And than within shorte tyme after, by the purveyaunce of our Lorde Jesu, they came to the abbey where saynt Brandon dwelled, and than he with his bretherne receyved them goodly, and demaunded where they had ben so longe; and they sayd, "We have ben in the Londe of Byheest, to-fore the gates of Paradyse, where as is ever daye, and never night." And they sayd all that the place is full delectable, for yet all theyr clothes smelled of the swete and joyfull place. And than saynt Brandon purposed soone after for to seke that place by Goddes helpe, and anone began to purvey for a good shyppe, and a stronge, and vytaylled it for vij. yere; and than he toke his leve of all his bretherne, and toke xij. monkes with him. But or they entred into the shyppe they fasted xl. dayes, and lyved devoutly, and eche of them receyved the sacrament. And whan saynt Brandon with his xij. monkes were entred into the shyppe, there came other two of his monkes, and prayed hym that they myght sayle with hym. And than he sayd, "Ye may sayle with me, but one of you shall go to hell, or ye come gayn." But not for that they wold go with hym. And than saynt Brandon badde the shypmen to wynde up the sayle, and forth they sayled in Goddes name, so that on the morow they were out of syght of ony londe; and xl. dayes and xl. nightes after they sayled playn eest, and than they sawe an ylonde ferre fro them, and they sayled thyder-warde as fast as they coude, and they sawe a grete roche of stone appere above all the water, and thre dayes they sayled aboute it or they coude gete in to the place. But at the last, by the purveyaunce of God, they founde a lytell haven, and there went aionde everychone. And than they sayled forth, and came soone after to that lond; but bycause of lytell depthe in some place, and in some place were grete rockes, but at the last they wente upon an ylonde, wenynge to them they had ben safe, and made theron a fyre for to dresse theyr dyner, but saynt Brandon abode styll in the shyppe. And whan the fyre was ryght hote, and the meet nygh soden, than this ylonde began to move; whereof the monkes were aferde, and fledde anone to the shyppe, and lefte the fyre and meet be hynde them, and mervayled sore of the movyng. And saynt Brandon comforted them, and sayd that it was a grete fisshe named Jasconye, whiche laboureth nyght and daye to put his tayle in his mouth, but for gretnes he may not. And than anone they sayled west thre dayes and thre nyghtes or they sawe ony londe, wherfore they were ryght hevy. But soone after, as God wold, they sawe a fayre ylonde, full of floures, herbes, and trees, wherof they thanked God of his good grace, and anone they went on londe. And whan they had gone longe in this, they founde a full fayre well, and therby stode a fayre tree, full of bowes, and on every bough sate a fayre byrde, and they sate so thycke on the tree that unneth ony lefe of the tree myght be. seen, the nombre of them was so grete, and they songe so meryly that it was an hevenly noyse to here. Wherfore saynt Brandon kneled down on his knees, and wepte for joye, and made his prayers devoutly unto our Lord God to knowe what these byrdes ment. And than anone one of the byrdes fledde fro the tree to saynt Brandon, and he with flykerynge of his wynges made a full mery noyse lyke a fydle, that hym semed he herde never so joyfull a melodye. And than saynt Brandon commaunded the byrde to tell hym the cause why they sate so thycke on the tree, and sange so meryly. And than the byrde sayd, 66 Somtyme we were aungels in heven, but whan our mayster Lucyfer fell down into hell for his hygh pryde, we fell with hym for our offences, some hyther, and some lower, after the qualyté of theyr trespace; and bycause our trespace is but lytell, therfore our Lorde hath set us here out of all pyane in full grete joye and myrth, after his pleasynge, here to serve hym on this tree in the best maner that we can. The Sonday is a day of rest fro all worldly occupacyon, and, therfore, that daye all we be made as whyte as ony snow, for to prayse our Lorde in the best wyse we may.' And than this byrde sayd to saynt Brandon, "It is xij. monethes past that ye departed fro your abbey, and in the vij. B yere hereafter ye shall se the place that dredefull place or they came home And seven dayes they sayled alwaye in that clere water. And than there came a south wynde and drove the shyppe north-warde, where as they sawe an ylonde full derke and full of stenche and smoke; and there they herde grete blowynge and blastyng of belowes, but And than anone the wynde turned they myght se no thynge, but herde into the north, and drove the shyppe grete thondrynge, whereof they were into the south, whiche sayled vij. dayes sore aferde and blyssed them ofte. And contynually; and they came to a grete soone after there came one stertynge out rocke standynge in the see, and theron all brennynge in fyre, and stared full sate a naked man in full grete mysery gastly on them with grete staryng eyen, and payne; for the wawes of the see of whome the monkes were agast, and at had so beten his body that all the flesshe his departyng from them he made the was gone off, and nothynge lefte but horryblest crye that myght be herde. synewes and bare bones. And whan And soone there came a grete nombre the wawes were gone, there was a canvas of fendes and assayled them with hokes that henge over his heed whiche bette his and brennynge yren malles, whiche ranne body full sore with the blowynge of the on the water, folowyng fast theyr wynde; and also there were two oxe shyppe, in suche wyse that it semed all tongues and a grete stone that he sate the see to be on a fyre; but by the wyll on, whiche dyd hym full grete ease. of God they had no power to hurte ne to And than saynt Brandon charged hym to greve them, ne theyr shyppe. Wher- tell hym what he was. And he sayd, fore the fendes began to rore and crye, "My name is Judas, that solde our and threwe theyr hokes and malles at Lorde Jesu Chryst for xxx. pens, whiche them. And they than were sore aferde, sytteth here moche wretchedly, how be and prayed to God for comforte and it I am worthy to be in the gretest payne helpe; for they sawe the fendes all that is; but our Lorde is so mercyfull about the shyppe, and them semed that that he hath rewarded me better than I all the ylonde and the see to be on a have deserved, for of ryght my place is fyre. And with a sorowful crye all in the brennynge hell; but I am here the fendes departed fro them and re- but certayne tymes of the yere, that is, turned to the place that they came fro. fro Chrystmasse to twelfth daye, and fro And than saynt Brandon tolde to them Eester tyll Whytsontyde be past, and that this was a parte of hell, and ther-every feestfull daye of our lady, and fore he charged them to be stedfast in every Saterdaye at noone tyll Sonday the fayth, for they shold yet se many a that evensonge be done; but all other i ICELANDIC VISION. From the Poetic Edda. Tr. by Wright, St. In the Norni's seat out of the apertures of the clouds. Without and within I seemed to go through all sought I a better way, where I might have a more agreeable journey. tymes I lye styll in hell in ful brennynge that nyght suffred grete payne bycause fyre with Pylate, Herode, and Cayphas; they brought not Judas, and sayd that therfore accursed be the tyme that ever he shold suffre double payne the sixe I knewe them." And than Judas prayed dayes folowynge. And they toke than saynt Brandon to abyde styll there all Judas tremblynge for fere with them to that nyght, and that he wolde kepe hym payne. there styll that the fendes sholde not fetche hym to hell. And he sayd, "With Goddes helpe thou shalt abyde here all this nyght.' And than he asked Judas what cloth that was that henge over his heed. And he sayd it was a cloth that he gave unto a lepre, whiche was bought with the money that he stale fro our Lorde whan he bare his purse, "wherfore it dothe to me grete payne now in betying my face with the blowynge of the wynde; and these two oxe tongues that hange here above me, I gave them somtyme to two preestes to praye for me. I bought them with myne owne money, and therfore they ease me, bycause the fysshes of the see knawe on them and spare me. And this stone that I syt on laye somtyme in a desolate place where it eased no man; and I toke it thens and layd it in a foule waye, where it dyd moche ease to them that went by that waye, and therfore it easeth me now; for every good dede shall be rewarded, and every evyll dede shal be punysshed." And the Sondaye agaynst even there came a grete multitude of fendes blastyng and rorynge, and badde saynt Brandon go thens, that they myght have theyr servaunt Judas, "for we dare not come in the presence of our mayster, but yf we brynge hym to hell with us. And saynt Brandon sayd, "I lette not you do your maysters commaundement, but by the power of our Lorde Jesu Chryst I charge you to leve "How hym this nyght tyll to morow. darest thou helpe hym that so solde his mayster for xxx. pens to the Jewes, and caused hym also to dye the moost shamefull deth upon the crosse?" And than saynt Brandon charged the fendes by his passyon that they sholde not noy hym that nyght. And than the fendes went theyr way rorynge and cryenge towarde hell to theyr mayster, the grete devyll. And than Judas thanked saynt Brandon so rewfully that it was pité to se, and on the morowe the fendes came with an horryble noyse, sayenge that they had I must relate what I first saw, when I was come into the places of torment; scorched birds, which were souls, fled numerous as flies. From the west saw I fly so that everywhere it appeared to me The sun's hart I saw go from the south, stood on the ground, and his horns touched heaven. From the north saw I ride and they were seven together; they drunk the pure mead from the fountain of heaven's lord, The wind became quiet, Bloody stones ANGLO-SAXON DESCRIPTION OF PARADISE. Beauteous is all the plain, with delights blessed, with the sweetest of earth's odours: unique is that island, noble the Maker, lofty, in powers abounding, who the land founded. There is oft open towards the happy, unclosed, (delight of sounds !) heaven-kingdom's door. That is a pleasant plain, green wolds, spacious under heaven; there may not rain nor snow, nor rage of frost, nor fire's blast, nor fall of hail, nor descent of rime, nor heat of sun, nor perpetual cold, nor warm weather, nor winter shower, with blossoms flowered: nor hills nor mountains there stand steep, nor stony cliffs tower high, as here with us; nor dells nor dales, fold of fathom measure, (as us the skilful have informed, sages through wisdom in writings show,) that brightly here with us under the stars of heaven. but the trees ever stand green, as them God hath commanded; in winter and in summer the forest is alike hung with fruits, never fade the earth's circumference, against the billowy course it shall abide thus blooming of the Lord's doom; when the death-houses, men's dark chambers, shall be opened. There is not in that land hateful enmity, nor wail nor vengeance, evil-token none, old age nor misery, nor the narrow death, nor loss of life, nor coming of enemy, nor sin nor strife, nor poor one's toil, There nor hail nor rime windy cloud, nor there water falls agitated in air, but there liquid streams wonderously curious, wells spring forth with fair bubblings from earth o'er the soil glide pleasant waters from the wood's midst; there each month from the turf of earth the joy of water-floods. with produce hung, on the grassy plain 245 |