Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

CHAP. XIII. How another contrarywise before his death saw a book containing his sins,
which was shown him by devils. [704-709 A.D.]
BUT contrarywise there was a man in the province of the Mercians, whose visions and words,
but not his manner of life, were of profit to others, though not to himself. In the reign of Coenred,
who succeeded Ethelred, there was a layman who was a king’s thegn, no less acceptable to the king
for his outward industry, than displeasing to him for his neglect of his own soul. The king diligently
admonished him to confess and amend, and to forsake his evil ways, lest he should lose all time
for repentance and amendment by a sudden death. But though frequently warned, he despised the
words of salvation, and promised that he would do penance at some future time. In the meantime,
falling sick he betook himself to his bed, and was tormented with grievous pains. The king coming
to him (for he loved the man much) exhorted him, even then, before death, to repent of his offences.
But he answered that he would not then confess his sins, but would do it when he was recovered
of his sickness, lest his companions should upbraid him with having done that for fear of death,
which he had refused to do in health. He thought he spoke very bravely, but it afterwards appeared
that he had been miserably deceived by the wiles of the Devil.
The disease increasing, when the king came again to visit and instruct him, he cried out
straightway with a lamentable voice, "What will you now? What are you come for? for you can no
longer do aught for my profit or salvation." The king answered, "Say not so; take heed and be of
sound mind." "I am not mad," replied he, "but I now know the worst and have it for certain before
my eyes." "What is that?" said the king. "Not long since," said he, "there came into this room two
fair youths, and sat down by me, the one at my head, and the other at my feet. One of them drew
forth a book most beautiful, but very small, and gave it me to read; looking into it, I there found
all the good actions I had ever done in my life written down, and they were very few and
inconsiderable. They took back the book and said nothing to me. Then, on a sudden, appeared an
army of evil spirits of hideous countenance, and they beset this house without, and sitting down
filled the greater part of it within. Then he, who by the blackness of his gloomy face, and his sitting
above the rest, seemed to be the chief of them, taking out a book terrible to behold, of a monstrous
size, and of almost insupportable weight, commanded one of his followers to bring it to me to read.
Having read it, I found therein most plainly written in hideous characters, all the crimes I ever
committed, not only in word and deed, but even in the least thought; and he said to those glorious
men in white raiment who sat by me, ‘Why sit ye here, since ye know of a surety that this man is
ours?’ They answered, ‘Ye speak truly; take him and lead him away to fill up the measure of your
damnation.’ This said, they forthwith vanished, and two wicked spirits arose, having in their hands
ploughshares, and one of them struck me on the head, and the other on the foot. And these
ploughshares are now with great torment creeping into the inward parts of my body, and as soon
as they meet I shall die, and the devils being ready to snatch me away, I shall be dragged into the
dungeons of hell."
Thus spoke that wretch in his despair, and soon after died, and now in vain suffers in eternal
torments that penance which he failed to suffer for a short time with the fruits of forgiveness. Of
whom it is manifest, that (as the blessed Pope Gregory writes of certain, persons) he did not see
these things for his own sake, since they did not avail him, but for the sake of others, who, knowing
of his end, should be afraid to put off the time of repentance, whilst they have leisure, lest, being
prevented by sudden death, they should perish impenitent. And whereas he saw diverse books laid
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The Venerable Bede
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

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before him by the good and evil spirits, this was done by Divine dispensation, that we may keep
in mind that our deeds and thoughts are not scattered to the winds, but are all kept to be examined
by the Supreme Judge, and will in the end be shown us either by friendly angels or by the enemy.
And whereas the angels first drew forth a white book, and then the devils a black one; the former
a very small one, the latter one very great; it is to be observed, that in his first years he did some
good actions, all which he nevertheless obscured by the evil actions of his youth. If, contrarywise,
he had taken care in his youth to correct the errors of his boyhood, and by well-doing to put them
away from the sight of God, he might have been admitted to the fellowship of those of whom the
Psalm says, "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." This
story, as I learned it of the venerable Bishop Pechthelm, I have thought good to set forth plainly,
for the salvation of such as shall read or hear it.