De pena illorum qui cumulant peccatum super peccatum
The Road to Death
Tundal asks whether punishment can grow worse, and the angel identifies the road ahead as the broad way that leads to death.
Then he said. I ask — since we have seen so many evils already — could things get any worse — I don't mean seen, nor even imagined — by which this same road leads them again into such lasting punishment?1 The angel answered him, saying: 'This road leads to death.'✦ And the soul.2 "Since," he says, "this road is extremely narrow, and most dreadful, and we have seen no one in it except ourselves; so what is it that the gospel says?✦ The road is broad. and spacious is the one that leads to death, and many enter through it."✦
Vulcan's Forge of the Damned
Tundal and the angel come upon the smithy of Vulcan, where souls are tortured, and Tundal learns she must share in the punishment.
So they went farther on, straining beyond all limit. They came to a valley. And there they saw many workshops of smiths. In them the loudest grief was being heard. The soul said: 'Do you hear these things, my Lord, that I hear?' He answered. 'I hear and I know.' And the soul: "What is this punishment called?" "That torturer," the angel says, "is called Vulcan. Through his craft very many have fallen, and those who fall are tortured by him." And the soul: "Must I, my lord, suffer punishment for what he has done?" But he. 'You must,' he said. And with that word spoken, he went on ahead of her; but she, weeping, followed him.
The Blazing Furnace
Tormentors seize the soul and cast her into a blazing furnace, melting her down until nothing remains but water.
But as they drew near, tormentors met them with fiery tongs. And they said nothing to the angel. They seized the soul that was following her. And holding her, they threw her into a blazing furnace, and so, blowing with bellows just as iron is tested. That is how she was tested. Until that whole crowd of souls burning there was reduced to nothing. And when they had melted down like this. Nothing remained except water.
Beaten on the Anvil
Souls are stabbed, crushed on anvils, and beaten into a single mass, yet they cannot die though they long for it.
They were being stabbed with iron tridents. And they were placed on an anvil and beaten with hammers. Until twenty at a time, or thirty, or a hundred souls were crushed into a single mass; and yet — what is worse — they could not die. For they longed for death and could not find it. Meanwhile the torturers said to one another, 'Isn't this enough?'
Hurled Between the Flames
Torturers in other houses toss souls back and forth, tearing flesh, sinew, and bone until all is reduced to glowing ash.
And others in another house answered back. 'Throw some to us, so we can see if it's enough.' And others, flaring open, seized them with iron tongs before they could touch the ground. and just like the first. So they too handed them over to the flames; and thus the souls were wretchedly hurled now here, now there. and everywhere they were torn apart and burned, until skins together with flesh, sinews and bones, were reduced to glowing ash. and the fire's flame.
Comfort from the Advocate
The soul's advocate rescues her from the embers, questions her, and the angel comforts her with the promise that the Lord brings down and raises up again.
Now when that soul had long been caught up in these torments, her advocate came to her, and in his usual manner, pulling her from the midst of the embers, he began to speak. 'How are you? Were the allurements of the flesh really so sweet to you that for them you should have to endure so many and such torments?' But she couldn't answer him, because after such torment she had no strength left to speak. So when the angel of the Lord saw her so severely afflicted, he gently addressed her and comforted her, saying, 'Take courage, because the Lord brings down to the underworld and brings back up.✦ So you, be strong.'
Hope Beyond the Flames
The angel assures the soul that greater deliverance awaits if the Redeemer wills it, since God desires the sinner's conversion and life, and explains that those below are already judged while others still await judgment.
Because, even though the sufferings you've endured up to this point may be great, greater still are the things you'll be set free from — if only it's the will of our Redeemer. For he himself doesn't desire the death of the sinner, but rather that they be converted and live.✦ And after this he said: 'Everyone you saw above is awaiting God's judgment, but those who are still in the lower regions have already been judged. You have not yet reached the lower hells.' And taking hold of her as he usually did, he comforted her and told her to set out on the rest of the journey.
Read the original Latin
Dixit igitur. 'Rogo cum tot mala ante viderimus. quod non possint peiora. non dico videri. sed nec cogitari; quo iterum ista via ab eis tam longum ducit in supplicium?' Respondit ei angelus dicens. 'Ista via ducit ad mortem.' Et anima.
'cum' inquit 'ista via sit angustissima. et dirissima. et neminem in ea viderimus preter nos; quid est quod evangelium dicit. lata est via. et spaciosa que ducit ad mortem; et multi intrant per eam'
Ergo euntes longius et ultra modum laborantes. venerunt in vallem. ibique videntes fabricas fabrorum multas. in quibus maximus luctus audiebatur; dixit anima. 'Audis tu domine mi ista que ego audio?' Respondit. 'Audio et scio.' Et anima.
'Quod nomen habet hoc supplicium?' 'Iste tortor' ait angelus 'vocatur Vulcanus. per cuius ingenium corruerunt plurimi; et corruentes ab ipso sunt cruciati.' Et anima. 'numquid' ait 'domine mi eius debeo pati supplicium?'
At ille. 'debes' inquit. Et dicto hoc verbo. precedebat eam; illa autem plorans sequebatur eum.
Appropinquantes autem occurrerunt eis tortores cum ignitis forcipibus. et angelo nichil dicentes. ceperunt animam que sequebatur. et tenentes proiecerunt in caminum ignis ardentem; et sic follibus sufflantes sicut solet examinari ferrum. ita examinabantur. donec ad nichilum redigeretur illa multitudo animarum que ibi urebantur. Cumque ita liquefierent. ut nil aliud nisi aqua apparerent.
iugulabantur tridentibus ferreis. et positi super incudem percutiebantur malleis. donec vicene. vel tricene. vel centene anime in unam massam redigerentur; et tamen quod est gravius non ita perirent. desiderabant enim mortem et invenire non poterant. Loquebantur vero tortores ad invicem dicentes. 'Nonne sufficit?'
Et alii in alia domo respondebant. 'Proicite nobis ut videamus si sufficit.' Et proicientes alii capiebant eas in forcipibus ferreis antequam terram tangerent. et sicut primi. ita et ipsi eas ignibus tradiderunt; sicque misere modo huc modo illuc proiciebantur anime. et ubique paciebantur et comburebantur; donec pelles simul et carnes. nervi et ossa in favillam redigerentur. et flammam ignis.
Anima autem illa cum diu in his versaretur suppliciis. affuit ei suus advocatus; et more solito eam apprehendens de medio faville cepit dicere. 'Quomodo vales? Numquid fuerunt tibi tam dulces carnis illecebre; ut pro eis tot et talia tormenta debeas sustinere?' Illa autem ei respondere non poterat; quia vires ad loquendum post tale supplicium non habebat. Angelus igitur domini cum eam vidisset nimis afflictam; blande alloquens consolabatur eam dicens. 'Confortare; quia dominus est deducens ad inferos et reducens. Tu ergo esto fortis.
quia licet sint mala que huc usque passa es. maiora sunt ea a quibus liberaberis; si tamen voluntas fuerit nostri redemptoris. Ipse enim non desiderat mortem peccatoris; sed ut convertatur et vivat.'
Et post hec dixit. 'Omnes quos vidisti superius iuditium dei expectant; sed isti qui adhuc sunt in inferioribus iam iudicati. adhuc namque non pervenisti ad inferos inferiores.' Et apprehendens eam more solito confortavit; et reliquum iter arripere iussit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.7.13 — Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it.
- ↩Matt.7.13-Matt.7.14 — Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. Matt.7.14 — Because the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
- ↩Matt.7.13 — Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it.
- ↩1Sam.2.6 — The LORD puts to death and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
- ↩Ezek.33.11 — Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
Notes
- 1 ↩The interrogative quo is taken as 'by which' (referring to the way/road), introducing the speaker's astonishment at the road's destination. tam longum supplicium rendered as 'such lasting punishment' to capture the sense of prolonged severity.
- 2 ↩Et anima appears to be a sentence fragment — likely the beginning of a new clause or an incomplete utterance in the source. Translated as-is to preserve the fragmentary reading.
Visions of Tondal (Les Visions du chevalier Tondal) companion
Tondal came back and changed how he lived daily. That's the whole point.
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