[11]     At vērō vir Deī, cum trānsīsset ultrā quasi spatium ūnīus mīliāriī ab illō locō ubi cecidit massa—omnēs quī in illā īnsulā erant occurrērunt ad lītus, portantēs singulī singulās massās. [12] Aliī iactābant post famulōs Chrīstī massās in mare, aliī—alter super alterum—iactābant suam massam, revertentēs in illōrum officīnās, incendentēs eās; [13] et simul appāruit quasi tōta ārsa illa īnsula sīcut ūnus globus, et mare aestuābat sīcut cacabus plēnus carnibus, aestuāns quandō bene ministrātur ab igne.

[14]     Et audiēbant per tōtum diem ingentem ululātum ab illā īnsulā; etiam quandō nōn poterant illam vidēre ad aurēs eōrum attingēbat adhūc ululātus habitantium in illā, atque ad nārēs ingēns fētor. [15] Tunc sānctus pater suōs monachōs cōnfortābat, dīcēns: “Ō mīlitēs Chrīstī, rōborāminī in fide nōn fictā, et in armīs spīritālibus, quia sumus in cōnfīnibus īnfernōrum. Proptereā vigilātē et agite virīliter.”

    Other islanders then appear, all with lumps of burning slag to throw at the ship, and they keep going back to their forges for more ammunition.  The island looks like it's on fire, and the sea around them boils like a pot of boiling meat.The monks can still hear the cries of the islanders, and they smell the stench of the fires.  Brendan urges them to be brave, because they're on the borders of Hell.

    [11] At vērō vir Deī ... ubi cecidit massa: “nominative absolute” or anacolouthon; perhaps the most dramatic example in the Navigatio.

    quasi spatium ūnīus mīliāriī: for the accusative see 23.9.

    [12] alter super alterum: “one on top of other," i.e., “one after the other”; CL would probably be alius super alium. I don’t see the significance of this detail, though it does make the story more vivid.

    iactābant suam massam: we might have expected iactābant suās massās.

    revertentēs in illōrum officīnās, incendentēs eās: they returned to their workshops and restarted or revived the workshop fires.

    [13] sīcut ūnus globus: “like a ball (of fire).”

    bene ministrātur ab igne: CL would be bene ministrātur igne (ablative of means).

    [14] audiēbant: sc. Brendānus et frātrēs.

    ad aurēs ... habitantium in illā: = ululatus habitantium in illā (īnsulā) adhūc attingēbat aurēs eōrum.

    adhūc: is important; even though the island was out of sight, they could still hear the wailing of its inhabitants.

    [15] rōborāminī: probably imperative.

    in cōnfīnibus īnfernōrum: “on the borders of hell”; note Matthew 16.18: “And I say to thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell (portae inferi) shall not prevail against it.”

    spatium spati(ī) n.

    space; expanse (OLD 3)11

    mīliārium –(i)ī n. or
    mīliārius –(i)ī m.

    a thousand paces, a mile (OLD 1c)

    māssa –ae f.

    lump, mass

    litus –ī m.

    besmearment, anointing

    māssa –ae f.

    lump, mass

    iactō iactāre iactāvī iactātus

    to throw through the air, hurl12

    famulus –ī m.

    servant

    Christus –ī m.

    Christ

    māssa –ae f.

    lump, mass

    officīna –ae f.

    workshop

    incendō incendere incendī incensus

    to set on fire, ignite

    globus –ī m.

    any body of a spherical form; a globe13

    aestuō aestuāre aestuāvī aestuātus

    to burn, blaze, boil (intransitive)

    cācabus –ī m.

    cooking pot

    carō carnis f.

    meat, flesh

    aestuō aestuāre aestuāvī aestuātus

    to burn, blaze, boil (intransitive)

    ministrō ministrāre ministrāvī ministrātus

    to tend, attend, serve

    per

    through; by means of (OLD 14)14

    ululātus –ūs m.

    howling, yelling

    attingō attingere attigī attāctus

    to touch

    ululātus –ūs m.

    howling, yelling

    habitō habitāre habitāvī habitātus

    to inhabit

    nāres –ium f. pl.

    the nose, nostrils

    fētor (foetor) –ōris m.

    stench

    monachus –ī m.

    a monk15

    cōnfortō confortāre

    to strengthen much; comfort (LL)

    Christus –ī m.

    Christ

    rōborō –āre –āvī –ātus

    to strengthen

    fīctus –a –um

    feigned

    spīritālis –e

    spiritual, sacred, religious

    quia

    because; that

    confīne –is, n.

    boundary

    inferna –ōrum n. pl.

    the underworld (LL; CL īnfernus, a, um)

    proptereā

    therefore

    vigilō vigilāre vigilāvī vigilātus

    to be awake

    virīliter

    in a manly way

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