Then I went all alone through that pit which the further I went the more hollow I found it in darkness, so much so that I completely lost the brightness of any light. And when I had advanced a little, I entered a place which appeared to me to be the end and there I found a chamber according to what the prior had told me; and there was no other light but twilight as one would say in the world. This chamber was not shut in all around but had pillars with arches like a monastery cloister. And when I had walked up and down enough in that chamber, I was full of wonder at its shape and so delicate a form when I saw that chamber; and I entered it and sat down. And I was greatly in wonder at the great beauty and loveliness in that most delightful chamber and at the same time at its strange shape and form; for it seemed to me that I had never seen so beautiful a chamber anywhere I had ever been.
And when I had sat their for a long while, twelve men came to me who all seemed to be in orders and were all dressed in white robes. And they all entered the chamber and on arriving greeted me most humbly. One25 of them seemed to me to be the elder, almost like a prior, and he spoke mto me for all the others and comforted me greatly and said:
‘Blessed be God who has all things in his power and who has placed in your heart the good intent; and may he perfect26 in you the good that you have begun; and since you have come into this purgatory for your sins, know that you must act with great courage in this matter and, if you did not, you would lose body and soul for your wickedness. For as soon as we have gone out of this chamber, it will become altogether full of devils who will all in common torment and threaten you and, even worse, will promise to return you back safe and sound and with no danger to the gate through which you have entered, if you wish to believe them, and thus they will assault you to deceive. And if you consent to them for the great harm they do you with torments or fears or threats which they make to you, you will perish in body and soul. And if you believe firmly and put all your care and belief in God, you will be free of all the sins you have committed and you will see the torments which are prepared for sinners to purge their sins and the repose in which the righteous will repose and delight themselves. And be most careful to always have God in remembrance; and when the devils torment you, always call on the name of Our Lord God Jesus Christ for through that name you will always be delivered from all the torments into which you will be put. And with that we commend you to God because we cannot stay longer here.’
And then each one gave me his blessing and went away.