I departed from that king's court and followed the road for several days — because the road is long — until I reached one of their towns called Tearmann20 and they call it thus because there they will do no harm to anyone; it would seem they have great devotion to Saint Patrick and it is good through the realm; and the kings keep that town safe and the pilgrims who go there are obliged to leave their animals there for horses or other animals could not cross the mountains or the waters. So leaving there I went on foot to the town where the priory is found; the purgatory is in this priory and there is a great deep lake21 wherein is the aforesaid island; and the water is good to drink and in the lake there are various other islands. The waters are so great throughout the island (of Ireland?) that one can hardly cross the highest mountains for the waters which are there where one enters up to one's knees22, so that it is very difficult to pass on foot, and even more so on horseback.
On my leaving Tearmann, the lord of the place23, who is a great lord, and his brother who had a great devotion to my lord Saint Patrick, helped me a lot to get organized as well as all the pilgrims; and he wished to go with me and accompanied me to the monastery where I was very well received. And we crossed the lake in a boat carved out of a single piece of wood, because there was no other boat. The lord of Tearmann and the prior who was there embarked in another.
As soon as I was in the monastery, they asked me if I wished to enter the purgatory and I answered yes; and then they counseled me strongly that I should by no means wish to enter there nor tempt God, since there was not only danger to the body but also to the soul, which was more important, telling and showing me the dangers and the strength of those who had died there. But when they saw my strength of purpose, they told me — specially the prior — that I would have to act in accordance with their customs in the monastery as Saint Patrick had ordered and the predecessors of the prior, as it is in the chapter on Saint Patrick which speaks of Saint Patrick. Thus I did, in accordance with their customs, wherein one must do with great devotion all that these men do who for sickness or other dangers are awaiting death. When all this was done, with a great procession they accustomed to lead me to the church and the person who enters is always strongly advised to by no means enter; and they told me to give up my entry to purge my sins and to enter in some order to serve the religious brothers or be one and not to put myself in such danger.
And having carried out all the customs in the church which Saint Patrick ordered as is said above, all this being done, with all the clergy that was to be found in that district as early in the morning as they could they sing a requiem mass for the person entering in. And they did all that pertained to this.
And while I was in the church I spoke with a nephew of mine, my sister's son, who was of the family of Centelles and a doctor of the church, his name being Sir Bernat de Centelles; and with two sons of mine, the elder called Lluís and the younger Ramon; and with my company and servants they settled the matter of their return journey if God should take me: and I gave my will to my nephew Sir Bernat de Centelles who was sacristan of Mallorca.
All this being done, the prior and the friars and the lord of Tearmann asked me where I wished to be buried in case I died; and I answered that earth was the tomb of the dead and that I left it to them. And with the procession they led me to the gate of the purgatory and I dubbed four knights there, of whom two were my sons and the other two were an Englishman named Sir Thomas Hawkwood and the other Sir Pere de Massa of the kingdom of Valencia. And afterwards they sung the litanies and gave me holy water and the prior opened the gate and said the following words to me in the presence of all those who were there:
‘Here you have the place where you wish to enter, but if you wished to believe me and my advice, you will turn back and mend your ways in this world in some other manner for many men have entered here who have never returned and they all perished in body and soul because they did not have a firm belief in Jesus Christ and for this reason they cannot suffer the torments which are there beyond. But if you wish to enter there, I will tell you what you will find there.’
And then I told him that with God's help I would enter there to purge my sins; and they he said to me:
‘I do not wish to tell you anything about the pit because you can see it and will find it; but in another place God will send you his messengers who will teach you all you must do; and immediately afterwards they will go away and leave you alone and thus it has been done to all those who have entered there before you.’
And then I took my leave of all those who were there and kissed them on the mouth and commended myself to God and entered in; and after me there entered a knight called Sir William de Courcy who was appointed to be the majordomo and his wife to be the chief lady-in-waiting of the queen of England24 who is the daughter of the king of France. And he had done all that was proper for the aforesaid entry and he was, like me, counseled by the aforesaid friars and they advised us strongly not to speak at all with each other and that the words and dangers which had been spoken of with regard to the torments through which had perished and been lost those who has entered; and in this way they did indeed place doubts in my heart and understanding but the great desire which I had to know in what state my lord king found himself and likewise to purge my sins made me forget all that was to come; and I commended myself to the good prayers of the good men and girded myself with faith and belief the best I might and I crossed myself and commended myself to God and entered the purgatory followed by my companion. And at once the prior shut the gate and went back to the church with his clergy.