723. About a kind of spirits who do nothing but engage in robberies and commit butcheries
And about the kind who, because of them, seem to themselves to flee to cities, and then dwell in a large city
A kind of roving spirit was shown to me that engages in nothing but plundering and robberies. There first appeared to me a spirit wearing dark blue, and on his head a twisted cap of the same color, like the [headdress] of certain Turks. He came toward me, waving his right hand.
Another spirit then told me that he was fleeing, and was terribly afraid of some who do nothing but search for and find people to torture, put to the sword, torment, burn up with fire, boil, and who cruelly maltreat all whom they come across. But about this spirit who waved his hand, he said that such a one usually appears to them, warning them to beware of those robbers, because they are then near at hand.
723. CONCERNING A CERTAIN GENUS OF SPIRITS WHO PRACTICE NOTHING BUT ROBBERIES AND COMMIT BUTCHERIES. AND CONCERNING THOSE OF THE SAME GENUS WHO THEREFORE SEEM TO THEMSELVES TO FLEE INTO CITIES AND SO THEY DWELL IN A GREAT CITY
There was shown me a genus of wandering spirits who do nothing but commit depredations and robberies. There first appeared to me a spirit clothed in dark blue with a twisted cap of the same color upon his head, such as certain Turks wear. He came to me and shook his right hand. Another spirit then said to me that he must flee, and that he very greatly feared those who do nothing but seek men, and when they find them, torture, slay with the sword, torment, burn with fire, boil, and cruelly treat all whom they meet. But he said in regard to him who shook his hand, that such a one is wont to appear to them and admonish them to beware of those robbers, for they are then at hand.
723. De genere quodam spirituum, qui nihil nisi latrocinia exercent, et lanienas committunt
Deque iis ejus generis, qui ideo in urbes confugere sibi videntur, et sic in urbe magna habitant
Mihi ostensum est genus spirituum circumvagantium, qui nihil nisi rapinas et latrocinia committunt, et primum apparuit mihi spiritus indutus nigro coeruleo, et super caput convoluto pileo, sicut Turcarum quorundam, similis coloris, is venit ad me et dextram manum vibrabat; alius spiritus mihi tunc dicebat, quod fugeret, ac timeret maximopere eos qui nihil aliud quaerunt et 1
quando offendunt, faciunt-quam 2
quod homines torqueant, gladio interficiant 3
, crucient, ignibus crement 4
, coquant, et crudeliter tractent 5
omnes, si quendam offendunt, sed de hoc qui vibrabat manum, dixit, quod talis soleat apparere iis, et admonere ut sibi caveant a latronibus istis, quia tunc prope esse 6
.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has quaerunt, et
2. The Manuscript has faciut (sic!), quam
3. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has interficiunt
4. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has cremant
5. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has tractant
6. hoc est [eos] tunc prope esse [ait]