An Old English miscellany containing a bestiary, Kentish sermons, Proverbs of Alfred, religious poems of the thirteenth century,

The xi Pains of Hell. [Jesus Coll. MS. 29, leaf 271, col. 2.]

Ici comencent les vnze peynes de enfern. les queus seynt pool v[ist]

PLest uus oyer vne demaunde. Ke li deable fist estraunge. De vn cheytif pecchéur. [The accents used in the French lines are not in the MS.] Ke hors fu mys de grant tristur. Line 4 De mort en vie resuscité Par la volunté de Dé. VNsely gost hwat dostu here. Þu were in helle myne vere. Line 8 Hwo haueþ helle dure vnloke. Þat þu ert of pyne ibroke. Dvnke respund le mort a lu En le secle v il fu. Line 12 Cunte en ordre e cunte. & dist. Les .xi. peynes ke seynt pol vist. Des autres ke il an senty Vn sul mot ne menty. Line 16 Wiltu ihere me sathan. Hw ich am of helle igan. Wrmes habbeþ my fleys ifreten. And Mine freond me habbeþ foryeten. Line 20 Ich mon wes. as þu wel wost. And nv ich á wrecche gost. [folio 271b:1] In helle ich habbe yare ibeo. Þat mon may on myn hewe iseo. Line 24

Line 24 Of me mon may forbysne taken. Þat wile his sunnes for-saken. To wroþere hele he wes ibore. Þat for sunnes is for-lore. Line 28 For þe mon þat her wrcheþ swo. Þat his saule to helle gó. In mo pyne he schal beo. Þan foweles vnder heouene fleo. Line 32

Erest þer beoþ bernynde treon. No mon ne may herre iseon. Þer þe saulen beoþ an-hón. Þat her habbeþ sunnes i-don. Line 36 And nolden neuer to chireche gon. For-þi hi þolieþ þer such won. Þickure hi hongeþ þer ouer al. Þan don been in wynterstal. Line 40

Seþþen þer is on ouen ihat. Seoue deoulen þar stondeþ at. And þe saulen vnder-foþ. And heom in-to þe fure doþ. Line 44 Þinges þer beoþ al abuten. Þat mon auhte muchel duten. Snov. and is. and lyured blod. Snaken. and neddren. stingeþ for wod. Line 48 Of þat fur heo doþ heom þer. And eft also hi weren er. Hwich saule. þe þer cumeþ to. Naueþ heo neuer reste ne ro. Line 52 Heo wolde deye. ac heo ne may. Ac þer heom tyd beon alne way. [folio 271b:2] Swich pyne heo þolie schal. Þat wes of his fleysse to gal. Line 56 And nolde leten his fleysses wil. Ac folewede al þat wes vnskil. And þer heo þolyeþ swich wondrawen. Þat her arereden vnryhte lawen. Line 60

Line 60 Þider cumeþ þe saulen ilome. Þat her demde false domes. Mo saulen. þolieþ þer swich wo. Þene fysses swimme oþer fueles go. Line 64 Heo gredeþ lude and wepeþ sore. Ac bóte. ne tyd heom neuer more.

A hwel of stele is furþer mo. And berneþ lihte and turneþ o. Line 68 A þusend spoken beoþ þer-on. And pykes ouer al idon. Þer schule þe saulen beo to-drawe. Þat her arereden vnryhte lawe. Line 72 Mo saulen þolieþ þer sucche wowe. Þane be floþre in þe snowe.

Fvrþer þer is a water wallinde hot. Þat is. deop. and long. and brod. Line 76 Blakkure þan þe swarte pich. And stynkeþ so for-holde lych. Of vych a wrm þat atter bereþ. Oþer hit stingeþ oþer hit tereþ Line 80 Ifulled is þat fule pool Þat euer is hot. and neuer cool. Bisydes stondeþ an feondes trume. And wayteþ hwenne þe saules cume. Line 84 Heo hire a-warieþ al aþrep. Al so wulues doþ þe scep. [folio 272:1] Hwenne þe feondes heom for-leteþ. Snaken and neddren heom imeteþ. Line 88 And dreyeþ heom in-to a wel. Þer heo þolyeþ al vn-sel. Hwenne heo habbeþ so i-don. Eft hit beoþ heom al fornon. Line 92 Ne may he segge. waylawei. Þat so schule pynen nyht. and day. Summe me may þer iseon. Þat stondeþ vp to heore kneon. Line 96

Line 96 And summe to heore myd-þeyh. And summe to heore vuere breyh. And summe riht to heore theþ. As he her his sunnes deþ. Line 100 Bakbiteres weren þeo. Þat stondeþ vp to heore kneo. Þat wes heore oþer copynere. Stondeþ vp to heore swere. Line 104 And heo þat her wedlac brekeþ. To heore muþe þe flod takeþ. He þat is glad of oþres harme. Stondeþ vp in-to þan arme. Line 108 Þat spek in chirche. þat nes no god. To his muþe takeþ þe flod. Þat wreyeþ his sibbe. oþer him fled. Abuuen his eyen. þe flod geþ. Line 112 Þat doþ his wil þat nys noht ryht. Of him ne may me iseo nowiht. Hwo is wis bi me beo war. Þat his saule ne cume þar. Line 116 For þeyh þe Middenerd ago. Heore pyne ilesteþ .o. [folio 272:2]

Uvrþur. is a ful deop fen. Ful of wowares. and of wymmen. Line 120 Þe stude is þustrore. þene þe nyht. For þer. ne cumeþ neuer lyht. And stinkeþ fulre þane þe hund. For Brunston walleþ at þe grund. Line 124 Ten þusend feondes. and wel mo. Þar freteþ heore tunge a two. And dreyeþ vt heore brayn. Vor heo weren of gauele vayn. Line 128 Such is heore pyne þer. Vor heo weren gauelers her. Þenne beoþ þe wymmen furþer i-don. Þat nowiht nabbeþ heom up-on. Line 132

Line 132 Heom me drepeþ myd þe piche. As we brede wiþ þe spiche. Neddren heore breosten sukeþ. And snakes heore eyen lukeþ. Line 136 Helle hundes gnaweþ heore feet. And four feondes heom stondeþ at. For heo heore mayden-hod lure. Er heo come to chireche dure. Line 140 And furduden heore istreon. Þat hit ne moste ifulled beon. Heo hit wurpen hundes oþer swin. For-þi hi þolieþ þar such pyn. Line 144

Uvrþer þer beoþ wimmen. and wapmen bo. Þat feondes dreyeþ al a two. Hwenne hi beoþ so to-drawen. [MS. to-drayen.] Gripes freteþ heore Mawen. Line 148 Half heo doþ in o fur. And half in-to a froren mur. [folio 272b:1] And heore ineward vych del. Ne beo þe þarm ne so smel. Line 152 Eft heo werpeþ. al in al. And wurcheþ to þat ilke gal. Vuele heo beoþ ipyned ynouh. Þat her duden wiþ heom woh. Line 156 Oþer reueden wrecches heore lond. And brohten heom to muchel scond. He ne funde fader ne freond hom by. For-þi me drof hom of londe awy. Line 160 Of heom hi token vnriht mol. For-þi hi drayeþ myd such sol.

Uvrþer þer is o wateres flod. Þat is ymeynd al wiþ blod. Line 164 A þusen[d] saulen þer beoþ bi. Sore of-þurst and ful hungri. In fure hi berneþ al [Or as.] awey.

And so doþ þat water nyht and day. Line 168 Ne moten heo biden neuer o sope. Nabben heo neuer so muche hope. Such pine hi habbeþ imet. Þat breken þe hesten þat weren iset. Line 172 In holy chirche ouer al. For-þi hi pleyeþ myd such bal.

Vvrþer þer beoþ olde men. Þat among neddren. habbeþ heore den. Line 176 Heom heo to-styngeþ vychon. And freteþ heore fleys. to þe bon. And neddren sukeþ heore brayn And creopeþ vt. and in ayeyn. [folio 272b:2] Line 180 Summe beoþ fur-brend. and summe ifrore. And alle þe bones beoþ to-drore. Hwenne hi beoþ ifrete vychon. Eft hi beoþ al in on. Line 184 Noht for to wenden heom from. Ac for eft þolie þat wrecchedom. Heo woneþ and groneþ day and nyht. Ac hit ne helpeþ heom nowiht. Line 188 For heo nolden beon ischriven. Þe hwile þat hi mosten lyuen. Four deofle heom stondeþ bi. Þat pyneþ heom ful revly. Line 192 Vnsely men. hwi neren hi war. Þe hwile þat hi lyueden her. Hwi nolden heo don. for him no god. Þat heom lesede wyþ his blod. Line 196 And yef vs. hus. and lond. and wif. And wit and wisdom. and Ioye. and lyf. And al þat wes in worlde god. And non of heom. hit ne vnderstod. Line 200 Heo nolden noht. þenche þer-on. Ne poure wrecches no god don. Heo wenden. hit scholde lesten .o.

For-þi heo beoþ in suche wo. Line 204 Preostes heste. ne godes lay. Ne heolden hi noht bi heore day. Ac trichurs. and lyeres. and les; Þat weren her. wo is ham þes. Line 208 Ne wenden heo neuer-more beon ded For þat wes. þes feondes red. [folio 273:1] Ac euer as heo lyueden lengur. So here pynen were strengur. Line 212 Heo beoþ iput. in þilke trume. Þat ne leuede nouht in godes sone. Ne þat ihesuc wes iboren. Of þat Mayde þat wes icoren. Line 216 For to nymen þat holy streon. Wel wes him. þat hit moste i-seon.

IN helle is á deop gayhol. Þar-vnder is a ful hot pol. Line 220 Ten þusend deoflen. and wel mo. Þer doþ þe wrecche saulen wo. Þat nymeþ eaules and heom to-tereþ. Nis þer non. þat heom at-dareþ. Line 224 Ho stondeþ. þustrur þane þe nyht. Þeo þat demde iesu crist. Nis non oþer pine so strong. As þe stunch. þat heom is among. Line 228 An heyh to-fore þan heuene king. Of heom ne spekeþ me noþing. Ne dar no seynt heom bidde fore. For-þi heo beoþ euer fur-lore. Line 232

Vurþer. þer his on oþer put. Þat ne cumeþ neuer vndut. Seoue duren þer beoþ on. Þe saulen for to under-fon. Line 236 Lyhtliche me may cume þer-inne. Ac vp neuer for none gynne. To so deop hit is wel neyh.

As heouene is from þe eorþe heyh. [folio 273:2] Line 240 Þer-inne goþ soulen. þikkure inouh. Þan leues fallen of þe bouh. Þe put is hot at helle grunde. Þar-inne is monyon hungri hund. Line 244 Mo hundes þer-inne beoþ. Þane foweles vnder heouene fleoþ. And þe lyun þat wes so strong. Þat al þe worlde vnderfong. Line 248 Er þat he was ibrouht a-dun. Wiþ cristes holy passyun.

Þer-vnder is of iren a wal. Þat is of saulen ifuld al. Line 252 On heom is mony yrene beond. Þat is hatture þene þe brond. Þer-inne beoþ þe saulen i-don. Þat weren biheaueded oþer an-hon. Line 256 Oþer þat so hedden isped. Þat léyen hedden in þeouene bed. Oþer weren Mansed bi nome. For-þi heo habbeþ godes grome. Line 260 Ich wile segge eu a soþ. Hwo so hit halt. god hit him doþ. Hit is iwriten on þe bok. For witnesse þer-of ich tok. Line 264 Þeyh on hundred heueden iseten. Seoþþe kaym wes bi-yeten. And nyht and day heueden iwaked. And teþ and tunge. of stel imaked. Line 268 And tolden of helle pyne ó; Yet þer beoþ a þusend mo. [folio 273b] Hwo se is wis beo ywar. Þat his saule ne cume þar. Line 272 Vor þeyh hi greden euer-mo Ne helph heom wurþ o slo. Ac bidde we crist þat is vs buue.

For his swete moder luue. Line 276 Leue vs suche werkes wurche. And so anuren holy chireche. Hwar-þurh we beon iborewe. And ibrouht vt of kare and seorewe. Line 280 Ki ces .xi. peynes escryuera. Bon Auenture. ly auendra. Hwo so wrot þes pynen elleuene. His soule mote cumme te heuene. Line 284 And pleye þer myd engles bryhte. Þer heo beoþ in heuene lyhte. And nabbe he neuer godes grome. For .Hug'. is his rihte nome Line 288 And he is curteys and hendy. Þi. god him lete wel endy.

Amen—eN. Expliciunt .xj. pene. Inferni. quas vidit Beatus Paulus.