The devil who lived on the west side adopted the ingenious expedient of pelting his adversary with balls of ox-fat, which sticking to his body and there taking fire, annoyed him beyond measure. […] The bottom of this place of torment was of both liquid and solid fire ; it was over-canopied by a ‘fiery concave,’ and its only entrance was closed with lofty portals. And thrice threefold the gates : three folds were brass, Three iron, three of adamantine rock Impenetrable, impaled with circling fire Yet unconsumed. […] A bull was the form in which he carried off Europa, the sister of Cadmos ; and a flame of fire or the plumage of an eagle disguised the god from Ægina, the mother of Æacos. […] In the Prytaneion of every Grecian city stood the hearth, on which the sacred fire flamed, and where the offerings were made to Hestia497.

A stout oaken bench, with a hard back to it, called a settle, was drawn towards the fire, and the guests were invited to repose themselves upon it Just as they were taking their seats, Baucis, the mistress of the house said, “Nay; stay you a minute;” and she quickly found cushions stuffed with straw, which she put upon the bench. […] 5 The little room was warm, but the air abroad was chilly, and the fire half extinct. […] When the fire burned clear, Baucis set upon it a kettle which shone like burnished gold. […] It took a good while to boil this bacon and cabbage, but the guests in the mean lime sat before the fire and diverted themselves by conversing with Philemon, who talked of rains and droughts, of his garden and his grape vines, and of pigs and fowls. […] But I should like to know why they had no glass windows in their cottage, as I suppose they had not, for their room was dark till the fire blazed.