CHAP. XIII.
How another contrarywise before his death saw a book containing his sins, which
was shown him by devils. [704-709 A.D.]
BUT contrarywise there was a man in the province of the Mercians, whose visions
and words, but not his manner of life, were of profit to others, though not to
himself. In the reign of Coenred, who succeeded Ethelred, there was a layman who
was a king's thegn, no less acceptable to the king for his outward industry,
than displeasing to him for his neglect of his own soul. The king diligently
admonished him to confess and amend, and to forsake his evil ways, lest he
should lose all time for repentance and amendment by a sudden death. But though
frequently warned, he despised the words of salvation, and promised that he
would do penance at some future time. In the meantime, falling sick he betook
himself to his bed, and was tormented with grievous pains. The king coming to
him (for he loved the man much) exhorted him, even then, before death, to repent
of his offences. But he answered that he would not then confess his sins, but
would do it when he was recovered of his sickness, lest his companions should
upbraid him with having done that for fear of death, which he had refused to do
in health. He thought he spoke very bravely, but it afterwards appeared that he
had been miserably deceived by the wiles of the Devil.
The disease increasing, when the king came again to visit and instruct him, he
cried out straightway with a lamentable voice, "What will you now? What are you
come for? for you can no longer do aught for my profit or salvation." The king
answered, "Say not so; take heed and be of sound mind." "I am not mad," replied
he, "but I now know the worst and have it for certain before my eyes." "What is
that?" said the king. "Not long since," said he, "there came into this room two
fair youths, and sat down by me, the one at my head, and the other at my feet.
One of them drew forth a book most beautiful, but very small, and gave it me to
read; looking into it, I there found all the good actions I had ever done in my
life written down, and they were very few and inconsiderable. They took back the
book and said nothing to me. Then, on a sudden, appeared an army of evil spirits
of hideous countenance, and they beset this house without, and sitting down
filled the greater part of it within. Then he, who by the blackness of his
gloomy face, and his sitting above the rest, seemed to be the chief of them,
taking out a book terrible to behold, of a monstrous size, and of almost
insupportable weight, commanded one of his followers to bring it to me to read.
Having read it, I found therein most plainly written in hideous characters, all
the crimes I ever committed, not only in word and deed, but even in the least
thought; and he said to those glorious men in white raiment who sat by me, 'Why
sit ye here, since ye know of a surety that this man is ours?' They answered,
'Ye speak truly; take him and lead him away to fill up the measure of your
damnation.' This said, they forthwith vanished, and two wicked spirits arose,
having in their hands ploughshares, and one of them struck me on the head, and
the other on the foot. And these ploughshares are now with great torment
creeping into the inward parts of my body, and as soon as they meet I shall die,
and the devils being ready to snatch me away, I shall be dragged into the
dungeons of hell."
Thus spoke that wretch in his despair, and soon after died, and now in vain
suffers in eternal torments that penance which he failed to suffer for a short
time with the fruits of forgiveness. Of whom it is manifest, that (as the
blessed Pope Gregory writes of certain, persons) he did not see these things for
his own sake, since they did not avail him, but for the sake of others, who,
knowing of his end, should be afraid to put off the time of repentance, whilst
they have leisure, lest, being prevented by sudden death, they should perish
impenitent. And whereas he saw diverse books laid before him by the good and
evil spirits, this was done by Divine dispensation, that we may keep in mind
that our deeds and thoughts are not scattered to the winds, but are all kept to
be examined by the Supreme Judge, and will in the end be shown us either by
friendly angels or by the enemy. And whereas the angels first drew forth a white
book, and then the devils a black one; the former a very small one, the latter
one very great; it is to be observed, that in his first years he did some good
actions, all which he nevertheless obscured by the evil actions of his youth.
If, contrarywise, he had taken care in his youth to correct the errors of his
boyhood, and by well-doing to put them away from the sight of God, he might have
been admitted to the fellowship of those of whom the Psalm says, "Blessed are
those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." This story, as
I learned it of the venerable Bishop Pechthelm, I have thought good to set forth
plainly, for the salvation of such as shall read or hear it.
