They pas the bitter waues of Acheron,
2 Where many soules sit wailing woefully,
And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,
4 Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry,
And with sharp shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry,
6 Cursing high Ioue, the which them thither sent.
The house of endlesse paine is built thereby,
8 In which ten thousand sorts of punishment
The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.
1 They pass the bitter waves of Acheron,
Acheron > (The "Stream of Woe": one of the five rivers of hell.
The others are Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx)
2 Where many souls sit wailing woefully, 3 And come to fiery flood of Phlegethon,
Phlegethon > (The "Stream of Fire": one of the five rivers of hell, through which fire flows instead of water (see Aen. 6.551))
4 Where the damned ghosts in torments fry, 5 And with sharp shrilling shrieks do bootless cry,
bootless > hopelessly, without remedy
6 Cursing high Jove, who them thither sent. 7 The house of endless pain is built thereby,
thereby > there; next to it [Phlegethon]
8 In which ten thousand sorts of punishment 9 The cursed creatures do eternally torment.