21–22
HERMES
My dear fellow, you do not know how Ignorance and Error have served them. Even a drill could not penetrate their ears now, because these dames have stopped them with such quantities of wax, like Odysseus, who did this to his comrades for fear that they might hear the Sirens. How could they hear, then, even if you should crack your lungs with bawling? What lies in the power of Lethe down below is done by Ignorance here. However, there are a few of them who have not admitted the wax into their ears, who are devoted to truth, who look keenly into things and know them for what they are.
CHARON
Then let us call to them at least.
HERMES
It would be superfluous to tell them what they know. You see how they stand aloof from the masses and laugh at what goes on; they are not in the least satisfied with it all, but are clearly planning to make their escape from life to your own regions. Indeed, they have reason, for they are disliked because they expose the follies of man. ¢
CHARON
Well done, staunch souls! But they are very few, Hermes.
HERMES
Even these are enough. But let us go down now.
5
CHARON
There is one thing more that I wanted to know about, Hermes, and when you point it out to me you will have done your full duty as guide; it is to see the places where they stow the bodies, where they bury them, I mean.
HERMES
They call such places vaults, tombs and graves. Do you see those heaps of earth and slabs of stone and pyramids in front of the cities? All those are for the reception of corpses and the storage of bodies.
