Qualiter videbatur sponse, quod quidam sanctorum loquebatur ad Deum de quadam muliere, a demone terribiliter conculcata, que postea precibus Virginis gloriose fuit liberata.
The Accusation of the Enemy
A demon claims legal right over a soul, describing how he has bound her through vice and sin.
It seemed to the bride that one of the saints was speaking to God, saying: "Why is the soul of this woman, whom you redeemed with your own blood, being so trampled by the devil?" The demon answered immediately, saying: "Because she is mine by right." Then the Lord said: "By what right is she yours?" The demon replied, "There are two paths." One leads to heaven, the other to hell. And as she looked at both paths, her conscience and reason told her that she should rather choose my way. And because she had the free will to turn toward whichever path she preferred, it seemed useful to her to turn her will instead toward committing sin, and then she began to walk along my path. Afterward, I deceived her with three vices: gluttony, greed for money, and lust. That is why I now sit within her very being and nature. And I hold her with five hands. With one hand I hold her eyes, so she won't see spiritual things. With a second hand I hold her hands, so she won't do good works. With a third hand I hold her feet, so she won't walk toward what is good, and with a fourth hand I hold her intellect, so she won't be ashamed to sin. With a fifth hand, I also hold her heart, so she won't return through compunction.
The Mother of Mercy Intervenes
The Virgin Mary engages the demon in a theological dialogue, exposing the weakness of his claim through the power of the soul's repentance.
Then the blessed Virgin Mary said to her Son, "Son, compel him to tell the truth about the matter I wish to ask him." And the Son replied, "You are my mother, you are the Queen of heaven, you are the mother of mercy, you are the comfort of those in purgatory, and you are the joy of those who are pilgrims in this world." You are the Lady of the angels, and you are most excellent with God." You are also a ruler over the devil." Therefore, Mother, you command this demon to do what you want, and he will tell you." Then the blessed Virgin asked the devil, "Tell me, devil, what was this woman's intention before she entered the Church?" The devil answered her, "She intended to abstain from sin." And the Virgin Mary said to him, "Since her previous intention led her to hell, tell me, where does this current intention—to abstain from sin—lead?" The devil answered her reluctantly, "This intention to abstain leads her to heaven." And then the Virgin Mary said, "Because you received the right to lead her away from the path of the holy Church on account of her previous intention, it is now only right that she be led back to the Church through this intention." “Now I ask you again, devil: tell me, what kind of intention does she have right now, given the state of her conscience?” The devil answered, “She has compunction in her mind for what she has done, and great weeping, and she proposes never to commit such things again, but wants to make amends as much as she can.” Then the Virgin asked the devil, "Tell me, can these three sins—lust, gluttony, and greed—exist in one heart at the same time as these three goods: compunction, weeping, and the resolve to amend?" The devil answered her, "No." Then the blessed Virgin said, "Tell me, which of these had to flee and withdraw from the heart: these three virtues, or perhaps those three vices, since you say they cannot dwell together in the same place?" The devil replied, "I say, 'sins.'" Then the Virgin answered, "That’s why the way to hell is closed to her, and the way to heaven is opened for her." Then the blessed Virgin asked the devil further, "Tell me, if a robber lies before the bride's door, wanting to violate her, what will the bridegroom do then?" The devil replied, "If that bridegroom is good and magnanimous, he ought to defend her and lay down his own life for hers." Then the Virgin said, "You are a most wicked predator, but the soul is the bride of the Bridegroom—my Son—who redeemed her with his own blood." You, therefore, have corrupted her and violently snatched her away. Because my Son is the bridegroom of the soul and is Lord over you, it is fitting for you to flee before him."
The Liberation of the Captive
Birgitta commands the demon to depart, resulting in the woman's immediate spiritual and physical freedom.
This same woman wanted to return to the world, because the devil was tormenting her day and night to such an extent that he would visibly force her eyes down and, with many people watching, drag her out of bed. Then, in the presence of many trustworthy witnesses, the holy lady Birgitta spoke openly: Back off, devil; you've troubled this creature of God enough. When these words were spoken, the woman kept her eyes cast down to the ground for half an hour. Then, rising up, she said, "I truly saw the devil in a most vile form leaving through the window, and I heard a voice saying to me, 'Truly, woman, you are set free.'" After that hour, the same woman was freed from all impatience, suffered no more impure thoughts, and rested in a good end.
Read the original Latin
Videbatur sponse, quod quidam sanctorum loquebatur ad Deum dicens: "Cur anima istius mulieris, quam sanguine tuo redemisti, sic conculcatur a diabolo?" Respondit statim demon dicens: "Quia de iure mea est." Et tunc dixit Dominus: "Quali iure tua est?" Cui respondit demon: "Due", inquit, "vie sunt. Una ducit ad celestia, alia ad infernum.
Cumque ipsa inspiceret ambas vias, consciencia sua et racio dicebat sibi, quod viam meam magis eligeret. Et quia liberam habuit voluntatem diuertendi ad quam viam magis vellet, videbatur sibi utile magis diuertere voluntatem suam ad peccati perpetracionem, et tunc incepit ambulare per viam meam. Postea decepi eam tribus viciis, scilicet gula, cupiditate pecunie et luxuria.
Ideo ego sedeo nunc in ventre eius et in natura eius. Et teneo eam quinque manibus. Cum una manu teneo oculos eius, ne videat spiritualia. Cum secunda manu teneo manus eius, ne faciat opera bona. Cum tercia manu teneo pedes eius, ne vadat ad bona, et cum quarta manu teneo intellectum, ne peccare erubescat. Cum quinta eciam manu teneo cor eius, ne redeat per contricionem."
Tunc beata virgo Maria dixit ad filium: "Fili, compelle eum dicere veritatem de ea re, quam ab eo querere volo." Et filius ait: "Tu es mater mea, tu regina celi, tu mater misericordie, tu consolacio eorum, qui sunt in purgatorio, tu leticia eorum, qui peregrinantur in mundo. Tu es domina angelorum, tu cum Deo excellentissima. Tu es eciam princeps super diabolum. Precipe ergo tu, mater, isti demoni ea, que tu vis, et ipse dicet tibi."
Tunc beata Virgo quesiuit ab illo diabolo: "Dic, diabole, qualem intencionem habuit mulier hec, antequam intrauerit Ecclesiam?" Cui diabolus respondit: "Ipsa habuit voluntatem abstinendi a peccato." Et virgo Maria dixit ei: "Cum voluntas, quam prius habuit, ducebat ad infernum, dic, ad quid tendit voluntas ista, quam iam modo habet, scilicet abstinendi a peccato?" Cui diabolus respondit inuitus: "Ipsa voluntas abstinendi ducit ipsam ad celum." Et tunc virgo Maria ait: "Quia ex iusticia accepisti, ut propter voluntatem priorem duceres eam a via sancte Ecclesie, nunc iusticia est, ut per voluntatem istam reducatur ad Ecclesiam.
Nunc eciam quero, diabole, ulterius a te: Dic, qualem voluntatem habet modo in hoc puncto, in quo nunc est sua consciencia?" Diabolus autem respondit: "Ipsa habet contricionem in mente pro hiis, que fecit, et magnum fletum, et proponit ulterius numquam talia committere, sed vult emendare, quantum potest."
Tunc Virgo quesiuit a diabolo: "Dicas michi, possuntne hec tria peccata, scilicet luxuria, gula et cupiditas, cum istis tribus bonis, scilicet contricione, fletu et proposito emendacionis simul esse in uno corde?" Cui diabolus respondit: "Non."
Et beata Virgo tunc ait: "Dicas michi ergo, que istorum debuerunt a corde suo fugere et recedere, an iste tres virtutes, an forte illa tria vicia, ex quo tu dicis, quod ibidem in eodem loco simul habitare non possunt?"
Diabolus autem ait: "Dico, quod 'peccata'." Et tunc Virgo respondit: "Ideo igitur clausa est ei via ad infernum, et via ad celestia sibi aperta est." Tunc ulterius quesiuit beata Virgo a diabolo: "Dic michi, si predo iacet ante fores sponse, volens violare eam, quid faciet tunc sponsus?"
Respondit diabolus: "Si bonus et magnanimus est ille sponsus, debet eam defendere et vitam suam opponere pro vita eius." Tunc Virgo ait: "Tu predo es pessimus, anima autem est sponsa sponsi, filii mei, qui eam proprio sanguine redemit. Hanc igitur tu corrupisti et violenter rapuisti. Propterea quia filius meus est sponsus anime et est dominus super te, ideo competit tibi fugere coram eo."
Hec eadem meretrix redire voluit ad seculum, quia diabolus molestabat eam die ac nocte in tantum, quod visibiliter oculos eius deprimebat et eam multis videntibus extraxit de lecto. Tunc presentibus multis fidedignis domina sancta Birgitta aperte dixit:
"Recede, diabole, quia satis inquietasti istam creaturam Dei." Et dicto verbo ipsa mulier per dimidiam horam depressit oculos in terram et eleuans se dixit: "Vere vidi diabolum in vilissima forma egredientem per fenestram et audiui vocem dicentem michi: 'Vere, mulier, liberata es.'"
Et post illam horam eadem mulier ab omni impaciencia liberata fuit nec sordidas cogitaciones paciebatur ulterius et bono fine quieuit.
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