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Dante – The Divine Comedy  INFERNO I - CANTO VIII

Then the good master said 'And now, my son
We approach the city which takes its name from Dis
With its grave citizens and huge armies
 
And he said to me 'It is the  eternal fire
Which lights them up inside and makes them glow
As you see, in the deeper part of hell
 
We had now arrived inside the deep ditch
Which acted as a moat to that sad city;
The walls appeared as if they were made of iron
 
Not without making first a huge circuit
Did we come to the place at which the boatman loudly
Called out 'Ashore now, here is the way in
 
I saw above the gates more than a thousand
Spirits rained from heaven, and angrily
They said, 'Who is this creature who, without death
 
Travels through the kingdom of the dead?'
And my wise master made a sign to indicate
He wished to have some secret talk with them
 
Then they choked back their great disdain a little
And said 'You come alone, let him go off
He has been rash to enter into this kingdom'