'How near is it to the hour when the brethren are wakened for lauds?' 'But a little while,' was the reply. Well then,' said he, 'let us wait for that hour,' and, making over himself the sign of the cross, he laid his head on the pillow, and falling into a light slumber, ended his life in silence. And so it came to pass that, as he had served the Lord in simplicity and purity of mind, and with serene attachment and loyalty, so by a serene death he left the world, and went to look upon His face. And meet in truth it was that the tongue which had indited so many helpful words in praise of the Creator, should frame its very last words in His praise, while in the act of signing himself with the cross, and of commending his spirit into His hands. And that he foresaw his death is apparent from what has here been related.

25. DRYHTHELM'S VISION OF THE HEREAFTER1

Bk. 5, chap. 12

At this time a memorable miracle, and like to those of old, was wrought in Britain; for to the end that the living might be saved from the death of the soul, a certain man who had been some time dead rose again to the life of the body, and related many memorable things which he had seen; some of which I have thought fit here briefly to relate. There was a householder in that district of

1 Cf. the vision of Fursa (3. 19). The visions of the other world, which perhaps begin with the Book of Enoch (pre-Christian), and are continued in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas (2d century), Apocalypse of Peter (2d century), and Apocalypse of Paul (4th century), here first appear on English soil. On the general subject, reference may be made to The Dream of the Rood, ed. Cook, p. lv, note 2; The Pearl, ed. Osgood, p. xxxvii, note 1; Bede's Eccl. Hist., ed. Plummer, 2. 294-5. See also Plato, Gorgias 523 ff.; Phædo 113-4; Stewart, The Myths of Plato; Virgil, Æn. 6. 548 ff.; Dieterich, Nekyia.

Northumbria which is called Cunningham,1 who led a religious life, as did all his house. This man fell sick, and his distemper daily increasing, he was brought to death's door, and died in the beginning of the night; but in the morning early he suddenly came to life again, and sat up, upon which all those that sat about the body weeping fled away in a great fright; only his wife, who loved him best, though in a great consternation and trembling, remained with him. He, comforting her, said, Fear not, for I am now truly risen from death, and permitted again to live among men; however, I am not to live hereafter as I was wont, but from henceforward after a very different manner.' Then rising immediately, he repaired to the chapel of the village, and continuing in prayer till day, immediately divided all his substance into three parts, one whereof he gave to his wife, another to his children, and reserving the third for himself, instantly distributed it among the poor. Not long after, having thus rid himself of worldly cares, he repaired to the monastery of Melrose, which is almost enclosed by a bend of the river Tweed; and having received the tonsure, went into a private dwelling which the abbot had provided, where he continued till the day of his death in such extraordinary contrition of mind and body that, though his tongue had been silent, his life declared that he had seen many things either to be dreaded or desired, which others knew nothing of.

And thus he related what he had seen: He that led me had a shining countenance and a bright garment, and we went on silently, as I thought, towards the northeast. Walking on, we came to a vale of great breadth and

2' Generally identified with Cunningham, just within the Scotch border' (Plummer).

depth, and of infinite length. The part which lay at our left had one side full of dreadful flames, while the other was no less horrid for violent hail and cold, scudding and sweeping in all directions. Both places were full of men's souls, which seemed by turns to be tossed from one side to the other, as it were by the violence of tempest; for when the wretches could no longer endure the excess of heat, they leaped into the middle of the cutting cold; and, finding no rest there, would leap back again into the midst of the inextinguishable flames.1 Now whereas an innumerable multitude of deformed spirits were thus alternately tormented, as far as one could look, without any intermission, I began to think that this might perhaps be hell, of whose intolerable flames I had often heard. My guide, who went before me, answered my thought, saying, "Do not believe so, for this is not the hell you imagine."

When he had by degrees conducted me, much frightened with that horrid spectacle, to the further end, on a sudden I saw the place begin to grow dusky before us, and fill with darkness. When we had entered it, the darkness by degrees grew so thick that I could see nothing except the shape and clothing of him that led me. As we advanced through the shades of night, suddenly there appeared before us frequent globes of black flames, rising as it were out of a great pit, and falling back again into the same. When I had been conducted thither, my leader suddenly vanished, and left me alone in the midst of darkness and this horrid vision. Now while those same globes of fire without intermission at one time flew up and at another fell back into the bottom of the abyss, I observed that all the tips of the flames, as they ascended, were full of human souls, which, like sparks flying up

1 Cf. Shakespeare, M. for M. 3. 1. 122-3; Milton, P. L. 2. 600 ff.

with smoke, were sometimes thrown on high, and again, when the fiery vapors ceased, dropped down into the depths below. Moreover, an insufferable stench came forth with the vapors, and filled all those dark places.

Having stood there a long time in much dread, not knowing what to do, which way to turn, or what end I might expect, on a sudden I heard behind me the noise of most hideous and wretched lamentation, and at the same time a loud laughing, as of a rude multitude insulting captured enemies. When that noise, growing plainer, came up to me, I observed a gang of evil spirits dragging the howling and lamenting souls of five men into the midst of the darkness, while they themselves laughed and rejoiced above measure. Among those men, as I could discern, there was one tonsured like a clerk, one layman, and one woman. The evil spirits that dragged them went down into the midst of the burning pit; and as they went down deeper, I could no longer distinguish between the lamentation of the men and the laughing of the devils, yet I still had in my ears the mingled sound. In the meantime, some of the dark spirits ascended from that flaming abyss, and running forward encompassed me on all sides, and much afflicted me with their flaming eyes and the stinking fire which proceeded from their mouths and nostrils. They threatened also to lay hold on me with burning tongs which they had in their hands, yet they durst not touch me, though they were bold to frighten me. Being thus on all sides enclosed with enemies and darkness, and looking about on every side for assistance to escape, there appeared behind me, on the way that I came, as it were the brightness of a star1 shining amidst the darkness, which increased by degrees, and

1 Plummer compares Dante, Purg. 12. 89–90.

came rapidly towards me. And when it drew nigh, all those evil spirits that sought to carry me away with their tongs dispersed and fled.

He whose approach put them to flight was the same that led me before, who then, turning towards the right, began to lead me, as it were, towards the southeast,1 and having soon brought me out of the darkness, conducted me into an atmosphere of serene light. While he thus led me in open light, I saw a vast wall before us, the length and height of which, in every direction, seemed to be altogether boundless. I began to wonder why we went up to the wall, seeing that I could discover no door, or window, or means of ascent. When we came to the wall, we were presently, I know not by what means, on the top of it, and within it was a vast and delightful field, so full of fragrant flowers that the sweetness of its delightful odor immediately dispelled the stench of the dark furnace, which had penetrated me in every part. So great was the light in this place that it seemed to exceed the brightness of the day, or the sun in its meridian height. In this field were innumerable assemblies of men in white, and many companies seated together rejoicing. As he led me through the choirs of those blissful inhabitants, I began to think that this might perhaps be the kingdom of heaven, of which I had often heard so many sermons. He answered my thought, saying, "No, this is not the kingdom of heaven, as you imagine."

When we had passed those abodes of blessed souls and gone further on, I discovered in front of us a much more beautiful light, and therein heard sweet voices of persons singing; and so wonderful a fragrance proceeded from the

1 On the southeast as the quarter of felicity, see Cook's edition of Cynewulf's Christ, note on 1. 900, and Lactantius, Inst. Div. 2. 9.