1317. This mumbling uproar, the noise of their confused grumblings, were of three kinds. One was all around the head, just a mixture of murmurings, and this at some distance round about. I was told this was nothing but the difference of thoughts and of the clashing grumbles breaking out from them, and thus the confusion of the one not knowing what the other thought and knew, like the sound of a large crowd all talking at the same time and about different things, and thus like that of water making somewhat the same sound, to which it is also likened in the Word, I believe [see Luke 21:25, Rev. 14:2].
1317. The tumult of such murmurings or the sound of the confused murmurs was of a threefold kind. One was only a confusion of murmurs around my head in every direction and for some distance round about. I was told that this was only the variation of the thoughts and of the sounds or murmurs bursting forth therefrom; and such was the confusion that one did not know what another thought or what another knew, as is usual with a great multitude all speaking differently and at the same time, and thus sounding almost like water to which, I think, it is also likened in the Word.
1317. Murmurum talium tumultus, seu sonus murmurum confusorum, erant triplicis generis, unum erat 1
circum caput circumquaque, solum confusio murmurum, et quidem ad aliquam distantiam circum, quod mihi dictum, fuisse solum cogitationum et inde erumpentium sonorum seu murmurum variatio, et sic confusio, ut unus non sciret, quid alter cogitaret et sciret, quale solet esse multae turbae simul et varie loquentis, et sic sicut aquae similiter fere sonantis, cui etiam assimilari in Verbo, reor [cf. Luc. 21:25, Apoc. 14:2].
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has erant