the whiche were there tyll that they came â—â—to nothynge And whan they wâ—re so brente and tourmented they toke tâ—e sayde soules with theyr Instrumentes of yron .xx. an hondred or two hondred and layde them on a hâ—pe vpoÌ„ an anuelde of yron and the deuylles the whiche were in other forges sayde Cast vnto vs these caytyues soulâ—s we shall yet torment them agayne Than the dâ—uâ—ls kest them vnto them agayne the whiche were in the other forges And after that they had ben there strongly payned and tourmented they kest them vyolently vnto those of the fyrste forges And before that they came to the grouÌ„de they were taken agayne and so they kest them froÌ„ one vnto an other and tormented tyll vnto that / that the skynnes / the flesshe / and the bones came as vnto nothynge Of this matter is wryten ProuerbioruÌ„ ix Parata sunt derisoribus supplicia / et mallei percutientes stultorum corporibus After that the caytyues soules were so tormeÌ„ted aâ— it is sayde they desyred the deth but they might not dye Vnto this purpose it is wryten Apocalipsis ix In diebus illis querent homines mortem et non inuenient eam / et desiderabuÌ„t mori et more fugiet ab eis And whan the sayde soule had suffred longely these tormentes the Aungell came vnto her and toke her and had her out of the fyre where she was / sayde vnto her Howe felest thou thy selfe nowe Remembre the that for as moch as thou hast done thy wyl the delyte of thy body thou hast suffred so great tormeÌ„tes But the soule had not so moche force that she myght answere one worde for the great torment that she had suffred Than the Aungel sayde vnto the soule Illud psalmi Dominus mortificat et viuificat deducit ad inferos et reducit Comfortethe / for our lorde quyckeneth mortyfyeth / ledeth in to helles bryngeth agayne And albeit that the tormentes that thou hast sene ben moche great yet shalt thou se moche more greater from the whiche thou shalte be delyuered by the mercy of god And know thou that all those soules that thou hast sene here abydeth the Iudgement of God But those the whiche thou shalte se from hensforth ben all redy Iudged Gowe nowe forwarde for thou art not yet comen vnto the paynes of hell And the Aungell touched her and heled as he had ben accustomed for to do c. ¶ Of the pytte of Hell ¶ After that they entred in to a waye / and whan they were a lytell gone forwarde in spekynge one vnto the other there came to the soule sodayne horrour and colde intollerable and stynke and darkenes more thycker than those before / trybulacyon and anguysshe so great that it semed vnto the soule that all the foundementes of the earth trembled vnder her fete sayde vnto the Aungell Syr wherfore is it that I ne may holde me on my fete as I haue accustomed to do And whan she had sayde this she ne myght remene from the place for the great feare that she had / and incontynent the Aungell departed in suche maner that she myght no more se hym / and forthwith she began to dyspayre For she fouÌ„de that the whiche is wryten Ecclesiastes ix Nec opus / nec ratio / nec sapientia / nec scientia erunt apud inferos que tu ê‘peras That is to say that in hell there ne is operacion / ne reason / ne wysdom / ne coÌ„nynge wherby man may ayde hym The caytyne soule was in lykewyse / for she myght not helpe herselfe / the whiche herde terryble cryes and howlynges of soules / and thondre so horryble that no man may thynke it ne tonge declare the horryble crye end the noyse that there was Vnto this purpose God speaketh in the Gospell Illud Mathe. xxii .xxiii. Ibi erit fletus fâ—râ—dordentium Than the soule loked about her for to knowe yf she myght se the way wherby they were comen / and she sawe a great square dytche in lykewyse as a cysterne And from that dytche yssued out a pyller of flambe and of smoke togythers moche horryble stynkynge And the pyller of fyrs was so hyghe that it stretched vnto the heauens And in the fâ—aÌ„be there was great multytude of soules and of deuylles togythers the whiche mounted with the sayde flambe in hyghe in lyke wyse as lytell flambes And of tormentes the whiche they suffred they came as vnto nothynge after that they fell agayne in to the dyâ—che tyl vnto the botom Vnto the purpose of this saieth the Psalmyste Tu vero reduces me in puteum interitus And whan the soule had beholden this she wolde haue drawen her a backe / but she ne myght lyfte her fete froÌ„ the grouÌ„de And whan she had assayed many tymes to remoue her and that she myght not she was moche ferefull / and of the great woodnes that she had she tare and rent her chekes with her owne handes and nayses cryed Alas caytyue wherfore may not I dye And the deuylles the which mounted with the sayde flambe herde the sayd soule in such wyse crye so they beset her about with theyr Instrumentes of yron wherwith they tormeÌ„ted the soules and sayde in this wyse Caytyue soule worthy of payne and torment from whens art thou comen hyther / thou ne hast yet nothynge felte ne suffred / thou shalt endure nowe that that thou art worthy by the sinnes that thou hast coÌ„mytted From the whiche torment thou ne mayest neuer departe ne within it dye / but euermore thou shalt lyue and brenne in tormeÌ„t without lyght / comfort ne helpe And from nowe forth thou ne mayst haue mercy For thou art comen vnto the gates of death / and thou shalt be borne streyght in to the tormentes of hell He that hath brought the hyther hath deceyued the / nowe let hym delyuer the from our handes yf he can / for thou shalt se hym no more And they sayde the one vnto the other wherfore tary we so longe that we ne gyue this soule vnto Lucyfer for to deuoure it / and so they thretened it of death perdurable And these deuylles abouesayde were blacke as coles with horrible lobes theyr eyen were as the laÌ„pes breÌ„nynge And theyr teeth as whyte as the snowe / and they had tayles lyke as scorpyons / and theyr clawes of yron and great large wynges And whan they had sayd these wordes the holy Aungell appered vnto the sayd soule and sayd to her Enioy ye doughter of lyght for thou shalt haue mercy and not Iudgement Thou shalt se of great tormentes and paynes / but thou shalt suffre none Come thaÌ„ after me I shal shewe vnto the / the ryght cursed enyemye of humayne lygnage Those the whiche ben there haue no lyght / they shall not se the / but thou shalt se them well and theyr tormentes ¶ Of the Prynces of darkenes and of theyr cursed
no man ne myghte thynke no tongue declare the horryble crye and the noyse thee whiche was in thee sayde tormente c. ¶ Another Example of two men the whiche were in paynes whan S. Taurayn areysed them IT is wryten in the legende of saynt Taurayn that tydynges weare browghte vnto a ryght honorable man that his Sone and his Squyer were deed And for to abredge the matter saynte Taurayne areysed the sayde sone The which yode incontynent on knees before saynte Taurayne and requyred hym to be baptyzed And after that he was baptyzed sayde vnto his Father Halas Father thou knowest what myserable lyfe we lede what paynes those susteyne the whiche ben semblables vnto vs. And what glorye is vnto those the which loue serue vnto the god the which is to be honoured of man Certaynly I haue sene hym to be in the company of Aungelles and to praye vnto god for vs And whan the sayde sone areysed had spoken these wordes many other vnto his Father he yode on knees before saynt Taurayn and caused hym to baptyze hym And also his wyfe mother of the said reysed And for to be short in that day so many of great lordes as of lytell people a thousande two hondred persones were baptyzed And afterwarde at the request of the sayde sone areysed S. Taurayn areysed also afterwarde the Squyer the whiche wytnessed that he was in great paynes whan a messenger came to tell hym of the souerayne mayster that he were brought agayne takeÌ„ vnto saynt Taurayn And this sayde squyer areysed sayde vnto the sayde sone He the whiche hath brought me agayne hether commaundeth the that thou dyspose the to returne vnto hym And in contynente a Feuer toke hym / and after the coÌ„maundement dyed ¶ Another Example of iii. deade men areysed the whiche recompteth of the paynes of purgatorye and of hell / and howe they were in Iudgemente before God IT is wryten in the Epystell of the holye Bysshoppe named sitillus that by the merytes of saynt Iherome that which appered vnto saynt Eusebe thre deade bodyes were areysed for to take away a great erroure the which reygned in that tyme amonge the grekes that it came in the latyns of the heretikes that sayde that the yll persones ne shulde haue of tormentes in hell tyll vnto the daye of Iudgement that the body the soule shuld be remyt togythers The thre deed bodyes that were areysed lyued xx dayes / the which were demaunded why they wepte so sore And the one of them sayde vnto hym that asked it Yf thou knew the paines the which before yesterdaye I endured thou shuldest haue euermore cause to wepe And he was requyred to tell what paynes he had endured suffred within â—ell He sayde that the dampned and those in 〈…〉 haue so great paynes that yf a pâ—â—sonâ— sâ—uld endure in this worlde al the paines / tormâ—ntâ—s / and afflyctions that a man may tâ—ynâ—e / that nâ— shulde be but consolacion to endure all that / in regarde of the seest payne of purgatorye / or of hell Also he sayde Yf any lyuynge had felte the experyence of the dolour the whiche is in hell or in purgatorye / that he shulde loue better to endure tyll vnto the ende of the worlde wihout any remedy togythers all the paynes and tormentes that all the men and women hath endured one after another syth Adam vnto now / than to be tormented one day in the leest payne that is in hell or in purgatorye And therfore yf ye axe me what the cause is wherfore I wepe It is for that that I knowledge me to haue synned agaynst god / that iustely he punysseth the synÌ„ers wherfore I wepe to haue deserued suche punycyon Afterwarde he was axâ—d wherin dyffereth the paynes tormentes of purgatorye / those of hell He answered that they ne dyffre as vnto thee qualyte and quantyte of paynes they ben of one selfe greatnes / but they dyffre in as moche as the paynes of hell haue none ende And also the dampned shall haue augmentacion of tormentes in Iudgemente whan they shal there be tormented in body and soule And the paynes of purgatory shall haue an ende For whan the penaunce is accomplysshed / those of purgatorye ben delyuered Also he was asked yf those the whiche ben in purgatorye and in hell haue egall tormentes or dyuers He answered that the one haue more great tormentes and dyuers than the other after the quantyte and greatnes of synÌ„es that they haue coÌ„mytted And also the dampned albeit that they ben in a place of paynes / yet feelâ— they more great tormentes the one than the other / after the quaÌ„tyte / qualites of sinÌ„es that they haue coÌ„mitted For in the persone where there is more of matter of synne / more stroÌ„gely the fyre hym taketh and brynneth more cruelly Also he was demaunded howe he bare the dede whan the soule yssued oute from the body He answered / whan myne houre of deth came in place where I was he founde so many of deuylles that a manne myghte / noÌ„bre them for the great multytude the which were so horrybles to beholde that a man ne can thynke more great paine than it is Any man had leuer caste hym selfe more sooner in a fyre flaÌ„bynge and brynnynge than to beholde them with the eye / the which deuyls came vnto me and brought agayne vnto my mynde all the cursed operacyons that I had done agayne god esmouynge that I ne had more of esperaunce of the dyuyne mercy the whiche I haue greatly offended And certes knowe ye that yf the mercy of god ne had ayded me I ne myght haue resysted vnto them For whaÌ„ my spyryte was destytute of all force lytell lytell I me coÌ„sented vnto theyr wordes / and saynt Iherome arryued more clere than the sonne with great multytude of Aungels the whiche came vnto myne ayde And the sayd saynt Iherome blamed them / they departed with great howlynges and clamours c. For to abrydge this matter the saide are ysed sayde that his soule was borne before god in Iudgement in lyke wise as a man may shyt the eye / but how ne of whom he ne knew Moreouer he sayd al the synÌ„es that he had done / spoken / and thought in all his lyfe appered clerely vnto the Iudge and before all in lykewyse as they had ben present / so that there ne abode the moost lytell thought but that it appered so it had be thought Also he sayd that he was replenysshed with so great feare that meruayl it was And that great multytude of deuylles were there present the whiche wytnesse the ylles that we haue done in declarynge the place / the maner and the tyme and the ylles that men spoke agaynst vs / we ne may agayne say theÌ„ in no maner For the Iudge knoweth and seeth all Also the Iustes and presentes it sene and knowe Alas what shal I saye
/ we ne abyde more than the sentence to be brought forth agayne vs. For all the presentes â—â—ye vnto the Iudge that we bendygne of tormentes And almooste no good dede appered wherin we had esperauÌ„ce to haue the mercy of god And whaÌ„ he ne resysted more as to brynge forth the sentence the whiche is iustely gyuen agayne the sinners that blyssed saynt Iherome was present Also were present saynt Iohan baptyste / saynt Peter / and great multitude of Aungels the whiche requyred of the Iudge that our seÌ„tence were yet dyfferâ—ed a lytell of tyme for the reuereÌ„ce and deuocyon that we had made vnto the sayde saynt Iherome And for to dystroy the erroure the which reygned in the worlde And he was accorded vnto the said saynt Iherome that that he requyred The whiche ledde vs with hym And shewed vs the glory of the blyssed soules and the paynes of hell and of purgatorye / to th ende that we myght wytnes certayne that thing that we haue sene The whiche thynges be not here writen for bycause of shortnes And wolde that we were put within the paynes of purgatorye to th ende that we shulde proue the experyence of the paynes the whiche there ben in the whiche we were put For to abrydge the sayde saynt Iherome vs coÌ„mauÌ„ded that we shulde come agayne in to our bodyes And that we shulde wytnes that / that we had sene / vs promysed that on the .xx. day yf we dyd dygne penauÌ„ce of the sinÌ„es that we had coÌ„mytted that we shuld dye agayne with saynte Eusebe the whiche shulde dye on the sayde day and we shuld haue glory And so our soules were incontynent within theyr bodyes c. ¶ Another Example howe a deuyll sayde that the soule of the Erle Guyllaume was in horryhle payne IT is wryten in Dialogo Cesarii this the whiche foloweth howe the discyple recyteth in his Boke and sayeth that as a knyght was at the death in his bedde al alene the deuyll appered vnto hym vysyâ—ly in forme and sâ—mblaunce of a sheepe the which had the hornes of a gote And when he se hym there in suche wyse he had fere and hym demaunded what art thou and what sekest tâ—ou He answered I am a deuyll the whiche am come for to fetche the soule Vnto whom the sayde Knyght sayde / depart thou frome cursed thefe / I haue coÌ„maunded it vnto Ihesu Chryst that I haue receyued in the sacrament And the deuyll sayde Varled yf thou wylte do me homage I shall yelde vnto the helth and I shal enryche the aboue all thy parentes And the knyght hym demaunded where ben thy tresours He answered treasours infynyte ben hyd nere vnto the court And the said knight asked hym / tell me where is the soule of the Erle Guyllaume that whiche is lately deed He answered It is in hel in so great fyre that yf the moste great mountayne were there it shulde be consumed in lesse of tyme than to close the eye And that payne there is but a bayne of mylâ—e in the regarde of the daye of Iudgement where he shal receyue the payne And he asked hym of another man And he answered he hath be .xxxi. yeres iÌ„ paines but a Monke and Myncheâ— hath delyuered hym by good dedes And agayne he demaunded the deuyl From whens camest thou whaÌ„ thou came to me He answered I and my felowes were at the death of an abbesse awaytynge her soule And the knyght him demauÌ„ded Howe many ben ye He answered that the moste great forest of the worlde hath not so many of leues as we were And the knight demauÌ„ded him What haue ye done He answered / Alas nothyng she was a good religyous saint Michel came thither that which bete vs departed iÌ„ lykewyse as departeth the poudre before the wynde / and he was axed yf he were at the death of suche an abbot He answered that there is not so moch of grauell in the see as there was yf deuyls / but we ne dyd nothynge / for the vyllaynes Monkes the whiche there were groned as hoggê ne wold let vs to approche And the sayde knyght saide Howe dare ye go vnto the deth of so holy a man And the deuyll sayde I was at the deth of the sone of god / and set me on the arme of the Crosse / wherfore dare I not than go vnto the death of suche a man c. ¶ Another Example howe a relygyous wolde more sooner enter into a fyre than to beholde the Deuyll THe disciple recyteth in his proÌ„ptuarye and sayth that one tyme a relygyous came vnto the deth the whiche cryed horrybly cursed be the houre that euer I was relygyous / and after helde his peas And within a lytell whyle afterwarde he began to laughe with a Ioyous face sayde Naye But blessed be the tyme that I entred into the ordre And blyssed be the gloryous Mother of Iesu Chryst that I loue and agayne helde his peas The freres that whiche were by him and herde these wordes wept and prayed for him Two houres after he sayde vnto a frere the which was by him / call my brethren For god hath exalted theyr praiers And he sayde vnto them whan tâ—ey were entred My bretâ—ren ye were troubleâ— of the fyrste worâ—e I sâ—â—de vnto you / but the cause of the worde was for that that the deuyls horryble appered vnto me / the whiche wolde rauysshe my soule And for the drede I was rauysshed out of my selfe and cursed the houre that I entred in to relygyon I tell you that yf a great fyre were here melled with brymstone / and that I had to chose to put me within it or els to beholde agayne the deuylles in the forme that I haue sene them / I shal be chose more sooner to put me in the fâ—re than to beholde them / afterwardâ— the Quene of heuen and of mercye came the whiche chased away the deuylles And whan I se her I conceyued esperaunce / and for the greate Ioye that I hadde I haue laughed and blyssed the houre that I entred in to relygyon and the vyrgyn Mary whan he had spoken these wordes he dyed debonayrely c. ¶ Another Example howe the vysyon of the Deuyll is horryble IT is wryten in some Bokâ—s this the whiche foloweth that the dyscyple recyteth in his promptâ—ary and saieth that the abbot of saynt agathe came vnto coleyne with one of his Monkes and a conuerse with a woman demonyacle And whan the abbot asked the deuyll of some thynges he ne wolâ—e answere The abbot sayde afterwarde I coniure the by hym that I haue trayted in the Masse that thou answere me And incontynent the Deuyll answered vnto those thynges that men demaunded hym After the abbot coniured him that he shuld go forth of the woman The deuyll answered And whether shall I go The abbot sayde / I haue opened my mouth to th ende that thou there entre The deuyll sayde I
the which couÌ„sayled the which thou beleued dyd his wyl / but be thou sure that thou shalt haue the mercy of god / and thou shalt suffre a lytell or tormentes that thou haste deserued Come thou after me that the I shal shewe that so kepe thou it put thou it in thy memory / for thou shalt returne agayne within thy body Whan the soule had herde this she was moche ferefull she approched vnto the Aungell whan the deuylles herde this worde they were madde For they sawe that they ne had of puyssauÌ„ e to do yll vnto the soule and blasphemed god in sayenge that he was not ryghtfull / for he yelded not vnto euery man after his deâ—â—â—â— And of the great woodnes wherof they were full they beteche other And they departed from thene sory and heuy as inraged Than the AuÌ„gell sayde vnto the sayd soule Come after me A syr thou goest before / these deuylles shall take me behynde and shall lede me in to hell The Aungell answered Haue thou no fere for we haue more great ayde thaÌ„ they ne haue Sideus pro nobis quis contra nos Yf god be for vs there is none that may noye vs. It is wryten by the prohete Dauid Cadent a latere tuo mille et decem millia a dexteris tuis ad te autem non appropinquabit VeruÌ„tamen oculis tuis considerabis et retributioneÌ„ peccatoruÌ„ videbis That is to saye a thousande shall fall on the lefte syde / and ten thousande on thy ryght syde Certaynely they shal not approche vnto the. Albeit thou shalt consydre by thyne eyes and thou shalle se the retrybucyon of thy synnes And whan he had sayde these wordes they yode forth ¶ Of the valey WHan they were gone longely togythers by so geeat darkenesse that they had no lyghte / but that the whiche praceded of the Aungell / they came in to a valey moche horryble / the whiche was ryght depe and full of brynÌ„ynge coles And about that 〈◊〉 there was a couerynge of yron breÌ„nynge of thyckenes syxt fadome the whiche was more hote than that whiche brent vnderneth From thens yssued so great stenche the whiche greued more the soule than all that that he had before suffced Aboue the sayde couerynge dyscended many chetyues soules the whiche there were fryed as a man fryeth bacon in the panne And afterwarde they were strayned thorowe the couerynge as waxe fell dyscended in to the welle of the sayd valey / vpon the brynnynge coles where they were tormented of a newe torment / thus sayd the AuÌ„gell This payne suffreth those the which haue kylled fathers or mothers / or other people by delyberacyon or dede And after this torment they shal beled into more great / but thou ne shalt suffre this sayde torment albeit that thou haste well deserued it ¶ Of the beest horryble AFter they entred in to a way moch horryble croked harde And whan they had longe gone in darkenes / the soule sawe a ferre a beest moche horryble and ferefull of the greatnes incredyble / more great than all the mountaynes that he had before sene She had the eyen as great fyres breÌ„nynge / and had the mouthe so greate that it semed vnto hym that there myght well entre x. M. men of armes / there yssued out of his mouth fyre inextynguyble / stynke incomparable Great multytude of soules entred by the mouthe in to the wombe of the sayde beest the whiche soules cryed horrybly of tormentes that they were in â–ª And before the sayde beest there was great multytude of deuylles the which bette tormented the sayde soules and after put theÌ„ within the sayde beest And whan the soule had longe beholden the sayde beest she was moche ferefull and sayde to the AuÌ„gel Syr wherfore approche we vnto this torment The Aungell answered we maye not go by other waye / for none escapeth this tormeÌ„t but those the god hath choseÌ„ to be in his company This beest that thou seest is called Acherons the whiche tourmenteth all the auarycyous Of this beest it is wryten Absorbebit fluuium et noÌ„ mirabitur / et habet fidutiam ê™ influat Iordanis in os eius That is to say He shall swalowe a streme or water and it shall be no meruayle / and also haue affyâ—unce that the wâ—ter of Iordan ronneth yet throughe her month And whan they had spoken this they came before the sayde beest and the Aungell departed and lefte the soule amonge the deuylles And incontynente the deuylles besette her about and there tormented her with great tourmentes as woode dogges And afterwarde they fedde her with theÌ„ in to the wombe of thesayde beest Therin she suffred many bytynges of dogges / of beres / of lyons / of serpentes / of other beestes that she had neuer sene ne knowen before / there had of great tormentes of deuylles / brennynge of fyre / sharpenes of sulphre / darkenes / woundes to plundge / to crye / and great haboundaunce of dysease and of trybulacyon There was the sayde soule accused of her synnes that she had coÌ„mytted And for the great heauynes wherof she was full she strake her seffe on the chekes tare them with the nayles of her owne handes / wende there to be daÌ„pned pardurably / anone she founde her selfe out of the sayde beest / but she wyst not howe she came out and she was layde ferre of moche feble Afterwarde within a whyle of time she opened her eyen and sawe her Aungell by her Than had she great Ioye albeit that she was moche tormented began to gyue praysynges vnto our lorde of his mercy And the Aungell touched her and comforted her c. ¶ Of the ouen with the flambes ¶ Afterwarde they yode another waye / and whan they were gone longely by darkenes / they sawe an house moche hyghe the whiche was rounde as an ouen In the sayde house there was wel a thousande wyndowes / from the whiche yssued fyre / stronge / sharpe / moche hote whan the soule sawe the sayd house she had great fere and sayde vnto the Aungell A syr we approche to the gates of deth Alas caytyfe who shall delyuer me fro this torment The Aungell answered From the fyre the whiche yssueth out by these wyndowes thou shalte be delyuered / but in to the house it behoueth to entre whan they were approched they sawe within the sayde house in the middes of the fyre great multitude of deuyls the which helde axes / knyues / hachettes / and othee Instrumentes of yron sharpe for to tormente the soules that were there of the whiche soules there was great multytude Than sayde the soule vnto the Aungell Syr I pray the yf it please the that thou delyuer me fro this torment / and in all the other where thou shalt sede me I graunte me to be there tormented And the Aungell sayde This torment is greater than all those that thou hast
sene / but yet shalt thou se greater Nowe entre here for the deuylles tary for the as dogges enraged Than the soule began to quake and to tremble of the great fere that she had and prayed the Aungell moche that he wolde make hym to passe the sayde torment / but it vayled him nothyng And whan the deuyls herde that she was grauÌ„ted vnto them for to torment they toke her with theyr Instrumentes and tormented her sharpely The mayster of this house had to name Physternus His house was full of fyre brennynge in the whiche soules strayned theyr teeth and wayled for the great doloure that they suffred And there were men and women / not all onely of people of the worlde / but also of relygyon There was this soule tourmented the whiche sayde that she had well deserued that that she had suffred But whan it pleased god she fouÌ„de her selfe out of the sayde torment and she wyst not in what maner Than she aduysed her Aungell by her to whom she sayde A syr where is the worde that the prophete Dauid speketh MiÌ„a dnÌ„i plena est terra That is to saye The earth is full of the mercy of God Than the Aungell answered and sayde By those wordes many soules be deceyued God is ryghtwyse thoughe that he be full of mercy / many synnes he vengeth punyssheth / and also he pardoneth Yf god pardoned all the synnes wherfore shulde the men be iust And yf a man ne dredde the tormentes / wherfore shulde he drede to do synne his wyll And what shulde it nede that these synners shulde repent them and confesse them of theyr synnes yf they ne dredde god God by his great mercy spareth the synners in theyr lyfe and taryeth them for that they shulde do penauÌ„ce But yf they ben obstynate in theyr synnes and wyll not reuerte / he them punysshed for theyr synnes after theyr deth And God somtime taketh away the gooddes teÌ„poralles from the Iust for to punysshe theÌ„ teÌ„porally of some outrages that they haue done / also to th ende that they enpryde theÌ„ not But he kepeth vnto them the gooddes pardurables of his glory ¶ Of the cruell Beest and of the ysye ponde ¶ After the Aungell led the soule in to another place wherin they sawe a beest moche meruaylous the whiche had two fete and .ii. wynges and the necke ryght longe And his nebbe and his nayles were as yron / and from his sayde nebbe yssued a flambe of fyre by ryght great sharpenes force And the sayde beest was vpon a ponde full of stronge yse / the whiche beest deuoured the soules within his wombe in suche maner that they became as vnto nothynge by the tormeÌ„tes that they suffred Afterwarde he put them out of his wombe within the yse of the sayde ponde And there were they tormented of newe torment And all the soules the whiche in to the ponde dyscended were in throwes in lykewyse as women with chylde And not a lonely the women / but also the men as the women And within theyr belyes they felte the sharpe bytynges that the serpentes made of the whiche they were engryped And there were the caytyues soules tourmented And whan the tyme came approched that they shulde chylde they cryed so horrybly that they fylled hell of noyse and of hon synges Than they chylded serpentes as wel the men as the women And the sayde serpentes yssued not onely by the meÌ„bres wherby the women chylde naturally But also by the armes / the feete / and all the other meÌ„bres yssued oute the horryble beestes the whiche had headeâ— of fyre brynnynge moche sharpe / wherwith they tormented ryghte cruelly the sayde soules froÌ„ whens they yssued And the sayde beestes had horryble tayles nedles and aboute theyr tailes made as they were crochettes and hookes made as yf they were crochettes And whan they yssued from the sayde caytyues soules yf they myght not drawe theyr tayles after them for the hookes they returned theyr nebbes smote the soules and gnawed then vnto the synewes bones and of the great payne tormente that they suffred they keste so great and horyble cryes that they were herde vnto heauen Moreouer the sayde soules were replenysshed of dyuers maners of beestes on theyr membres the whiche did them eate and gnawe vnto the bones And they had tonges yâ— which fastened within the sayde soules tyl vnto the lightes This payne sustayne the false Monkes / chanons / the false Nonnes / and these other benefyced of holy churche the whiche haue not wel kept theyr bodyes froÌ„ euyll doyngâ— / ne theyr mouthes from euyll saynge and spekynge Also those the whiche hath vsed Lecherye susteyne this payne and torment And for that that thou arte cuspable it behoueth the to susteine this sayde tormente whan the deuylles herde this worde they toke the sayde soule and gaue it to the sayde beest to tourment and to deuoure And whan she was in torment as the other soules and that she was engryped with serpentes as the other / and whan the tyme came that she shulde chylde the Aungell came to her and touched her / and she was incontynent hole / and sayde vnto her / come after me ¶ Of the valey of smythes ¶ Afterwarde they yode in to another way moche horryble dyseasefull full of so great darkenes that they had no lyght but of the clerenes of the Aungell And it semed that they descended from a ryght hyghe mountayne in to a great and depe valey And them ore that they yode the lesse had the soule of esperaunce for to returne vnto lyfe Than the soule sayd vnto the Aungell Syr whyther gowe The Aungell answered This waye ledeth vnto death And the soule sayd what is that than that the scrypture sayth â—ata est via que ducit ad mortem / et multi sunt qui intrant per eam That is to say that the way the whiche is large ledeth vnto death and many there ben the whiche entre go by that way The Aungell sayde Of this speketh not the scrypture / but of the cursed way of the worlde wherby meÌ„ coÌ„men in to this way And whan they were descended into the sayde valey moch depe they sawe there of forges Than the Aungell sayd vnto the soule The mayster of this valey is called Vulcane the which by his engyn and falsenes hath casten many soules in to paynes and tormeÌ„tes Than sayde the soule vnto the AuÌ„gell Syr shall I suffre this torment The Aungell answered / ye / thou shalte suffre this torment And whan the deuylles herde that worde they beset the soule about and toke it with theyr Instrumentes of yron that they helde / and sayde vnto the holy Aungell none harme / and keste it in to a chymney full of fyre brynnynge And began to blowe the fyre of theyr furneys in lykewyse as men blowe whan the yron is in the furneys And so they tormeÌ„ted the soules
felowes the whiche ben in paynes ¶ After these thynges spoken and sene the soule approched vnto hym sawe the prynce of darkenes in the botom of hell / what and howe great tormentes she sawe there the entendement ne may comprehende it / and man ne may expresse it ne declare That is to say yf he had an hondred heades / and that euery heade had an hoÌ„dred tonges / yet they myght not recompte the paynes of hell There was one the ryght worst deuyll that which was more greater than all the beastes that he had sene before The which was blacke as Rauen He had the forme of the body of a man from the feete vnto the heed except that he had well a thousande handes And he had atayle well an C. cubytes long / and .x. of greatnes And he had nayles of yron great longe as well on the feete as on the handes longer greter than the speres of knyghtes His nebbe was moche longe and great His tayle was ryght longe and sharpe all full of pryckles sharpe poynted for to greue and torment the myserable soules And that moost horryble deuyll laye vpon a gred yron of yron / vnder the whiche there was great habundaunce of breÌ„nynge coles Also there was great multytude of deuyls the whiche blewe and kyndled the fyre About the enemy there were so many deuylâ— and of cursed and myserable soules that no man myght beleue that of all the worlde froÌ„ the begynnynge myght be yssued brought forth so many soules And the deuyll was bounde by euery Ioynture of all his meÌ„bres with great chaynes of yron and of copre breÌ„nynge And of great torment and vehement woodnes wherof he was full he turned hym fâ—om the one syde vnto the other / and stretcheâ— out his handes in the multytude of the sayde soules and toke them and strayned theÌ„ in lykewyse no men maye do a clustre of grapes in theyr handes for to make the wyne come forth And in such maner he strayned theÌ„ that he eyther brake theyr heedes / or theyr fete / or handes / or some other membres Afterwarde he syghed and blewe and dysperpeled the sayde soules in to many of the tormentes of the fyre of hell And incontynent that pyt or well wherof we haue before spoken keste stynke and horryble flambe And whan that cruel beest drewe agayne vnto hym his breth all the sayde soules that he had shed with flaÌ„bes and sulphre fel and entred in his mouth / the whiche he deuoured And whan some soules escaped hym by aduenture betwene his handes he smote them wâ—th his tayle And the deuyll the whiche in suche wyse tormented the soules horrybly was tormented aboue all other Than the Aungell sayde vnto the soule This deuyll that thou seest here is callâ—d Lucyfer the whiche is the fyrst creature that god made the whiche was in the delyces of Paradyse before that he descended from heauen / and yf he were not bounde he wolde do many euylles parturbacyons And they the whiche thou seest the which be with hym there are a partye of the Aungelles of darkenes And the other partye ben men and women the whiche ben descended from Adam the which ben all redy Iudged the whiche abyde many the which haue renyed Iesu Chryst / or doth the operacyons of them the whiche renye hym Here be the yll Prelates and Prynces of whom it is wryten sapientie .vi. Potentes poteÌ„ter tormenta patientur / fortioribus autem fortior instat cruciatio That is to saye that those that be myghty in dygnyte and in power shall suffre tormentes with great puyssauÌ„ce That is where as they haue mysche nouslye vsed the puyssaunce that god hath gyuen vnto them All the other tormentes that thou haste sene albeit that they be ryght great yet are they nothynge to compte in regarde of this here And the soule sayde Certessyr thou sayest true / for I am more greued and tormented to se alonely the torment and to fele the stynke the whiche is there than all the tormeÌ„tes that I haue suffred hyther to wherfore I prayethe yf it please the that thou take me from henâ— Also I se many of my felowes that I loued moche helde theyr company moche dere where as I haue nowe great horrour for to se them And certaynly I vnderstande knowe that yf the great grace mercy of god w re not my succoure that I haue deserued for my synnes to be punyssed and tormented eternally as they ben And the Aungell sayde vnto hym O my blyssed come and conuerte the in thy rest / for god hath done well vnto the / thou shalte not suffre these tourmentes here And thou shalt se them no more yf thou forget not the thynges that thou hast sene / and yf thou deserue them not agayne The soule of the sayde Tongdalus sawe many other tourmentes / and of the Ioyes of the saued the whiche hath be lefte by cause of shortnes for they ben moche longe to recounte and wryte ¶ By the scryptures and Examples beforesayde it doth appere that the synners in obedyentes vnto god shulde correcke them and amende whyles that they lyue in this worlde yf that they wyll escape and eschewe the inestymable tourmentes of hell and gette the Realme and the glory eternall Vnto the whiche glorye we maye go / cum illo qui est benedictus in infinita secula seculorum Amen ¶ Thus endeth the Examplayre vpon the paynes of hell ¶ Iesus ¶ Hereafter foloweth an Example that the name of Iesus doth many goodnesses And howe it delyuered a man fro many perylles and tourmentes IT is wryten in many Bookes that as seynt Patrycke preached in Irlande he praied God deuoutly that he wolde shewe hym some token by the whiche the wycked euyllmen myght haue feare and also repent them And sodaynly a ryght great hole or pytte appered and it was reueled vnto hym that the place of purgatory was there In the whiche place yf any wolde descende he shulde haue none other payne Many the which herde this thynge therin entred the whiche came neuer agayne And a man named Nycolas the whiche had coÌ„mytted many synnes there descended to th ende that he myght repente hym of his synnes And he founde fyrste an oratory and whyte Monkes the whiche sayde vnto hym Be thou stedfast and constaunt For it behoueth the to sustayne many teÌ„ptacions And he them demaunded what remedy he myght haue agaynst the sayde temptacions They answered whan thou fâ—lest thy selfe tourmeÌ„ted with paynes crye hastely O Iesu Christe adiuua me That is to saye O Ihesu Chryst helpe me And whan that he was departed from them the deuylles ranne sodaynely vpon hym in lykewyse as wylde beestes famysshed And as they dyd in this wyse vnto hym he recorded hym of his counsayle and sayde O Iesu Christe adiuua me And incontynente he ne wyste where the beestes became He yode furthermore founde a tyght great fyre in to the whiche the deuylles kest hym And incontynente that he had sayde Iesu Christe adiuua me / forthwith the fyre was put out and quenched He walked yet further and sawe a well ryght depe from the whiche yssued smoke and great clamoure of soules the which were tourmented And whaÌ„ the deuyls had casten hym within it he cryed Iesu Christe adiuua me That is to say Iesu Chryste helpe me / and forthwith he was delyuered At the last he sawe a brydge that was ryght narowe and strayte And there he had great terrours / the whiche brydge hym behoueth to passe / but he myght not And he sette one of his fete vpon the brydge and sayde Iesu Christe adiuua me And so he saide at euery steppe tyll that he had passed the brydge on the other syde And whaÌ„ that he was past he came vnto a fayre medowe wherin grewe many fayre and delectable floures / of the whiche floures and medowe proceded good odoures and smelles And afterwarde he came agayne vnto lyfe and .xxx. dayes passed he came vnto Paradyse by the Inuocacion of our blessed sauyoure and redemptoure Iesu Chryst ¶ Vnto the Example of the abouesayde man the whiche was delyuered from al tourmentes and paynes incontynente that he had called the helpe of Iesus In lykewyâ—â— thou man and woman call deuoutly the name of the blessed Lambe Iesus in all aduersytyce / fortunes / tourmeÌ„tes / losses / temptacions / sickenesses / necessityes / anguysshes / perylles / infyrmytyes / and thynges doubtables / well shall come vnto the. This name Iesus is interprete sauyour Iesus interpretatur saluator For by the meryte of his passyon he saued all the worlde He brake hell / saued and delyuered afthe good persones the whiche were in the lymbe of the holy fathers opened Paradyse vnto all good chrystyane Also Iâ—sus is the kynge of kynges / the Iudge of Iudges / and of all great and lytell It is he that gyueth Ioye beatytude eternall vnto the good / that punyssheth and dampneth the euyll / Iesus is holy and debonayre vnto the good / also he is terryble and cruel vnto the euyl And therfore sayeth the psalmyst Sanctum terribile nomen eius initium sapientie timor domini Also the name of Iesus is in excellence aboue all other VnÌ„ Paul ad Phyl. DocatuÌ„ est nomeÌ„ eius super omne nomen Also the name of Iesus is loued dred aboue all names / in namynge hym all creatures resonables shulde bowe the knee / be it in Paradyse in this worlde / or in hell VnÌ„ Paul ad Phi. In nomine Iesu omÌ„e genu flectatur celestium / terrestrium / et infernorum The men and women of this worlde cal hym in theyr besynesses and necessytyes / and the deuylls of hell dred hym For to be shorte the name of Iesus ought to be loued / honoured / called dred / and redoupted / for it is replenysshed with bountye / beautye / and holynes infynyte and in enarrable That is the whiche passeth all entendementes c. ¶ Finis ¶ Imprynted by me Robert Wyer dwellynge at the Sygne of seynt IohnÌ„ Euangelyste in seynt Martyns Parysshe besyde Charynge Crosse ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ROBERT WYER·
⧠Examples howe mortall synne maketh the synners inobedyentes to haue many paynes and doloures within the fyre of Hell And fyrst Example of a Father of an housholde the whiche sawe two pondes and the tourmentes of Hell The Examplayre vpon the paynes of Hell MEN fynde by wrytynge this that whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the Boke of his promptuarye sayth that the father of a housholde yelded his soule to god / al his housholde watched hym and kept his body by nyght by the dyuyne mercy he reuyued yode vnto the churche to yelde thankes vnto god And all that he had he gaue to the churche and to the poores Afterwarde he yode vnto an hermytage and by a water made his dwellynge and entred within the sayde water and lette his clothes to be ysye and frosen nere to his flesshe And after that he entred into a bayne ryght hote and susteyned suche payne tyll vnto the deth And whan he was repreued to endure suche payne he sayde Yf ye had seene that that I haue seene ye sholde do with me that I doo / or more greater thynge And he recounted terryble thynges of the paynes of hell in sayenge that whan his soule departed fro his body an Aungell led hym into a valey of infinyte greatnes In the whiche there were two pondes / the one was ful of wormeâ— and of flambes of fyre eygrelye brynnynge and hote And the other ponde was frosen / there was terrible coldnes of snow of halfe And these two pondes were ful of â—oules terryble tourmented / the whiche whan they myghte nomore sustayne the greate cruelte of the fyre they passed in to the colde And they that myght not sustayne the coldenes passed in to the hote c. Afterwarde the AuÌ„gel fed hym by darkenes ryght thycke and there sawe lytell flambeâ— and lytell hepes and assemblementes of fyre the which proceded froÌ„ the furneys of hell mounted as hye as sparkles of fyre men of fyre thorowe them proceded / there felte stynke intollerable / and there harde wepynges / waylynges / and howlynges in comporables and sawe the deuyls ryght terrybles that helde hookes of fyre the whiche coueyted to catche thee Father of the housholde to cast hym in the furneys / but the Aungell defende that they shulde not touche hym For the Iudge had coÌ„maunded that he shulde returne in to his body for to do penauÌ„ce And there he dyd suche penaunce that it passed mannes reason After he dyed ioyouslye c. To the purpose of this example that speketh of the fyry ponde saynt IohnÌ„ sayth Qui non est inuentus in libro vite scriptus missus est in flagnum ignis ardentis sulphuris He the whiche is not founde wryten in the Boke of lyfe whan he is deed is sent in to a ponde of fyre brynnynge of sulpre This poÌ„â—e here wherof speketh saynt IohnÌ„ is not of colde water or boylynge wherin the synÌ„ers be â—songed / drowned / or boyled as false money makers / but it is by symylytude as a poÌ„de or a cawdron of fyre of sulphre molton brynnynge and boylynge wherin the dampned be sent there to be plonged smored / brent and boyled the which is the seconde deth that commeth after the deth corporall wherof speketh saynt Gregory in his moralles Fit miseris mors sine morte / finis sine fine / defectus sine defectu c. ¶ Example of a Father and his Sonne the whiche were seene in hell in tourment of fyre brynnynge boylynge as doth the peason in a pot on the fyre Quere .lxxiii. Also saynte Iohan sayeth in the appocalyps that the homycides / fornycatours / enuenymours / ydolatres / and all lyâ—rs shall be sent in to a ponde brynnynge of fyre and sulphre the whiche is the secoÌ„â—e deth VnÌ„ appoca xxi Pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne sulphure quod est mors sâ—cunda Vnto the purpose of the seconâ—e ponde the whiche was frosen and that the dampned passed froÌ„ the ponde of the fire in to that of the cold It is writeÌ„ Iob. xxiiii Ad calorem nimium transiet ab aquis niuiuÌ„ And from the great cruelte of colde and of tormentes that the dampned haue god saieth in the gospelles that they shall wepe grynde theyr teeth of greate payne that they shall endure VnÌ„ Math. viii xxiiii Ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium ¶ Another Example howe a ryche man was put in a Chayre of ☞ Fyre ☜ THE disciple recyteth howe a deuoute man sawe by vicyon a ryche man lede in to hell that had be moche honoured in this worlde and exceded in worldly glory / in glotony / lecherye / in songes / and in dyue resolaces And the prynce of the deuylles rose vp from his chayre / came before hym and made hym to sytte in a chayre all of fyre and sayde vnto hym Syt thou here for the honour that thou hast had iÌ„ the worlde And was constrayned to drynke of lycoure ryght bytter / stynkynge and foule And they saide to hym that it was for that he had droÌ„ken in the world the drynkâ—s full of swetenesses and two deuylles were there with trompettes the which blewe in his eares that the slambes of fyre yode out by the eyes / nosethrylles / mouth and eares And it was sayde vnto hym that it was for the bayne and songes that he had harde in the worlde And they put serpentes about his necke and vnto his armes / sayde vnto hym that it was for the embracemeÌ„tes of womeÌ„ that he had had in liuinge lecherously c. ¶ Another Example of a woman that sawe the paynes of her husbande and of other dampned THe discyple recyteth iÌ„ his sermoÌ„s thie the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other Bokes and sayeth that a Knyght ryghte puyssaunt was abandoned in torneymentes the whiche lyued miserably / and myscheuously dyed His wyfe the whiche abode wydowe was ryght deuoute and holy The whiche recompted vnto her brother Albert mayster of the ordre of the prechours that after the deth of her sayde husbande she was rauysshed in spyryte and sawe by the soule of her said husbande great multitude of deuylles asseÌ„bled And the one of them the which appered to be mayster coÌ„maunded vnto his companyons and felawes that they shulde put a payre of hosen on his fete of the whiche the pryckes otherwyse called dartes perced hym from the plante of the fete tyll vnto the brayne Afterwarde he made hym to be clothed in a haubergyon wherof the prickynges perced al his bodye on all partes before and behynde Afterwarde he made to putte on his heed a helme of the whiche the pryckes in discendynge perced hym tyll vnto the plante of the fote Afterwarde he made to put vpon his sholder a shelde otherwyse called a marke or tokeÌ„ the whiche was so heuy that all his membres were frusshed After that the Prynce of the deuyle
had made al these thinges to be done to the sayde cursed soule he sayde agayne vnto the saide deuylles The custom of this maÌ„ was that after his tornementes that he vsed baynes / after his baines that he was layde in his bed and by hym a tendre mayden the whiche he enbraced and with her medled / appropre hym semblable thynges And without taryenge the sayde soule was moche tormented bayned in a bayne of fyre / and afterwarde layde in a bed of fyre brynnynge and fast by hym a tode of the greatnes of the bed the whiche was so horryble had so terryble eyen that of the enbracynge and of the touchynge of the â—yssynge that the sayde tode made and of the horryble lokes he was more brente and tourmented than he ne had be before of the sayde armoures / of the bayne / and of the bed Alas what paynes haue those the whiche in suche wyse ben tormented That blyssed won an that sawe by the dyspensacyon of God the thynges beforesayde vnto the Soule of her sayde Husbande was so moche tourmented that meruayle it was all thee dayes of her fyfe of the recordacyon of the vysyon before rehersed of her Husbande ¶ Another Example howe a sâ—â—uaunt sawe his mayster the whiche was ledde in to paynes MEn fynde by wrytyng this the whiche foloweth howe the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuary and saith that there was a noble man oppressour and persecutoure of poore people and loued thee worlde The which as he rested hym iÌ„ his bed his seruauÌ„t the which lay before his chambre was rauysshed by vycion before thee throne of god And there sawe his sayde mayster that was accused of all the thynges that hee had done / and for them sentence of dampnacyon was gyuen and was ledde of deuylleâ— before Lucyfer with great daunsynge Vnto whom Lucyfer sayd Approche vnto me myne owne faythfull seruauÌ„te that I may kysse hym And whan he was before hym Lucyfer sayde peas be not with the in eternyte Agayne Lucyfer sayde He hadde of custome to bathe hym / lâ—be hym to the vayne Than was he bayned of a bayne infernall and moche tormented with the nailes of the deuyls / and some leest fyre vpon hym After he was layde in a bedde infernall And Lucyfer coÌ„mauÌ„ded that after the vaine men shulde giue hym to drynke iÌ„ the chalyce of the yre of god And he was constrayned to drynke of fyre sulphre molton to gyders And as he cryed it suffysed Lucyfer sayde He had of custom to here symphonyes So there arose vp ii symphonyatours the whiche were two deuylles with InstrumeÌ„tes full of fyre the which blew agaynste hym in suche maner that from his eyen and his mouth fro his nose the flambes of fyre yode oute After Lucyfer made hym to be brought and sayde to hym Thou hast songe of songes singe me one he saide What shall I synge / but that cursed bee the day that I was borne And Lucyfer sayde vnto hym Syng a better songe And he answered What shal I synge / but cursed be the father that begate me And Lucyfer sayd vnto hym / synge yet a better And the accursed sayde / but that cursed be that god the whiche hath suffred that I was borne vpoÌ„ the earth vnto this purpose sayeth the psalmyst Non mortui landabuÌ„t te dnÌ„e neque oeÌ„s qui descendunt in infernum And Lucyfer sayde / here in the songe that I wolde haue / lede hym vnto the place that he hathe deserued And he was caste in to a pytte of fyre Than the deuylles made so great dauÌ„synge that it semed that all shulde fall And at the sayde dauÌ„synge the seruaunt of the sayd man awoke The whiche ranne vnto the chambre of his sayde mayster and founde hym deed Than he tolde the sayde vysyon c. ¶ Another Example of a scoler of Parys the whiche appered vnto his mayster after his death in great tormentes IT is wryten in the legende of the deed that one of the maysters of Parys named Scilo prayed ryght greatly his scoter that yf he dyed that he wolde appere vnto hym after his death for to denounce vnto hym of his estate yf it pleased vnto God And one tyme after he appered / the whiche was clothed with a cloke of parchemente all wryten without forth of sophyms / and within enflombed with fyre / and the sayde mayster demaunded hym what he was He answered I am he the whiche hath promysed to come agayne vnto the he was axed of his estate he saide This cloke weyeth more on me than a great towre / the whiche is gyuen me to bere for the vaynglorye that I toke in the argumentes / of sophystrye / that is to saye fullacyons And the slambe of fyre the whiche brynneth me is gyuen for the furtes delycyousses that I wore And as the saide mayster sayde that suche payne was lyghte to bere The deade bodye sayde vnto hym that he shulde stretche oute his hande and that he shulde fâ—le the lightnes of his payne And whan he hadde stretched oute his hande the sayde deade bodye lette fall a droppe of his swete the whiche perced the sayde hande more sooner than shulde do an arowe / and sayde vnto hym I 〈◊〉 all suche And the sayde mayster felte so horryble tourmente that he was so ferde that hee fâ—fte the worlde and entred in to relygyon In lyke wyse aâ—telleth the chaunter of parye c. ¶ Another Example of the Soule dampned that wept the tyme that he had loste IT is wryten in the booke of drede that as a holy man was in oraison he herd by the wyl of god a voyce horryble wepyng He demaunded who it was that in suche wyse wepte Answere was made the whiche sayde I am a soule dampned And he demaunded wherfore wepest thou so bytterly He answered and sayde that one of the thynges wherfore he and all the dampned sorowe moost for is that that they haue lofte and coÌ„sumed the tyme of grace vnprofytablye in synnynge / wherein an houre by repentauÌ„ce they myght haue gotten grace escaped the tormentes wherin they be and shall be eternally By this example these synners shulde vnderstande that it is the most great good dede that may be in them as to be in the estate of grace well confessed / repentaunce of theyr synnes Also by that that this soule wept in hell is vnto the purpose of that that the EuaÌ„gylles saye that the dampned wepe in Hell Vnde Mathei viii Et luce xiiii Ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium Vnto this purpose tongdalus the whiche sawe the tormentes of hell afterwarde was brought agayne tolde that he sawe in hell a torment of an yzye ponde where the soules the whiche therin were tormented cryed so horryble that they were herde vnto heuen And after where the sayd tongdalus spake of the pytte of hell he herde great cryes howlynges of soules and thondre so horryble that
/ and dyd of great oppressyons vnto his subiectes THe dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that a relygyous of the ordre of cysternenâ—is laboured vnto the deth / he sawe S. Benet the whiche came vnto the seperacyon of his soule / the which shewed vnto hym many houses of the saued and of the tormentes of the dampned And amonges the other he sawe a great prynce borne brynnynge and resydent in a chayre of fyre And before hym there was of fayre women the whiche put theyr faces of fyre in his mouth / and he brynned tyll vnto the nombryll / and he was bette horrybly This sayde man had be a puyssaunt prynces lecherous After the sayd lecherous he sawe another that the deuylles dyd fle / And afterwarde they cast and spryncled of salte vpon hym And vpoÌ„ a gyrdyron of fyre brent him and rosted This sayd man had be a lorde cruell the which made of great oppressyons vnto his subiectes / and made of demaundes iniuste vnto the poores Afterwarde the sayde relygyous sawe another the whiche rode a horse of fyre and had a token of fyre the which otherwyse men call a bokelet / and bare a gote of fyre And after the taile of the gote he bare an habyte of amoÌ„ste This sayd man was a rauyssher the whiche toke the gote of a woman wydowe And whan he was sycke he receyued the habyte of a monke / not by charyte ne by wyll to abyde in the ordre yf he myght be hole But by the admonycyon of his frendes / for that he drewe the habyte of a monke after hym Afterwarde the sayde relygyous sawe many other people the which susteyned many other paynes after the symylytude of the maners that they had synned in this worlde It is that wherof the sage speke SapieÌ„ xi PerqÌ„ peccat homo ê‘ hec torquentur By the thynge that a man synneth by that shall he be tormented to th ende that he haue euermore remours in his conscyence that yll that he endureth is gyuen vnto hym for his proper synnes Vnde Ysaye vltimo it Marci ix Vermis eorum s morsus coÌ„scienti non moritur ignis noÌ„ extinguitur ¶ Another Example howe a Myller was borne to se the tormentes of hell and after was brought agayne in to his bodye MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth howe the discyple recyteth in his promptuary and sayeth that as a man preached of the crosse a carle vseret bought agayne a vowe for money that he had made vnto the sepulcre of IherusaleÌ„ And yode vnto the dyspensatour fraudelently / and gaue vnto hym for his sayde vowe an hondred shyllynges as he myght well gyue xlviii li. without dysherytynge his chyldren And as this sayde carle sat at the tauerneâ— he sayde vnto the other the whiche had made of vowes Ye fooles shal passe the see in peryll of your lyues and shall dyspende your substaunce / I haue boughte my vowe for fyue pounde / saued my lyfe and dwell sure in my house And also I shall haue semblable rewarde as you And in a nyght as he was in his bedde with his wyfe he herde in his mylle mouynge tempeste In lykewyse as the wheles gryndynge And he sayde vnto his sone go se who is in the mylle He yode and retourned anone with great feare Of whoÌ„ the mayster demaunded what hast thou sene He answered I had so great feare at thee doore of the mylle / that I muste nedely come agayne And he sayde yf the deuyll were there yet shulde I go to se what it is ThaÌ„ he cast his vestymeÌ„t vpon his sholders and yode vnto the mylle / he was all naked but of the sayde vestyment He opened the dore loked within / and sawe two horses ryghte blacke / and a blacke man by them and saide vnto the carle host the lepe vpon this horse the whiche is broughte vnto the. That carle had fere ond the blackeman sayde vnto hym / what taryest thou / caste awaye the vestyment and come / there was on the vestyment a crosse He was dyspeyred al the voyce and callynge of the deuyll kest alwaye his vestyment and lepte vpon the horse And the blacke man lepte vpon the other horse / and they were led incontynente in dyuerâ— places of paynes In the which the accursed sawe his father and his mother And many other that he had knoweÌ„ And he sawe a knyght named Helye of the castell Horst the whiche was mounted vpon a cowes backe towardes the hornes The whiche Cowe ranne on the one syde and on the other and tormented horrybly the sayde knyght in strykynge hym with her hornes on the backe And the catle hym demaunded wherfore he susteyned suche payne / and he answered I haue rauysshed this Cowe and taken away from a woman wydowe without mercy And therfore she me tormenteth without mercy Afterwarde there was shewed vnto the sayde carle a sege of fyre and it was sayde vnto hym Thou shalte returne euen nowe in to thy house And after thre dayes thou shalt come agayne in to this place here / and thou shalte take thy rewarde in this syege After these wordes here the deuyll broughte hym agayne in to his myllt And he founde his wife and his housholde as halfe deed / vnto whom he tolde that / that he had sene And howe it hapened The Preest was called for to chere hym and to counsayll hym to confesse hym / and to haue contrycyon And he answered whaâ— profyte me these wordes here I ne maye repente me For I se that in vayne I shulde confesse me And I knowe that of necessyte it is to accomplysshe in me that the whiche is dysposed and the accursed dyed so without receyuynge the sacramentes of the churche c. ¶ Another Example that a knyght dyed / and after wos brought agayne into his body / the whiche recompted of a brydge ryght strayte vpon a water by the whiche hym behoueth to passe IT is wryten in the Dyalogue of saynt Gregory that a knight dyed within a lytel after came agayne into his body the which tolde that he had sene a brydge vnder the whiche brydge ranne a water stynkynge and darke And on the other syde of the brydge there was medowes smellynge swete and adourned with all floures And in those medowes were assembled of people clothed in whyte the whiche were fulfylled of swetenes and odours of the sayde floures And at the sayde brydge there was such probacyon that whan any of the vniuste there passed he fel in to the blacke water stynkynge / and the iuste passed tyll vnto the place delectable And the sayde knyght sawe there without the brydge a man named peter bouÌ„de with great weight of yron And he demaunded wherfore he suffred suche payne Answere was gyuen that whan men gaue hym anye for to do vengeaunce he desyred it more to do by cruelte than by obedyence Also the sayde knyght sayde that he sawe a pylgrym the which passed
vpoÌ„ the brydge all ouer of also great auctoryte as he had lyued in the worlde clenely And he sawe another named steuen the whiche as he passed the sayde brydge his fote stode in such wyse that he than fell of the sayde brydge in lyke as halfe And thaÌ„ some meÌ„ ryght blacke lyfte them vp from the sayde water the which drewe hym downewarde by the thyes And some men ryght fayre clothed in whyte toke hym by the armes and they drewe hym vpwarde / as this stryfe was the sayde knyght was put agayne in to his bodye And he ne knewe which of them shulde vanquysshe / but saynte Gregorye sayeth that it is to vnderstande that the ylles that he had done stroue agayne the almesdedes And by the other the whiche drewe hym downewarde appered that he had not parfytely resysted vnto the synÌ„es of the flesshe This Example ought to drawe all persones to lyue clenely / purely / holyly to th ende that they may passe the saide brydge vnto the place delectable without fallynge in to the torment beforesaide And the synners shuld also correct theÌ„ of yll to do penauÌ„ce / or they shall fall of the sayde brydge in to the sayde water / wherin they shall be punysshed ¶ Another ExaÌ„ple of the vysyon of Tongdalus the whiche suffred many paynes in purgatory and sawe of the tormentes of helle and after was brought agayne in to his body IN the yeres of our Lord a thousand xlix There was a maÌ„ named ToÌ„gdalus in a Cytie of the lande of Irlande This sayde Tongdalus was noble of lynage / a fayre man yong of age / curleys of all goodnes and of great honour He was great and ryght appert of the arte of chyualrye Also he was well spekynge / and good in dysportyng / of as moch more as he trusted in his beautye and his force of as moche the lesse was it vnto hym of the helth of his soule And yf any man sayde any thynge to hym for the helth of his soule he was greued with hym / he despyted the holy church / he ne daygned to beholde the poores in theyr indygence / Moreouer he gaue that that was in his palayes for to haue the prayse of the worlde and many he had of frendes and of companyons And it came one daye that he satte at table with one of his companyons for to eat And incontynent that he had taken of the meat he dyed of death sodayne and the body fell vnto the earthe / In lyke wyse as it neuer had had soule The seruauntes ranne vnto hym / the meate was taken awaye / wepynges / and lameÌ„tacyons were made / men range the belles The people was moche ameruayled of the deth the whiche had taken this noble man so sodaynely He dyed the wednesdaye about the houre of noone And from that houre tyll vnto the saterdaye at noone he abode so the body withoute buryenge for that that in the lefts partye he had a lytell of hete And on the saterdaye at noone the soule came agayne vnto the body And so by the space of an houre he behelde those the which were by him / vnto whom he made a token that he shuld haue the body of god And after that he had receyued it he began to prayse god to yelde vnto hym graces and sayd Syr all puyssauÌ„t more great is thy mercy than all my synnes And afterwarde sayde this worde the whiche is wryten in the Psalter That is to saye How many trybulacyons and ylles hast thou shewed vnto me / and I beynge conuerted thou hast quyckened me And hast brought me agayne from the depnesse of the earth And incontynent that he had spoken those wordes he departed / and gaue vnto the poores the that he had / and promysed aboue all thynges to loue the lyfe that he had before ledde / and all that he had sene and suffred he recompted it vnto vs and sayde whan my soule yssued out of my body she knewe and sawe the synnes that she had done And so began she to doubte But she knewe not what it was that she shulde do And she wolde rentre within my body / but she myght not But she ne durst go out / for she dredde her synnes of al partes / and she ne had truste in no thynge but vnto the great mercy of god And so began to wepe and to tremble / and she knewe not what she shulde do / and anone after / she sawe come vnto her so great nombre and multytude of deuylles that all the house stretes and place of the Cytie were full the whiche enuyroÌ„ned her on all partes / the whiche deuylles sayde Synge we vnto this soule the songe of deth / that we vnto her shulde synge / for she is the doughter of the deth pardurable and the vyande of the fyre extynguyble enemy of the lyght and frende of darkenesses And afterwarde and agayne her they grynÌ„ed wheted theyr teeth sayd vnto her Vnhappy soule here is the people that thou haste chosen with whoÌ„ thou shalt entre in to hell in parburaâ—ylyte Thou haste ben a nouryce of sclaundre / a louer oâ— dyscorde that we loue wherfore art thou not proude / wherfore ne knowest thou not thy lecherye / where is thy vanyte and vayne gladnes / where ben thy laughynges ryghte vnteÌ„pred / where is thy face wherin thou trustedest so moche wherfore ne shyttest thou not the eye / wherfore ne tryppest thou with thy fote wherfore ne thynkest thou the great malyce that thou were wonte to do in vanytyes and synÌ„es And as these foresayde deuylles sayde these wordes I loked towarde the heauen and sawe a ferre of a lyght dyscended in lyke wyse as it had ben a sterre ryght clere and shynynge In the whiche I had esperaunce that there was some ayde that god sente vnto me And as it approched vnto me I apperceyued well that it was the Aungell of god the whiche had kepte me in this worlde And whan he approched vnto me he also greted me swetely and sayde God the salue Tongdalus ¶ And whan I sawe so fayre a yonge man the which greted me so swetely by my proper name by great Ioye I answered Alas my Lorde the doloures of hel hath beset me about And the panges of death hath occupyed me / as it is wryten Dolores inferni ciâ—cumdederunt me preoccupauerunt me la quci mortis And the AuÌ„gel aunswered Thou callest me nowe lorde I haue be euermore with toe / but iudge thou not that I were dygne of such great honoure The soule answered Syr I neuer se the before And the Aungell sayde From the houre that thou were borne I haue euermore be with the in all places where thou were And thou ne woldest neuer beleue my couÌ„sayll Than the Aungell lyfte vp his handes amonges the deuyls shewed vnto hym one the which dyd vnto hym worse than the other and sayde vnto hym that is he