Nachträge zu den legenden / [ed. C. Horstmann].

II. Zu S. Paul's Vision von der Hölle,

aus Ms. Digby 86, fol. 132 (c. 1290).

Les ounsse peines de enfer.

Oiez, seynourf, vne demaunde Qui le deble fist estraunge A vn cheytif peccheour, Qui fv mis hors de tristour, De mort en vie resuscite [ 5] Par la grace de deu: "hounseli gost, wat dest þou here? þou were in helle nou for ȝere. wo haueþ helle dore ounloken? And ou art þou of pine Ibroken?" [ 10] Ore respount le mort a lu De cest secle ou il fu, E tint en ordre countes & dist Les ounse peines qui sen Pol uist E des autres qui il senti— [ 15] wn soul mot ne menti.

Vuoltou heren nou, satan, Ou ich am from helle igan? wormes haueþ mi fles ifreten, And alle mine frend me abeþ for∣ȝeten. [ 20] Ich was a mon, as þou wel wost, And nou icham a wreche gost. In helle ich babbe ȝare Iben— þat me may on min eien sen. Of me may mon forbisne take [ 25] þat wole his sunnen al forsake: To wroþer-hele he was Iboren þe schal for sunnen ben forloren, And þe mon þat wercheþ wo his soule schal into helle go. [ 30] In mo pinen hoe schal be þen foweles bi þe heuene fle. wor þer beþ berninde tre— No mon ne may herre Ise— þer þe soulen beþ an-hon [ 35] þat here habbeþ sunne Idon And nolden neuere to Criste go: wor-þi hy þolieþ þer sech wo. þickore hy hongeþ þer oural þen ben beþ in þe winter stal. [ 40]

Seþen þer is on ouen Ihat seuene deuelen þer stondeþ at þat þe soulen ounderfon And hem in-to pine don. þinges þer beþ alaboute [ 45] þat mon aute muchel to doute: Snou and iis and liured blod, Neddren and snaken þer stingeþ for wod. Of þe fuir hoe doþ hem þere: And beþ as hoe weren ere. [ 50] þe soule þat þer comeþ to Ne bideþ hoe neuere-more ro; hoe wolde þenne, and hoe ne may, ffor þer hoe schal ben alne way. sswecche pinen he þolien schal [ 55] þat her wes of his fles ful gal And wolde louien his fleses wil And fonden al þat wes oun-sckil. þer he woneþ in seche wondrawe ffor he loueden ounriȝt lawe, [ 60] And for hy ne leten here sunne away And sriuen hem eer here endeday.

A wel of stel is forþer-mo, þat berneþ liȝte and turneþ ho; A þousent spoken þer beþ on, [ 65] And pikes oueral idon. þer þe soulen beþ to-drawen þat here arereden euele lawen, þider wendeþ þe soulen Ilome þat her demeden false dome. [ 70] Mo soulen þolieþ þer sech wo þen fisses ben in al þe se. ffourþer þer is a water hot, þat is long and dep and brot, blacore þen þe swarte pich, [ 75] And stinkeþ as for-rotet lich. Of þe pine þat hit bereþ (!)— Oþer hit stingeþ oþer hit tereþ— Ifuld is þat fowele pol, þat euere is hot and neuere col. [ 80] þer-bi stondeþ a develes trome And wayteþ þe soule, wen hoe come: hoe þere wercheþ al arep (!) [f. 133.] As þe wolf deþ bi þe sheep. Wen þe deuelen hem forleteþ, [ 85] Snaken and neddren hem to-wreteþ And draieþ hem into one welle, And þere hoe þolieþ alle ounselle. wen hoe habbeþ þat Idon, Eft-sone hit is al foren hon. [ 90] Ne may hoe svggen weilaway

þat so schal pinen niȝt and day? some me may þere Isee þat stondeþ in to heere knee, Some to heere middil þei, [ 95] And some to heere ouere brei, And some riȝt to heere tiit,— As heere sunnen beþ Ibet. Ba(k)-bitter is þat weren inne þat stondeþ in to hoere chinne; [ 100] he þat wes owre oþer kopiner þat stondeþ in to hoere sheer; And hoe þat euere wedlak brekeþ þe flod to heere nauele takeþ; Wose his glad of oþres harm [ 105] þe flod takeþ to his arm; þe spekeþ in chirche, þat nis nout god, To his mouþe takeþ þe flod; þe wreieþ his sibnesse oþer his steleþ Abouen his heien þe flod heleþ; [ 110] þat deþ his wille aȝeines riȝt Of him nemay me saie nowiit. wose is wis and eke war, loke þat his soule necome þar; wor, wen þis middellert ago, [ 115] heere pine Ilesteþ eueremo.

Forþer is a ful dep fen, ffoul of wowers and of wimmen; þe stude is þestriore þen þe niȝt, ffor þer ne comeþ neuere liiȝt; [ 120] And stinkeþ foulore þen þe hount, ffor brunston walleþ in þe grount. Two þousent soulen and wel mo þerine freteþ hoere tounge atwo And draweþ out hoere brain, [ 125] ffor hoe weren of gauele fain. Swech is hoere pine þer, wor hoe weren gauelers her.

Sweche beþ forþer Idon þat nowiit nabbeþ hem houpon: [ 130] hem me drepeþ wiþ þe pich, sso þe brede wiþ þe spich; Neddren hoere breste soukeþ And snaken þere hem to-loukeþ, helle houndes gnaieþ hoere fet, [ 135] And sevene deuelen hem stondeþ het: wor hoe heere maidenhot lore Are hi comen to chirche dore, And for hy duden hoere stren, þat ne moste cristnet ben: [ 140] hoe werpen hit houndes oþer swin: ffor-þi hy þolieþ sori pin.

Forþer beþ wepmen and wimmen bo, þat fendes draieþ alle to; half me doþ hem in a fuir [ 145] And half in a worse muir. wen hoe beþ so to-drawen, Gripes freteþ hoere mawen And hoere inward everuidel, Ne be þe þarof no so gal, [ 150] Eft hoe werpeþ al in al And herneþ to þat ilke gal. So hy pinez, and worse Inou, þat here duden þe widewe wou Oþer reueden wrecches here lond [ 155] And brouten hem to muchel shond: hoe nedden frend ne fader hem bi, wor-þi me drof hem of londe awi. hoe sikeþ loude and gredeþ sore, ffor bote ne comeþ hem neueremore. [ 160] Of men hoe taken hounriȝt mol: wor-þi hy beþ in silli sol.

Furþer þer is a watres flod þat is meind al wiþ blod. a þousent soulen þer beþ bi [ 165] ffoul sore of-þurst and foul houngri; Ne moten hi biten hone sope, Ne habben hy so muchel hope. In fuir hoe berneþ niȝt and day, And so hoe pineþ alneway. [ 170] wiþ seche pinen hoe beþ Imet þat breken þe heste þat hem wes set In holi chirche oueral.

Forþer-mo beþ holde men þat among nedderen abbeþ den; [ 175] hoe tosnieþ (!) þoru euche hon And freteþ þe fles al to þe bon, þoru hoere heren hoe freteþ þe brain And crepeþ in and out aȝein; ssomme beþ brende, and somme beþ froren, [ 180] And alle þe bones beþ to-droren. wen hoe habbeþ Ifreten ewche on, Eft hoe beþ Ihole anon— Nowiit for to comen oni from, Ac for to þolien þe wreche dom. [ 185] hy woneþ and groneþ day and niȝt, And hit ne helpeþ hem nowiȝt— wor hoe nolden ben Isriven, þe wile þat hoe mosten liuen ffor fendes hem stondeþ bi [ 190] And pineþ hem swiþe selli. Ounseli men, wi neren þey war, þe wiles þat þei weren þar?

by nolden don for him no goed þat bohout ous mid his holi blod; [ 195] he haf ous of helle, and ȝaf ous long lif, And lond and lede, and wele and wif, And al þat on þe world wes goed; Ac non of ous ne hit ounderstod. Nolde þer hy nowiȝt þenche þer-on, [ 200] þe poure wrecches, ne god don; hoe wenden hit sholde Ilesten ho: ffor-þi hoe beþ in þis wo; prestes hestes, ne godes lawe Ne duden hoe nout bi houre dawe, [ 205] Ac trichiours þey weren and les— ssoþliche I saye, wo is hem þes!— Ne wenden neuere to ben ded— þat wes þe foles wicke red— Ac euere as (hoe) sunegeden longe [ 210] sso here sunnen weren stronge. Neren nowiȝt hoe þerof adrad: ffor-þi hoe slepeþ in sulli bed. þan al þe worlde be agon, [f. 134.] Terme ne habbeþ hoe neuere non; [ 215] ffor þe pine of helle is hendeles. wo is him þat þer woninge ches!

Of þis pine nis riȝt nouht Aȝein þe puet, wat er is wrout; Niene cheiles þer beþ oupon, [ 220] Ne comeþ hoe neuere-more oundon. Monie mo soulen þer beþ in þen heþ in Fraunce dropen of win, Of hem þat heueden monnes trome And ne leueden nout godes come [ 225] Ne þat Jhesu Crist wes Iboren Of þe maiden, þat wes Icoren ffor to feden þat holi stren— wel is him þat him may seen! þis his hof helle þe gaiol. [ 230] þer ounder is a wel dep pol: Ten þousent deuelen and welmo þer doþ þe wrecche soule wo: wiþ irene houeles hoe hem to-draieþ Niȝt and eueri day þat dayeþ. [ 235] Among þe fendes in þester niȝt Beþ þee þat demeden Jhesu Crist; Nis no pine al-so strong sso is þe stunch þat hem is among. þes hoppe biforen oure heuen kinge [ 240] Ne spekeþ of hem riȝt noþing, Ne dar no sont hem bidde fore, ffor-þi hy beþ euere forlore.

Eft þer is on oþer puet. Ne comeþ he neuere Iduet; [ 245] sseuene doren þer beþ on, ffor-to þe soulen ounderfon: Liȝtliche hoe may comen þer inne, An neuer aȝein, for none ginne. Two so dep he is welni [ 250] As þe heuene is from þen herþe hey. þerinne goþ soulen þicckore Inou þen leues fallen from þe bou. þis put is hot in helle grount: þerinne is moni on houngri hount, [ 255] And alle þe der þat euele beþ, And þe foules þat niȝttes fleþ, And þe hound þat wes so strong þat al þis world he houngri fong— Seþþen he wes Ibrout adoun [ 260] þoru Cristes holi passioun. Per-ounder is on iren wal, þat is of soulen Ifuld al; On hem is moni iren bond, þat is hattore þen eni brond. [ 265] þerinne beþ þe fendes Idon þat weren bihauedede oþer anhon, Oþer þat heueden so heuele Isped þat hy leien in wiues bed, Oþer þat weren acursed binome: [ 270] for(þi) hy habbeþ godes grome. þan me ȝeue al þis world hem fore, Ne holpe hit hem nout worþ a pere. wolle ȝe heren nou a soþ— wose hit halt, goet hit him doþ—: [ 275] hit is writen in holi bok— þer-of nou witnesse I tok: þan on houndret heueden Iseten, Seþþen Kaim wes biȝeten, And heueden day and niȝt Iwaket [ 280] And teþ and tonge of stel Imaket And of helle pine told ho, ȝet þer beþ on houndret mo. And wose is wis and eke war, Loke þat he ne come þar! [ 285] A Jhesu Crist, þat ous is boue, ffor his swete moder loue Let ous swecche werkes werche And so to serui holi chirche, þat we moten ben Iborewe [ 290] And Ibrout from alle serewe— ffor þilke þat beþ Iboreuen Iwis hoe wendeþ into paradis; So wolle god þat we mote hounder-fongen heueriche bote. [ 295] swete Jhesu, king of blisse, Min herte loue, min herte lisse,

þou art swete mid-Iwisse— wo is him þat þe shal misse— sswete Jhesu, min herte liȝt, [ 300] þou art dai wiþ-houten niȝt: þou ȝeue me strengþe and eke miȝt ffor-to louien þe al riȝt! sswete Jhesu, mi soule bote, In min herte þou sette a rote [ 305] Of þi loue, þat is so swote, And wite hit þat hit springe mote!

Notes

• Die älteste Hs. dieser Version ist Ms. Jes. Coll. Oxf. 29, gedruckt in Morris: An old English Miscellany, London 1872. Die anderen Legenden dieses sehr alten Ms. Digby (ausser Maximian) werden in einer nächstdem erscheinenden grösseren Sammlung veröffentlicht werden.
• 28 þe = þat, wie 107.
• 47 liured = loppered. Die letzte Silbe ist schwer lesbar.
• 64 ho = o = ay.
• 83 l. a-þrep.
• 99 Ms. baþ bitter.
• 101 owre = hore, whore.
• 136 het = at.
• 139 for hy duden st. hy forduden.
• 146 worse st. frore?
• 161 l. token.
• 190 Ms. Jes. four st. for.
• 195 Ms. bohout st. bouht.
• 214 þan relat. = whan, wie 272, 278.
• 219 Ms. water.
• 221 comeþ = bicomeþ, wie 245.
• 240 hoppe = up.
• 242 sont = saint.
• 271 Ms. for st. forþi.