THE GREAT DIVORCE C.S. Lewis Preface BLAKE WROTE the Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

If I have written of their Divorce, thi i not !eca" e I thin# $% elf a fit antagoni t for o great a geni" , nor even !eca" e I feel at all "re that I #now what he $eant. B"t in o$e en e or other the atte$&t to $a#e that $arriage i &erennial. The atte$&t i !a ed on the !elief that realit% never &re ent " with an a! ol"tel% "navoida!le 'either(or') that, granted #ill and &atience and *a!ove all+ ti$e eno"gh, o$e wa% of e$!racing !oth alternative can alwa% !e fo"nd) that $ere develo&$ent or ad," t$ent or refine$ent will o$ehow t"rn evil into good witho"t o"r !eing called on for a final and total re,ection of an%thing we ho"ld li#e to retain. Thi !elief I ta#e to !e a di a tro" error. -o" cannot ta#e all l"ggage with %o" on all ,o"rne% ) on one ,o"rne% even %o"r right hand and %o"r right e%e $a% !e a$ong the thing %o" have to leave !ehind. We are not living in a world where all road are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long eno"gh, will therefore draw grad"all% nearer and finall% $eet at the centre. rather in a world where ever% road, after a few $ile , for# into two, and each of tho e into two again, and at each for# %o" $" t $a#e a deci ion. Even on the !iological level life i not li#e a &ool !"t li#e a tree. It doe not $ove toward "nit% !"t awa% fro$ it and the creat"re grow f"rther a&art a the% increa e in &erfection. /ood, a it ri&en , !eco$e contin"all% $ore different not onl% fro$ evil !"t fro$ other good. I do not thin# that all who choo e wrong road &eri h) !"t their re c"e con i t in !eing &"t !ac# on the right road. A wrong "$ can !e &"t right. !"t onl% !% going !ac# till %o" find the error and wor#ing it afre h fro$ that &oint, never !% i$&l% going on. Evil can !e "ndone, !"t it cannot 'develo&' into good. Ti$e doe not heal it. The &ell $" t !e "nwo"nd, !it !% !it, 'with !ac#ward $"tter of di evering &ower'(or el e not. It i till 'either(or.' If we in i t on #ee&ing Hell *or even earth+ we hall not ee Heaven. if we acce&t Heaven we hall not !e a!le to retain even the $alle t and $o t inti$ate o"venir of Hell. I !elieve, to !e "re, that an% $an who reache Heaven will find that what he a!andoned *even in &l"c#ing o"t hi right e%e+ wa &reci el% nothing. that the #ernel of what he wa reall% ee#ing even in hi $o t de&raved wi he will !e there, !e%ond e0&ectation, waiting for hi$ in 'the High 1o"ntrie .' In that en e it will !e tr"e for tho e who have co$&leted the ,o"rne% *and for no other + to a% that good i ever%thing and Heaven ever%where. B"t we, at thi end of the road, $" t not tr% to antici&ate that retro &ective vi ion. If we do, we are li#el% to e$!race the fal e and

di a tro" conver e and fanc% that ever%thing i good and ever%where i Heaven. B"t what, %o" a #, of earth2 Earth, I thin#, will not !e fo"nd !% an%one to !e in the end a ver% di tinct &lace. I thin# earth, if cho en in tead of Heaven, will t"rn o"t to have !een, all along, onl% a region in Hell. and earth, if &"t econd to Heaven, to have !een fro$ the !eginning a &art of Heaven it elf. 3 Chapter 9 'WHERE ARE %e going2' aid a voice with a trong 4cotch accent. I to&&ed and loo#ed. The o"nd of the "nicorn had long ince died awa% and $% flight had !ro"ght $e to o&en co"ntr%. I aw the $o"ntain where the "nchanging "nri e la%, and in the foregro"nd two or three &ine on a little #noll, with o$e large $ooth roc# , and heather. On one of the roc# at a ver% tall $an, al$o t a giant, with a flowing !eard. I had not %et loo#ed one of the 4olid 5eo&le in the face. 6ow, when I did o, I di covered that one ee the$ with a #ind of do"!le vi ion. Here wa an enthroned and hining god, who e agele &irit weighed "&on $ine li#e a !"rden of olid gold. and %et, at the ver% a$e $o$ent, here wa an old weather( !eaten $an, one who $ight have !een a he&herd( "ch a $an a to"ri t thin# i$&le !eca" e he i hone t and neigh!or thin# 'dee&' for the a$e rea on. Hi e%e had the far( eeing loo# of one who ha lived long in o&en, olitar% &lace ) and o$ehow I divined the networ# of wrin#le which $" t have "rro"nded the$ !efore re(!irth had wa hed hi$ in i$$ortalit%. 'I(I don7t 8"ite #now,' aid I. '-e can it and tal# to $e, then,' he aid, $a#ing roo$ for $e on the tone. 'I don7t #now %o", 4ir,' aid I, ta#ing $% eat !e ide hi$. 'M% na$e i /eorge,' he an wered. '/eorge Macdonald.' 'Oh9' I cried. 'Then %o" can tell $e9 -o" at lea t will not deceive $e.' Then, "&&o ing that the e e0&re ion of confidence needed o$e e0&lanation, I tried, tre$!ling, to tell thi $an all that hi writing had done for $e. I tried to tell how a certain fro t% afternoon at Leatherhead 4tation when I fir t !o"ght a co&% of 5hanta ie *!eing then a!o"t i0teen %ear old+ had !een to $e what the fir t ight of Beatrice had !een to Dante. Here !egin the 6ew Life. I tarted to confe how long that Life had dela%ed in the region of i$agination $erel%. how lowl% and rel"ctantl% I had co$e to ad$it that hi 1hri tendo$ had $ore than an accidental conne0ion with it, how hard I had tried not to ee that the tr"e na$e of the 8"alit% which fir t $et $e in hi !oo# i Holine . He laid hi hand on $ine and to&&ed $e.

'4on,' he aid, '%o"r love(all love(i of ine0&re i!le val"e to $e. B"t it $a% ave &recio" ti$e' *here he "ddenl% loo#ed ver% 4cotch+ 'if I infor$ %e that I a$ alread% well ac8"ainted with the e !iogra&hical detail . In fact, I have noticed that %o"r $e$or% $i lead %o" in one or two &artic"lar .' 'Oh9' aid I, and !eca$e till. '-e had tarted,' aid $% Teacher, 'to tal# of o$ething $ore &rofita!le.' '4ir,' aid I, 'I had al$o t forgotten it, and I have no an0iet% a!o"t the an wer now, tho"gh I have till a c"rio it%. It i a!o"t the e /ho t . Do an% of the$ ta%2 1an the% ta%2 I an% real choice offered to the$2 How do the% co$e to !e here2' 'Did %e never hear of the Refrigeri"$2 A $an with %o"r advantage $ight have read of it in 5r"denti" , not to $ention :ere$% Ta%lor.' 'The na$e i fa$iliar, 4ir, !"t I7$ afraid I7ve forgotten what it $ean .' 'It $ean that the da$ned have holida% ( e0c"r ion , %e "nder tand.' 'E0c"r ion to thi co"ntr%2' ';or tho e that will ta#e the$. Of co"r e $o t of the ill% creat"re don7t. The% &refer ta#ing tri& !ac# to Earth. The% go and &la% tric# on the &oor daft wo$en %e call $edi"$ . The% go and tr% to a ert their owner hi& of o$e ho" e that once !elonged to the$. and then %e get what7 called a Ha"nting. Or the% go to &% on their children. Or literar% /ho t hang a!o"t &"!lic li!rarie to ee if an%one7 till reading their !oo# .' 'B"t if the% co$e here the% can reall% ta%2' 'A%e. -e7ll have heard that the e$&eror Tra,an did.'

loo#ed thro"gh the door of the Ti$ele , he !ro"ght no $e age !ac#. B"t %e can get o$e li#ene of it if %e a% that !oth good and evil, when the% are f"ll grown, !eco$e retro &ective. 6ot onl% thi valle% !"t all thi earthl% &a t will have !een Heaven to tho e who are aved. 6ot onl% the twilight in that town, !"t all their life on earth too, will then !e een !% the da$ned to have !een Hell. That i what $ortal $i "nder tand. The% a% of o$e te$&oral "ffering, 76o f"t"re !li can $a#e "& for it,7 not #nowing that Heaven, once attained, will wor# !ac#ward and t"rn even that agon% into a glor%. And of o$e inf"l &lea "re the% a% 7Let $e !"t have thi and I7ll ta#e the con e8"ence 7. little drea$ing how da$nation will &read !ac# and !ac# into their &a t and conta$inate the &lea "re of the in. Both &roce e !egin even !efore death. The good $an7 &a t !egin to change o that hi forgiven in and re$e$!ered orrow ta#e on the 8"alit% of Heaven. the !ad $an7 &a t alread% confor$ to hi !adne and i filled onl% with drearine . And that i wh%, at the end of all thing , when the "n ri e here and the twilight t"rn to !lac#ne down there, the Ble ed will a%, 7We have never lived an%where e0ce&t in Heaven,7 and the Lo t, 7We were alwa% in Hell.7 And !oth will &ea# tr"l%.' 'I not that ver% hard, 4ir2' 'I $ean, that i the real en e of what the% will a%. In the act"al lang"age of the Lo t, the word will !e different, no do"!t. One will a% he ha alwa% erved hi co"ntr% right or wrong) and another that he ha acrificed ever%thing to hi Art) and o$e that the%7ve never !een ta#en in, and o$e that, than# /od, the%7ve alwa% loo#ed after 6"$!er One, and nearl% all, that, at lea t the%7ve !een tr"e to the$ elve .' 'And the 4aved2'

'Ah, the 4aved . . . what ha&&en to the$ i !e t de cri!ed a the o&&o ite of a 'B"t I don7t "nder tand. I ,"dg$ent not final2 I there reall% a wa% o"t of Hell into $irage. What ee$ed, when the% entered it, to !e the vale of $i er% t"rn o"t, Heaven2' when the% loo# !ac#, to have !een a well) and where &re ent e0&erience aw onl% 'It de&end on the wa% %o"7re " ing the word . If the% leave that gre% town !ehind alt de ert $e$or% tr"thf"ll% record that the &ool were f"ll of water.' it will not have !een Hell. To an% that leave it, it i 5"rgator%. And &erha& %e had 'Then tho e &eo&le are right who a% that Heaven and Hell are onl% tate of !etter not call thi co"ntr% Heaven. 6ot Dee& Heaven, %e "nder tand.' *Here he $ind2' $iled at $e+. '-e can call it the <alle% of the 4hadow of Life. And %et to tho e who ta% here it will have !een Heaven fro$ the fir t. And %e can call tho e ad treet 'H" h,' aid he ternl%. 'Do not !la &he$e. Hell i a tate of $ind(%e never aid a in the town %onder the <alle% of the 4hadow of Death. !"t to tho e who re$ain tr"er word. And ever% tate of $ind, left to it elf, ever% h"tting "& of the creat"re there the% will have !een Hell even fro$ the !eginning.' within the d"ngeon of it own $ind(i , in the end, Hell. B"t Heaven i not a tate of $ind. Heaven i realit% it elf. All that i f"ll% real i Heavenl%. ;or all that can !e I "&&o e he aw that I loo#ed &"==led, for &re entl% he &o#e again. ha#en will !e ha#en and onl% the "n ha#a!le re$ain .' '4on,' he aid, '%e cannot in %o"r &re ent tate "nder tand eternit%. when Anodo 'B"t there i a real choice after death2 M% Ro$an 1atholic friend wo"ld !e

"r&ri ed, for to the$ o"l in 5"rgator% are alread% aved. And $% 5rote tant friend wo"ld li#e it no !etter, for the%7d a% that the tree lie a it fall .' 'The%7re !oth right, $a%!e. Do not fa h %o"r elf with "ch 8"e tion . -e cannot f"ll% "nder tand the relation of choice and Ti$e till %o" are !e%ond !oth. And %e were not !ro"ght here to t"d% "ch c"rio itie . What concern %o" i the nat"re of the choice it elf. and that %e can watch the$ $a#ing.' 'Well, 4ir,' I aid, 'that al o need e0&laining. What do the% choo e, the e o"l who go !ac# *I have %et een no other +2 And how can the% choo e it2' 'Milton wa right,' aid $% Teacher. 'The choice of ever% lo t o"l can !e e0&re ed in the word 7Better to reign in Hell than erve in Heaven.7 There i alwa% o$ething the% in i t on #ee&ing, even at the &rice of $i er%. There i alwa% o$ething the% &refer to ,o%( that i , to realit%. -e ee it ea il% eno"gh in a &oiled child that wo"ld ooner $i it &la% and it "&&er than a% it wa orr% and !e friend . -e call it the 4"l# . B"t in ad"lt life it ha a h"ndred fine na$e ( Achille 7 wrath and 1oriolan" 7 grande"r, Revenge and In,"red Merit and 4elf( Re &ect and Tragic /reatne and 5ro&er 5ride.' 'Then i no one lo t thro"gh the "ndignified vice , 4ir2 Thro"gh $ere en "alit%2' '4o$e are, no do"!t. The en "ali t, I7ll allow %e, !egin !% &"r "ing a real &lea "re, tho"gh a $all one. Hi in i the le . B"t the ti$e co$e on when, tho"gh the &lea "re !eco$e le and le and the craving fiercer and fiercer, and tho"gh he #now that ,o% can never co$e that wa%, %et he &refer to ,o% the $ere fondling of "na&&ea a!le l" t and wo"ld not have it ta#en fro$ hi$. He7d fight to the death to #ee& it. He7d li#e well to !e a!le to cratch. !"t even when he can cratch no $ore he7d rather itch than not.' He wa ilent for a few $in"te , and then !egan again. '-e7ll "nder tand, there are inn"$era!le for$ of thi choice. 4o$eti$e for$ that one hardl% tho"ght of at all on earth. There wa a creat"re ca$e here not long ago and went !ac# (4ir Archi!ald the% called hi$. In hi earthl% life he7d !een intere ted in nothing !"t 4"rvival. He7d written a whole helf(f"ll of !oo# a!o"t it. He !egan !% !eing &hilo o&hical, !"t in the end he too# "& 5 %chical Re earch. It grew to !e hi onl% occ"&ation(e0&eri$enting, lect"ring, r"nning a $aga=ine. And traveling too. digging o"t 8"eer torie a$ong Thi!etan la$a and !eing initiated into !rotherhood in 1entral Africa. 5roof (and $ore &roof (and then $ore &roof again(were what he wanted. It drove hi$ $ad if ever he aw an%one ta#ing an intere t in an%thing el e. He got into tro"!le d"ring one of %o"r war for r"nning "& and down the co"ntr% telling the$ not to fight !eca" e it wa ted a lot of $one% that o"ght to !e &ent on Re earch. Well, in good ti$e, the &oor creat"re

died and ca$e here. and there wa no &ower in the "niver e wo"ld have &revented hi$ ta%ing and going on to the $o"ntain . B"t do %e thin# that did hi$ an% good2 Thi co"ntr% wa no " e to hi$ at all. Ever%one here had 7 "rvived7 alread%. 6o!od% too# the lea t intere t in the 8"e tion. There wa nothing $ore to &rove. Hi occ"&ation wa clean gone. Of co"r e if he wo"ld onl% have ad$itted that he7d $i ta#en the $ean for the end and had a good la"gh at hi$ elf he co"ld have !eg"n all over again li#e a little child and entered into ,o%. B"t he wo"ld not do that. He cared nothing a!o"t ,o%. In the end he went awa%.' 'How fanta tic9' aid I. 'Do %e thin# o2' aid the Teacher with a &iercing glance. 'It i nearer to "ch a %o" than %e thin#. There have !een $en !efore now who got o intere ted in &roving the e0i tence of /od that the% ca$e to care nothing for /od Hi$ elf ... a if the good Lord had nothing to do !"t e0i t9 There have !een o$e who were o occ"&ied in &reading 1hri tianit% that the% never gave a tho"ght to 1hri t. Man9 -e ee it in $aller $atter . Did %e never #now a lover of !oo# that with all hi fir t edition and igned co&ie had lo t the &ower to read the$2 Or an organi=er of charitie that had lo t all love for the &oor2 It i the "!tle t of all the nare .' Moved !% a de ire to change the "!,ect, I a #ed wh% the 4olid 5eo&le, ince the% were f"ll of love, did not go down into Hell to re c"e the /ho t . Wh% were the% content i$&l% to $eet the$ on the &lain2 One wo"ld have e0&ected a $ore $ilitant charit%. '-e will "nder tand that !etter, &erha& , !efore %e go,' aid he. 'In the $eanti$e, I $" t tell %e the% have co$e f"rther for the a#e of the /ho t than %e can "nder tand. Ever% one of " live onl% to ,o"rne% f"rther and f"rther into the $o"ntain . Ever% one of " ha interr"&ted that ,o"rne% and retraced i$$ea "ra!le di tance to co$e down toda% on the $ere chance of aving o$e /ho t . Of co"r e it i al o ,o% to do o, !"t %e cannot !la$e " for that9 And it wo"ld !e no " e to co$e f"rther even if it were &o i!le. The ane wo"ld do no good if the% $ade the$ elve $ad to hel& $ad$en.' 'B"t what of the &oor /ho t who never get into the o$ni!" at all2' 'Ever%one who wi he it doe . 6ever fear. There are onl% two #ind of &eo&le in the end. tho e who a% to /od, 7Th% will !e done,7 and tho e to who$ /od a% , in the end, 7Th% will !e done.7 All that are in Hell, choo e it. Witho"t that elf(choice there co"ld !e no Hell. 6o o"l that erio" l% and con tantl% de ire ,o% will ever $i it. Tho e who ee# find. To tho e who #noc# it i o&ened.' Lewi , 1live 4ta&le . The Great Divorce. 6ew -or#. Har&er1ollin , >??@. 5rint