Dreams are of course illusory, they’re fictions; but if it’s possible for them to come true I know it happened in my case. While dreaming a dream the urge came upon me to go on a pilgrimage. So I got myself ready and set off – straight for the city of Hell.

On and on I pressed, right through Lent and the whole of winter, and in due course I got there. But I’m not going to say a word about the people there I recognised – not until I’ve told you what befell me on the way.

Those who go looking for Hell will find it’s a lovely route, a delightful road that takes them there. But I don’t want to drag the story out and bore you: the first night after I left my land I came to the city of Greed. It stands in the land of Disloyalty, does that city. It was a Wednesday I arrived, and I took lodging at Envy’s house – and what a fine time we had there! For truly, Envy’s the lady of the town and she was so hospitable: with us dined Trickery, the sister of Grab, and her cousin Avarice came with her, all of them paying me a visit. They all dropped in and were very pleased to see me in those parts. Avarice didn’t beat about the bush: she was straight in, plying me with questions about the mean and grasping, wanting to know about their doings and how they were getting on, asking me about each of her family in turn. So I told her a tale that delighted her: I told her how her kinsfolk had driven Largesse from the land, so effectively that Largesse had no tower or refuge left and didn’t know how she could survive. Largesse is on her last legs, in such a wretched state that the rich won’t give her house-room. When I told her this, how chuffed she was!

Then Trickery was straight in after, asking me for news of the tricksters: did I know how her devotees were faring?