Edition Hide
De lapsis (PL)

XXIV.

Unus ex his qui sponte Capitolium negaturus ascendit, postquam Christum negavit obmutuit. Poena inde coepit unde coepit et crimen; ut nec rogare jam posset qui verba ad precum misericordiam non haberet. Alia in balneis constituta (hoc enim crimini [Col. 0484C] ejus et malis deerat, ut et ad balneas statim pergeret quae lavacri vitalis gratiam perdidisset), illic ab immundo spiritu immunda correpta, laniavit dentibus linguam qua fuerat vel pasta impie vel locuta. Postquam sceleratus cibus sumptus est, in perniciem suam rabies oris armata est. Ipsa sui carnifex exstitit, nec diu superesse postmodum potuit: doloribus ventris et viscerum cruciata, defecit.

Translation Hide
On the Lapsed

24.

One of those who of his own will ascended the Capitol to make denial, after he had denied Christ, became dumb. The punishment began from that point whence the crime also began; ¹ so that now he could not ask, since he had no words for entreating mercy. ² Another, who was in the baths, (for this was wanting to her crime and to her misfortunes, that she even went at once to the baths, when she had lost the grace of the laver of life); there, unclean as she was, was seized by an unclean spirit, ³ and tore with her teeth the tongue with which she had either impiously eaten or spoken. After the wicked food had been taken, the madness of the mouth was armed to its own destruction. She herself was her own executioner, nor did she long continue to live afterwards: tortured with pangs of the belly and bowels, she expired.