悪魔の騎士を無惨に苦しめし様。 How the demons grievously afflicted the knight.
一人残れる騎士、この新種の闘争に備え気構え為せり。騎士の勇気を奮い立たすやいなや、建物の周りに物音烈しく、まるでこの世のすべての人や獣が一緒になって騒いでいるかのような。その騒ぎの後、醜い悪魔の恐るべき幻影現る、嘲笑いつつ騎士に話しかけて曰く。
「我等に仕える他の者たちは、おのが死を待って来るというのに、汝はこの主等を甚だ尊敬すればこそ、まだ生きているうちに、魂も肉体も我等が処に来るならん。罪の罰でも受けに参るや？我等の間では、苦難と悲しみしかあるまいに。しかし汝、我等にひたむき仕える以上、もし汝にして来た扉から戻らんと望むなら、汝を無傷にてそこへ案内せん。さすれば、再びこの世のあらゆる楽しみ味わえん。」
かく悪魔ども話したり、脅しまた誘惑により惑わさんとするも、キリストの兵士は脅しに怯えも、誘惑に惑わされもせず、耳貸さず、侮り、一言も答えず。悪魔ども侮られしを憤慨し、広間に大いなる火を燃やし、騎士の手足を掴み中に投げ入れ、鉄の鉤にて前後左右に引きずりつつ火中進めり。初めて責め苦を感じるや、救い主イエスの名を呼ばわり叫びき、「救い主イエスよ、憐れみ給え！」と。この名に於て火は消え、火種一つも残らず。これを目の当たりにせる騎士、もはや悪魔を恐れず。救い主の御名により、連中の打ち負かさるを見れば也。
The knight, therefore, was left alone, and prepared his mind for this new kind of conflict. He had no sooner wrought up his soul to courage, than a noise was heard around the building, as if all the men in the world, with the animals and beasts, were making it, and after this noise came a terrible apparition of ugly demons, of which an immense multitude rushed into the hall, and in derision addressed the knight: “Other men,”said they,“who serve us, are content to wait till they are dead, before they come, but you honour this company of your masters so much that you come to us, soul and body, whilst you are still alive; are you come to receive punishment for your sins? You will have nothing but affliction and sorrow among us; but as you are so zealous a servant to us, if you wish to return through the door by which you came in, we will conduct you thither unharmed, that you may again enjoy yourself in the world, and all its pleasures.”
Thus spoke the demons, wishing to deceive him either by threats or blandishments, but Christ’s soldier was neither terrified by their threats nor seduced by their blandishments: he turned a deaf ear to them, and contemptuously answered them not a word. The demons, indignant at being treated with contempt, kindled a large fire in the hall, and, seizing the knight by his arms and legs, threw him into the midst of it, dragging him with iron hooks backwards and forwards through the fire. When he first felt the torture, he called on the name of Jesus Christ, saying,“Jesus Christ, have mercy upon him!” At this name the fire was put out, so that not a spark remained, and the knight, perceiving this, no longer feared them, because he saw that they were vanquished by the name of Christ.
