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Displayed Title
Jurgen wangles Jacob's Ladder and escapes
Description
From Chapter 40 - "The Ascension of Pope Jurgen"
Jurgen tricks a young angel (also named Jurgen) in the Heaven of his grandmother into believing him to be Pope John the Twentieth because that's the only Pope that's not in Heaven. Pope John the Twenty-First says there was no Pope John the Twentieth and Jurgen is an imposter, so "Pope Jurgen" must prove himself. Jurgen makes a logical calculation that Jacob's Ladder must exist as a tangible object and tells the young angel to go get it. He then uses the ladder to climb out of Hell into Heaven.
It was a matter of logic. Jacob's Ladder must from all accounts have been far too valuable to throw away after one night's use at Beth-El ; it would come in very handy on Judgment Day : and Jurgen's knowledge of Lisa enabled him to deduce that anything which was being kept because it would come in handy some day would inevitably be stored in the garret, in any establishment imaginable by women. "And it is notorious that Heaven is a delusion of old women. Why, the thing is a certainty," said Jurgen; "simply a mathematical certainty."
And events proved his logic correct : for presently the younger Jurgen came back with Jacob's Ladder, which was rather cobwebby and obsolete looking after having been lain aside so long.
"So you see you were perfectly right," then said this younger Jurgen, as he lowered Jacob's Ladder into Hell. "Oh, Messire John, do hurry up and have it out with that old fellow who slandered you!"
Thus it came about that Jurgen clambered merrily from Hell to Heaven upon a ladder of unalloyed, time-tested gold: and as he climbed the shirt of Nessus glittered handsomely in the light which shone from Heaven: and by this great light above him, as Jurgen mounted higher and yet higher, the shadow of Jurgen was lengthened beyond belief along the sheer white wall of Heaven, as though the shadow were reluctant and adhered tenaciously to Hell. Yet presently Jurgen leaped the ramparts: and then the shadow leaped too; and so his shadow came with Jurgen into Heaven, and huddled dispiritedly at Jurgen's feet.
Topical Subject
Historical fiction; Fantasy fiction; Linoleum block-printing
Personal Name Subject
Cabell, James Branch, 1879-1958; Ogden, Samuel Robinson, Jr. (1896-1985)
Language
eng
Genre
linocuts (prints); books
Local Genre
artwork; text
Type
Still Image
Digital Format
image/jpg
Rights Statement URL
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Rights
This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Collection
Twenty-two Plates From Cabell's Jurgen
Source
Ogden S, James Branch Cabell Collection, James Branch Cabell Collection. Twenty-Two Plates from Cabell’s Jurgen. [publisher not identified]; 1929.
File Name
jurgenplates_025.jpg