A.D. 1196'.] THE MONK RESTORED TO JUS ItODV. in my mind. That soft and glittering splendour so dazzled my eyes, that 1 could think of nothing to be compared to it which I bad ever seen before; for that brightness, inconceivable as it was, did not blind the eye-sight, but rather sharpened it; ami as 1 looked on it, nothing else met my sight than the light and the wall of crystal before mentioned. Moreover from the bottom to the top of it steps of a wonderful beauty were arranged, by means of which the crowds of rejoicing spirits ascended as soon as they were let in at the door; there was no toil to those who went up, no ilill'iculty, and no delay in the ascent, for the step above was always ascended more easily than the one below had been. And when I directed my eyes above, I beheld, sitting on a throne of glory, our Lord and Saviour in human form, and, as it seemed to me, the spirits of live or seven hundred blessed beings, who had lately ascended by the before-mentioned road to the place of the throne, coining round him in a circle, and with signs of thanksgiving worshipping him. But it was most evident to me, that the place which I saw was not the heaven of heavens, where the Lord of lords will appeal' in Sion, as if he were in his majesty; but that from thence, after all difficulty and delay is removed, spirits ascend to that heaven which is blessed by the presence of the eternal Deity. In this vision, however, I conceived in my mind so much delight and joy, so much happiness and exultation, that whatever can be explained by human ingenuity would fail to express the delight of my heart which I there felt. How the said monk was restored to /lis botiy. " After I had seen and heard these and numberless other things, St. Nicholas briefly spoke to ine, ' Lo! my son,' said he, 'thou hast now as thou wishedst, as far as was possible for thee, in part beheld the condition of the life to come, the dangers of sinners, the punishment of the wicked, the rest of the purified, the joys of those who at length reach the court of heaven, and the mysteries of our Lord's sull'cring. You must now return to your mortili stru.Tgles ; but you will receive, if you persevere in the fear of (b»l, the things which you have with your own eye* behold, and much greater than these, if you endeavour with an immaculate bodv and innocent heart to await the day of vour last M 2