
And in its bottom full of apertures,
All equal in their width, and circular each,
Nor ample less nor larger they appear'd
Than in Saint John's fair dome of me belov'd
Those fram'd to hold the pure baptismal streams,
One of the which I brake, some few years past,
To save a whelming infant; and be this
A seal to undeceive whoever doubts
The motive of my deed. ?From out the mouth
Of every one, emerg'd a sinner's feet
And of the legs high upward as the calf
The rest beneath was hid. ?On either foot
The soles were burning, whence the flexile joints
Glanc'd with such violent motion, as had snapt
Asunder cords or twisted withs. ?As flame,
Feeding on unctuous matter, glides along
The surface, scarcely touching where it moves;
So here, from heel to point, glided the flames.
"Master! say who is he, than all the rest
Glancing in fiercer agony, on whom
A ruddier flame doth prey?" ?I thus inquir'd.
"If thou be willing," he replied, "that I
Carry thee down, where least the slope bank falls,
He of himself shall tell thee and his wrongs."
I then: "As pleases thee to me is best.
Thou art my lord; and know'st that ne'er I quit
Thy will: what silence hides that knowest thou."
Thereat on the fourth pier we came, we turn'd,
And on our left descended to the depth,
A narrow strait and perforated close.
Nor from his side my leader set me down,
Till to his orifice he brought, whose limb
Quiv'ring express'd his pang. ?"Whoe'er thou art,
Sad spirit! thus revers'd, and as a stake
Driv'n in the soil!" ?I in these words began,
"If thou be able, utter forth thy voice."
There stood I like the friar, that doth shrive
A wretch for murder doom'd, who e'en when fix'd,
Calleth him back, whence death awhile delays.
He shouted: "Ha! already standest there?
Already standest there, O Boniface!
By many a year the writing play'd me false.
So early dost thou surfeit with the wealth,
For which thou fearedst not in guile to take
The lovely lady, and then mangle her?"
I felt as those who, piercing not the drift
Of answer made them, stand as if expos'd
In mockery, nor know what to reply,
When Virgil thus admonish'd: "Tell him quick,
I am not he, not he, whom thou believ'st."
And I, as was enjoin'd me, straight replied.
That heard, the spirit all did wrench his feet,
And sighing next in woeful accent spake:
"What then of me requirest?" ?"If to know
So much imports thee, who I am, that thou
Hast therefore down the bank descended, learn
That in the mighty mantle I was rob'd,
And of a she-bear was indeed the son,
So eager to advance my whelps, that there
My having in my purse above I stow'd,
And here myself. ?Under my head are dragg'd
The rest, my predecessors in the guilt
Of simony. ?Stretch'd at their length they lie
Along an opening in the rock. ?'Midst them
I also low shall fall, soon as he comes,
For whom I took thee, when so hastily
I question'd. ?But already longer time
Hath pass'd, since my souls kindled, and I thus
Upturn'd have stood, than is his doom to stand
Planted with fiery feet. ?For after him,
One yet of deeds more ugly shall arrive,
From forth the west, a shepherd without law,
Fated to cover both his form and mine.
He a new Jason shall be call'd, of whom
In Maccabees we read; and favour such
As to that priest his king indulgent show'd,
Shall be of France's monarch shown to him."
I know not if I here too far presum'd,
But in this strain I answer'd: "Tell me now,
What treasures from St. Peter at the first
Our Lord demanded, when he put the keys
Into his charge? ?Surely he ask'd no more
But, Follow me! Nor Peter nor the rest
Or gold or silver of Matthias took,
When lots were cast upon the forfeit place
Of the condemned soul. ?Abide thou then;
Thy punishment of right is merited:
And look thou well to that ill-gotten coin,
Which against Charles thy hardihood inspir'd.
If reverence of the keys restrain'd me not,
Which thou in happier time didst hold, I yet
Severer speech might use. ?Your avarice
O'ercasts the world with mourning, under foot
Treading the good, and raising bad men up.
Of shepherds, like to you, th' Evangelist
Was ware, when her, who sits upon the waves,
With kings in filthy whoredom he beheld,
She who with seven heads tower'd at her birth,
And from ten horns her proof of glory drew,
Long as her spouse in virtue took delight.
Of gold and silver ye have made your god,
Diff'ring wherein from the idolater,
But he that worships one, a hundred ye?
Ah, Constantine! to how much ill gave birth,
Not thy conversion, but that plenteous dower,
Which the first wealthy Father gain'd from thee!"
Meanwhile, as thus I sung, he, whether wrath
Or conscience smote him, violent upsprang
Spinning on either sole. ?I do believe
My teacher well was pleas'd, with so compos'd
A lip, he listen'd ever to the sound
Of the true words I utter'd. ?In both arms
He caught, and to his bosom lifting me
Upward retrac'd the way of his descent.
Nor weary of his weight he press'd me close,
Till to the summit of the rock we came,
Our passage from the fourth to the fifth pier.
His cherish'd burden there gently he plac'd
Upon the rugged rock and steep, a path
Not easy for the clamb'ring goat to mount.
Thence to my view another vale appear'd