Zu den bisher bekannten fünf mittelenglischen versionen der Paulus∣vision—vier dichtungen und eine prosa—tritt als sechste die hier zum ersten male abgedruckte prosa-fassung, welche im MS. Add. 10036 des Brit. Mus., einer membrane aus dem 14. jahrhundert, enthalten ist. Was die ein∣schlägige litteratur betrifft, so begnüge ich mich mit einer verweisung auf die gründlichen arbeiten von H. Brandes: Ueber die quellen der mittelenglischen versionen der Paulus-vision, Engl. stud. VII, p. 34 ff. (= Br.¹), und: Visio S. Pauli. Ein Beitrag zur visionslitteratur. Mit einem deutschen und zwei lateinischen texten. Halle 1885 (= Br.²). Die vorliegende fassung kenn∣zeichnet sich als eine ziemlich getreue übertragung der vierten lateinischen version, welche Brandes in der eben genannten schrift p. 73 ff. hat abdrucken lassen. Auf kleine differenzen werde ich in den anmerkungen hinweisen. Da manche derselben von anderen englischen versionen getheilt werden, so scheinen wenigstens diese auf gemeinsame abweichungen in den vorlagen hinzuweisen.

Eine erörterung des dialektes hat bei einem derartigen kürzeren prosa∣texte wenig zweck, da uns jedes kriterium über die wirkliche sprache des autors fehlt, und die des abschreibers von sehr geringem interesse ist. In der that tritt in diesem denkmal kein einheitlicher dialekt zu tage.

Was die wiedergabe des textes betrifft, so schliesse ich mich genau an die hs. an; nur regle ich die interpunction und lasse die eigennamen mit grossen buchstaben beginnen. Abgekürzte lettern und silben sind cursiv ge∣druckt (wiþ ist in der hs. stets durch w^t wiedergegeben).

A questioun of þe peynes of Helle & how soules desireþ to haue rest in þat place 1-2 A—place roth unterstrichen.. §. Poule & Myȝel praied to oure lord Jesu Crist of his gret grace, to schewe þe peynes of helle 3 of helle om. MS. to his disciple Poule, þat he myȝt declare hem in openyng to cristen peple. Where fore oure lord graunted him power bi þe leding of his aungel Michael for to se þe peynes of soules ypynsched in þat ferful place. §. And þe aungel Mychael brouȝt Poule bi fore þe ȝates of helle, for to se þe peynes of helle, & þer Poul sawe bi fore þe ȝates brennynge trees, & in þo trees synful soules turmentyd & hanged al brennynge. §. Somme bi þe heer, somme bi þe necke, somme bi þe tonge, somme bi þe armes. §. And ferþer more Poul sawe a fornais al brennyng, in þe whiche soules were ipynched wiþ seuen manere of peynes. §. Þe furst snowe, þe secunde frost, þe þridde fuyre, þe ferþe adders, þe fifte lyȝtnyng, þe sexte stenche, þe seuenþe sorw wiþ outen ende; and in þat fornays ben soules ipynsched, þe whiche dide no penaunce bi here lyue daie, and eueryche is pynsched after his dedes, þat he hadde in þis worlde ywrouȝt; where inne is sorwynge, wepynge, waymentynge, brennynge, sekyng of deth. §. Þis place is to be dradde, in þe whiche is sorwe of adderes & sorw wiþ oute gladnesse, in þe whiche is plente of peynes wiþ brennynge wheles, & in euery whele a þousand crokes, ismyte a þousand tymes wiþ deueles, & in euery croke hangynge a þousand soules. §. And ferþer more he saw an horrible flode wiþ many deueles þer inne, for to turment soules, & þer aponn a brigge, bi þe whiche schulle passe riȝtful soules & euel soules, þus to ben pynsched after here trespas; and þer ben duellinge places of synful soules. and þer Poul sawe soules ifalle, somme to þe knees, somme to þe nauyl, somme to þe lippes, somme to þe top of þe hede; and þer fore Poul sore gan wepe, and þan seide Mychael: §. Þise þat ben falle to þe knees, ben suche as speken faire to fore & doþ euele bi hynde. §. Þise ben þo þat ben fallen to þe nauyl, þe whiche þat diden avowtrie & forny∣cacioun, & dide no penaunce in here lyf. §. Þise ben þo þat ben fallen to þe lippes, þe whiche made batynge in holi churche, & harde noȝt þe worde of god. §. Þise ben þo þat ben fallen to þe top of þe hede, þat ben glad of here neiȝbores harme. And þer of Poul wep bitterliche & seide: Is þis greuous peyne yordeyned to hem. And after þat he sawe a place ful of soules hangynge bi þe tonnges; & þan seide þe aungel: Þise ben feneratowres 37 feuatowres MS. & vsereres. §. And þan he sawe a place, in þe whiche were alle peynes, and þer were blak maidens wiþ blak cloþes, in piche & bremstonn, wiþ fury cloþes, dragouns & addres hangynge aboute here neckes, & foure deueles goynge aboute hem & seynge to hem: Ȝe knoweþ noȝt godes sone, þat bouȝt ȝow. §. And þan seide Poul: What soules ben þise? Þise ben soules of maidens, þe whiche were noȝt chast to here weddynge, & þo þat deled wiþ here kyn & ouerlaie here children & slow hem. §. And afterward he sawe wymmen aponn camayles & afore hem moche fruyt, but þei ne myȝt none take. Þise ben þo þat breken here fast bifore tyme. §. And þan he sawe an olde man bitwene foure deuels weping, & he asked, what he was. §. Þe aungel seide: Þis was necligent, þe whiche kept noȝt þe lawe of god, ne was not chast of bodi ne of worde ne of werke, but was prowde & coueitous; & þer fore he schal suffre þis in to þe daie of dome. §. And þo wepte Poul. And þe aungel asked: Whi dost þou wepe aponn þis man? for ȝit þou schalt se more gretter peynes. And he schewid him a put ylokke wiþ seuen lockes & seide to him: Stonde vttere, so þat þou myȝt suffre þe sauour & þe stenche! And he openyd þe put, & þer come out a stronge stenche, worst aboue alle peynes. §. And þo seyde Mychael: Who so euere comeþ in to þis put, þer ne schal neuere be made mynde of him in heuene bi fore god ne his aungeles. And into þis put schullen be þrowe þo soules, þe whiche þat leue not, þat þe sone of god toke flesche & blode of seynt Marie, ne troweþ noȝt in þe sacra∣ment of þe auter. And he sawe in an oþer place men & wymmen, & wormes & addres etynge hem. And þer laie soule aponn soule, as þouȝ it were frogges in a stronge storme. & þat place was as depe as it is fro heuene to erþe. And þer he herde gret wepinge & gronynge & gryntynge of teþ, as it were a þondre. And þan he sawe a synful soule b[i]twene seuen deueles wepynge & sorwyng ledynge þat soule þat same daie fro þe bodi. And aungeles cried aȝens þat soule, seiynge to him: §. Þou wrecchid soule, what hastou donn in erþe? and þer þei redde his chartere, in þe whiche alle his synnes were inne. §. And þer he was yþrowe into þe depe put, in to þe deppest derkenesse. And in þe same while aungeles ladde an oþer soule fro þe bodi to heuene. And þer þei harde a þousande þousand of gladde aungeles seynge to þat soule: §. Arayse we him up afore god, for he haþ chose his blessyd werkes! And after þat seynt Mychael put him in to paradis, & þer alle aungeles worschiped 74 worschip MS. þat soule. §. And synful soules, þat leyn in peyne, þei criden & seiden: haue mercy on vs, Myȝel & Poul, þe whiche þat is most biloued wiþ oure lord god, praieþ for vs! And þan seide þe aungel Miȝel: Now knele doun on ȝoure knees & praieþ wiþ vs! & þat herde þo þat weren in helle; þan wiþ o vois þei criden, þe whiche þat weren in helle, & saiden: Haue mercy on vs, Crist, godes sone & man! ‖ And þei lokyd 80 lokyng MS. vp rewfulliche to heuene, and þei sawe sodeynliche godes sone comynge. And þan þei cried aȝenwarde & seide: Haue mercy aponn vs, þe sone of god most hyȝest! And anone þei herde a vois of godes sone, seynge to hem: §. For ȝow I was crucified, istonge wiþ a spere, wiþ nailes ynailed, wiþ þornes ycrowned, & eysel & galle ȝe ȝeue me to drynke; and I ȝaue for ȝow myn owyn bodi to þe deth. What myȝt I more do to ȝow? and ȝe to me were neu[er] good, but wicked & schrewid, & neuere diden good in ȝoure lyue, but wickidnesse & schrewidnesse in ȝoure lyf. But for þe praier of Myȝel & of Poule & for my blessed resurreccioun I graunt ȝow to haue reste fram Saturdaie atte none in to þe risynge of þe sonne þe mondaie. And þan þei were gladde of þat graunt, alle þat were in helle. And þei cried wiþ o vois: iblessed mote þou be, godes sone, þe whiche þat haþ igraunted vs þis refressynge, for it is to vs more remedie of þis daie & þis nyȝt, þan was al þe refressynge þat we hadde on erþe al oure lyf, while we were on erþe! For who so kepeþ þe sondaie, he schal haue pees, rest & ioie wiþ aungeles. §. And Poule asked of þe aungel, how fele peynes weren in helle. Þe aungel answerde & seide: Almost þer beþ fourty hundred & foure þousand. And ȝif þer were an hundred men spekyng fro þe bigynnynge of þis worlde to þe dai of dome, and 99 and. and MS. þer to euery man hadde foure tonnges of iren, ne myȝt nouȝt telle, how fele sorwes þer ben in helle. And so sodeynliche þei wente fro þat place.