122 ROGER OF Λ VENDO VER. [A.D . 699. would have carried me away with their tongs, dispersed and fled. Now he, whose approach put them to flight, was the same who conducted me before; and then turning to the right, he proceeded to lead me towards the quarter of the sun's rising in winter, and soon brought me out of the darkness into an atmosphere of clear light. While he was thus leading me, I saw before us a vast wall, whose height and length appeared to be boundless. I began to wonder why we approached the wall, since there was no apparent way of climbing it. When we were come to the wall, we were presently, I know not by what means, on the top of it, where was a spacious and delightful plain, full of vernal flowers of such fragrance that the wonderful sweetness of their odour immediately dispelled the stink of the dark furnace, which had penetrated my very soul. The entire region was illuminated with such a light, that it seemed to exceed the full splendor of the day, or the beams of the meridian sun ; for there were in this plain innumerable companies of men in white, and of souls seated together rejoicing. As he led me through bands of happy inhabitants, I thought that this was the kingdom of heaven, but he answered my thoughts, and said, ' Do not think so.' When we had passed these mansions of good and happy spirits, and were gone farther on, I beheld before us a much more glorious light than the former, and therein heard the sweetest voices of persons singing, and so wonderful a fragrance proceeded from the place, that the other, which I had before thought most delicious, now seemed to me but very indifferent; even as that extraordinary brightness of the flowery plain, compared with this, appeared weak and inconsiderable. As I was hoping that we should enter that delightful place, my guide, on a sudden stood still ; and then turning round, led me back by the way we had come. He then said to me, ' Dost thou know what all these things are which thou hast seen ?' I answered, I did not; on which he said, ' That fearful valley which thou sawest, with its consuming flames and cutting cold, is the place where the souls of those are tried who, delaying confession and amendment of life, at length have recourse to repentance when on the point of death, and so departing from the body, they shall all attain to the kingdom of heaven in the day of judgment; numbers too shall be delivered before the day of