De pena furum et latronum
Strengthened for the Journey
The visionary, weakened and desperate to follow, is touched and strengthened by the angel so the journey can continue.
She got up, though — weak and faint, trying to steady her unsteady steps. She was desperate to follow him. But she couldn't, not in any way — she was too badly broken. But the angel of the Lord reached out and touched her, and strengthening her, he strode ahead with vigor to complete the journey he had urged on her before.1
The Stormy Pool and the Narrow Bridge
The travelers reach a vast, stormy pool crossed by an extremely narrow, long bridge studded with sharp iron nails.
Going farther on, they saw a very large pool. It was stormy, and its waves stood so high they wouldn't let you see the sky. There was also a multitude of terrible beasts there, roaring and demanding nothing else except to devour souls. Across its width, the bridge was very narrow and long. Its length stretched as if across two miles. For such was the length of the pool; the width of the bridge itself was about the measure of one palm. It was longer and narrower than that bridge we spoke of above. This plank was also studded with iron nails, sharpened to a point.
Beasts Waiting to Devour
The iron nails pierce every foot that touches them, while enormous beasts gather at the bridge to seize and devour souls that fall.
whose feet were accustomed to pierce the feet of all who crossed. so that no foot, if it once touched them, could escape unharmed. All the beasts also gathered at the bridge. in order to take food from there — namely, those souls that couldn't cross over. Now the beasts themselves were so huge that they could rightly be compared to great towers. Fire also went out from their mouths, so that those watching even thought the pool was boiling.
A Soul Burdened with Grain
One soul weeps on the bridge, weighed down by grain sheaves, her feet pierced by nails, yet more terrified of falling into the beasts' mouths.
On the bridge itself, he also saw one soul weeping bitterly. and accusing herself of many crimes. For she was loaded down with a great weight of grain sheaves, and she was forced to cross this bridge. But although she suffered greatly, her soles pierced through with iron nails, she was afraid of falling into the fiery lake where she could see the beasts' gaping mouths. she was more afraid.
The Punishment for Thieves and Sacrilegers
The soul asks the angel about this punishment; he explains it is for thieves, distinguishes small theft from sacrilege, and warns that religious who sin under holy cover are judged more severely unless they repent.
The soul, seeing the enormous danger, said to the angel, 'Alas, Lord, if it would please you, I'd like to know why this soul is forced to pass through under such a burden, and what kind of punishment this is that's especially for souls.' But the one answering said to her: 'This punishment is especially fitting for you and for those like you who commit theft, whether it was much or little. But those who offend in small things and those who transgress in great things don't suffer in the same way — unless, perhaps, that small thing was sacrilege.' Then the soul said, 'What do you call sacrilege?' The angel answered. 'Whoever takes something sacred, Anyone who steals from a sacred vessel is judged guilty of sacrilege. Especially those who sin under the cover of religious life are judged guilty of a greater fault, unless they amend their lives through penance.
The Untamed Cow Must Be Led Across
The angel urges haste to cross the bridge and tells the visionary she must lead an untamed cow across and return it unharmed on the far side.
And with these words he added: Let's hurry, because we have to cross that bridge. But she replied: 'You,' he said, 'will be able to cross by divine power; but me, you will by no means be able to lead with you, as I reckon.'2 'Not I,' she said. the angel said. 'I will cross with you. but you yourself will cross on your own; and you will not be able to cross empty-handed. For you must lead the untamed cow with you, and return it unharmed to me on the far side of the bridge.'3
The Soul's Lament and the Memory of Theft
The soul weeps bitterly, questioning why she was created to suffer, and the angel reminds her she stole her godfather's cow.
Then the soul wept bitterly, weeping as she went, and said to the angel: 'Woe is me — why did God create me, that I should suffer such things?' And how will I, wretched as I am, be able to lead the cow across, when I myself cannot even stand in such danger unless divine mercy comes to help? Then the angel: 'Call to mind,' he said, what you did when you were still in the body, how you had stolen the cow of your godfather.' But she:
Mercy Lessens the Punishment
The soul protests she returned the cow; the angel agrees but notes that since she could not hide the theft, she will not suffer the full penalty, and shows her the untamed cow she must still lead across.
"Didn't I," she says, "return the very cow — the one we're talking about — to its rightful owner?" The angel replied: "You did return it. But since you couldn't hide it at the time, you won't suffer the full punishment — because wanting to do wrong is less than actually doing it, even though both are wrong before God." After these words, when the angel had looked back at the soul, he showed her an untamed cow. "Look," he said, "the cow you still have to lead across."
The Struggle on the Bridge
The soul accepts her punishment and tries to drive the cow onto the bridge, but the two keep falling and rising in turn until they reach the middle.
But when the soul saw that it couldn't escape, it accepted the punishment it owed. Weeping over its guilt, it took hold of the cow, and with whatever threats it could muster, it tried to drive it along with itself toward the bridge. The beasts came lowing, and they waited for the food they saw placed on the bridge. But when the soul had begun its journey, the cow refused to go with her. What are we waiting for? When the soul stood still, the cow fell down. The cow fell, and when the cow stood up, the soul fell. The soul fell, and so in turn they kept standing one moment and falling the next. This went on until they reached the middle of the bridge.
Blood on the Bridge and the Guardian Angel's Comfort
At the midpoint the soul and cow grieve, staining the bridge with blood, until her own guardian angel meets her, releases her from the cow, and heals her feet, reminding her that mercy has rescued her from greater deserved suffering.
When they arrived there, they saw him coming to meet them on the road. He was carrying bundles of sticks. That's who I mean. Not the ones it's said about. Those who are coming now will come with joy, carrying their own bundles. And so they stood there grieving, and as they stood they stained the bridge of their soles with blood, the longer they remained. And there they would lament the guilt of their crimes, not knowing how to go on, yet each one recognized that the other had crossed over. Now as this soul was passing through, she saw her own angel, whom she had left behind, and he spoke to her with gentle words. 'You have come well,' he said. Don't worry any further about the cow, because you no longer owe her anything.' But when she showed him her feet, and lamented that she could not go on, he answered. 'You should remember how swift your feet were to shed blood; and so crushing and misery would have been deserved in your ways, unless the mercy of the Almighty had come to your aid.'4
Onward to the Torturer's House
After the angel heals her and departs, the soul asks where they are going; the angel warns that the foul torturer Phristinus awaits and his house cannot be bypassed.
And when she had said this, he touched her and healed her, and went on his way. But when the soul asked, 'Where are we going now?', the angel answered: 'A most foul torturer awaits our coming, whose name is Phristinus; and we cannot pass his house by any means. Although that house has always been full of guests, the host still longs to find more guests for punishment.
Read the original Latin
Illa autem surgens quasi languida debiles temptans firmare gressus. magnopere illum sequi volebat. sed nullo modo poterat; erat enim nimis afflicta. Tangens autem eam angelus domini confortavit; et valido cursu precedens ad explendum iter quod ante dixerat illam suasit.
Euntes vero longius viderunt stagnum amplum valde. et tempestuosum; cuius fluctus astantes non permittebat cernere celum. Inerat etiam ibi multitudo bestiarum terribilium; que mugientes nil aliud poscebant nisi ut animas devorarent. Per latum vero eius pons multum angustus erat et longus. cuius longitudo quasi per duo miliaria tendebatur. Talis enim erat longitudo stagni; latitudo vero ipsius pontis quasi unius palme mensura. Longior namque et angustior erat quam pons ille de quo superius diximus. Erat etiam ista tabula inserta clavis ferreis acutissimis.
qui omnium transeuntium pedes solebant penetrare. ut nullius pes si cum semel tangeret illesus posset evadere. Omnes quoque bestie conveniebant ad pontem. ut inde cibos sumerent; illas scilicet animas que transire non possent. Erant autem ipse bestie tante magnitudinis; ut magnis turribus assimilari rectissime valerent. Ignis etiam de ore ipsarum exiebat; ita ut et stagnum bullire a cernentibus putaretur.
Videbat quoque in ipso ponte unam animam valde plorantem. et se multis criminibus accusantem. Erat enim magno pondere frumenti manipulorum onusta; et hunc pontem transire cogebatur. Sed licet plantas clavis ferreis perforatas nimis doleret; cadere tamen in lacum ignitum ubi bestiarum patentia ora videbat. magis timebat.
Anima vero videns inmane periculum; dixit ad angelum. 'Heu domine si placeret vellem scire cur cogitur ista anima sub tali pondere pertransire; quarum etiam specialiter ista pena sit animarum.' At ille respondens dixit ad eam. 'Ista pena est specialiter tibi condigna et tuis consimilibus furtum perpetrantibus; licet multum fuerit vel modicum. Sed non eodem modo patiuntur qui in minimis et qui delinquunt in magnis; nisi forte illud modicum fuerit sacrilegium.' Tunc anima 'quid' ait 'vocas sacrilegium?' Respondit angelus. 'Qui sive sacratum.
sive de scrato aliquid furatur; hic sacrilegii reus iudicatur. Maxime vero qui delinquunt sub tegumento relligionis; nisi per penitentiam se emendaverint rei iudicantur culpe maioris.'
Et his dictis adiunxit. 'Festinemus; quia istum pontem transire debemus.' At illa. 'tu quidem' ait 'per divinam potentiam transire poteris; me vero tecum ut reor conducere nequaquam valebis.' 'Non ego' inquit. angelus 'tecum transibo. sed tu ipsa per te transibis; nec vacuus transire poteris. Nam vaccam indomitam te oportet tecum conducere; et illesam mihi ultra pontem reddere.'
Tunc anima plorans amare flevit; et ad angelum dixit. 'Ve mihi quare te creavit me deus ut talia paterer? Et quomodo ego misera potero transducere vaccam; cum ego ipsa in tali periculo nisi divina subvenerit misericordia non possim omnino stare?' Tunc angelus. 'reduc' inquit 'ad memoriam. quod cum in corpore fueras. vaccam compatris tui furata fueras.' At illa.
'nonne' inquit 'domine ipsam vaccam de qua est sermo. proprio reddidi possessori?' Cui angelus. 'Reddidisti. sed tunc quando abscondere non potuisti; et ideo non plenum patieris supplicium; quia minus est velle malum quam perficere; licet utrumque sit malum ante deum.' Hisque dictis. cum respexisset angelus animam ostendit ei indomitam vaccam. 'Ecce' inquit 'vacca quam debes ducere ultra.'
Anima vero cum vidisset se devitare non posse. debitam penam. plorans reatum tenuit vaccam; et secum quibuscumque poterat minis instigare conabatur ad pontem. Bestie vero mugientes veniebant; et cibum suum quem videbant in ponte positum expectabant.
Anima vero cum cepisset iter agere; vacca nolebat cum ea ire. Quid amplius moramur? Cum stabat anima. cadebat vacca; et cum vacca stabat. anima cadebat; et sic versa vice modo stabant modo cadebant. usque dum ad medium pontem veniebant.
Cumque illuc pervenissent; viderunt ilium sibi obviam. qui manipulos portabat. Ilium dico. non de illis quibus dicitur. Venientes autem venient cum exultatione portantes manipulos suos;'
Et sic dolentes stabant; et stantes pontem plantarum sanguine cruentabant Cumque diutius starent. et criminum reatum ibi plangerent; nescientes quomodo sed unaqueque alteram pertransisse cognoscebat.
Anima autem ista dum pertransiit. angelum suum quem retro reliquerat vidit; eamque blandis alloquitur verbis. 'Bene' inquit 'venias. de vacca ulterius ne cures; quia non ei amplius debes.' Sed cum illa ostenderet ei pedes. et conquesta esset non posse pergere respondit. 'Meminisse debes quam veloces erant pedes tui ad effundendum sanguinem; et ideo contricio et infelicitas merito esset in viis tuis nisi tibi misericordia subvenisset omnipotentis.'
Et cum hec dixisset tangens eam sanavit; et sic precessit. Anima vero cum dixisset 'quo imus modo;' respondit angelus. 'Quidam tortor teterrimus nostrum expectat adventum. cui nomen est Phristinus; cuius hospicium nullo modo preterire possumus. Quod hospicium licet semper hospitibus fuerit plenum; hospes tamen invenire hospites adhuc desiderat ad supplicium.'
Notes
- 1 ↩Tang autem eam: 'touched her' renders the physical contact; 'reached out and touched' captures the sense of deliberate, compassionate contact. The angel's action both comforts and enables.
- 2 ↩ut reor rendered 'as I reckon' — ut functions as complementizer ('as') rather than result clause; vero marks the adversative turn between the two clauses.
- 3 ↩illesam: uncertain lemma, possibly illaesa (unharmed); rendered 'unharmed' as the most plausible intended sense.
- 4 ↩contricio: form uncertain, possibly a variant of contritio; rendered as 'crushing' in the sense of bruising/affliction.
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