[7]     Beātus Brendānus coepit interrogāre illum: quis esset, aut prō quā culpā missus esset ibi, seu quid meritī habuit ut tālem poenitentiam sustinēret. [8] Cui ait: “Ego sum īnfēlīcissimus Iūdās atque negōtiātor pessimus. Nōn meritī habeō istum locum, sed misericordiae ineffābilis Iēsu Chrīstī. [9] Nōn mihi computātur poenitentiae locus sed indulgentiae Redēmptōris, propter honōrem Dominicae resurrēctiōnis.” (Nam erat diēs Dominicus tunc.) [10] “Mihi enim vidētur, quandō sedeō hīc, quasi sim in paradīsō dēliciārum, propter timōrem tormentōrum quae futūra sunt mihi in hōc vespere. [11] Nam ārdeō sīcut massa plumbī liquefacta in ōllā, diē ac nocte, in mediō montis quem vīdistis. Ibi est Leviathan cum suīs satellibus. [12] Ibi fuī quandō dēglūtīvit frātrem vestrum, et ideō erat īnfernus laetus, ut ēmīsisset forās flammās ingentēs; et sīc facit semper quandō animās impiōrum dēvorat.

    The man tells Brendan that he is Judas: he sits on the rock thanks to the mercy of Christ, because it is Sunday.  On ordinary days he burns inside the fiery mountain they have just seen (which is Hell); he was actually there when the third brother was swallowed up (in chapter 24); the mountain spewed forth flames when it devoured the sinner, as it always does on such occasions.

    [7] quid meritī: “what fault”; partitive genitive.

    [8] negōtiātor pessimus: Judas is presumably called a “trader” because of the deal he made for his 30 pieces of silver.

    meritī ... misericordiae ineffābilis: genitive of cause (rare in CL; Pinkster, Oxford Latin Syntax 1.906).

    [9] Nōn mihi ... Redēmptōris: = locus mihi computātur nōn poenitentiae sed indulgentiae Redēmptōrispoenitentiae and indulgentiae are dative of purpose, in a double dative construction (AG § 382).  On Sundays and other holy days (25.13) Judas gets to sit on the rock as an act of God’s mercy.

    [11] Nam ārdeō: Judas means that normally he burns; at present he is on a break.

    in mediō montis quem vīdistis: in the volcano, an entrance to Hell; see 23.15.

    Leviathan: i.e., Satan; he is a serpent, rather than a whale, and is identified with the Devil (Isaiah 27.1).

    cum suīs satellibus: Satan’s followers are the fallen angels, appearing on earth as demons (Matthew 12.24; 25.41; Revelation 12.4; 7; 9).

    [12] Ibi fuī quandō dēglūtīvit frātrem vestrum: sc. Leviathan. Judas was in Hell (on a non-respite day) and thus had witnessed the devouring of the monk in chapter 24.

    ideō erat īnfernus laetus: probably “for that reason the underworld was happy,” but possibly “for that reason (Leviathan), in the underworld, is happy,” since īnfernus can also be an adjective.

    prō

    for, on behalf of (prep. + abl.; OLD 3); in view of, to judge from (+ abl.; OLD 16b)7

    mittō mittere mīsī missus

    to send, let go; to thrust; to put (OLD 13)

    meritum meritī n.

    favor, benefit; fault, offense; merit

    paenitentia –ae f.

    repentance, penitence

    īnfēlīx īnfēlīcis

    unfortunate, unhappy8

    Iūdas –ae or
    Iūda (indecl.) m.

    Judas or Judah (name); the tribe of Judah

    negōtiātor –ōris m.

    trader

    meritum meritī n.

    favor, benefit; fault, offense; merit

    prō

    for, on behalf of (prep. + abl.; OLD 3); in view of, to judge from (+ abl.; OLD 16b)

    misericordia misericordiae f.

    pity, mercy

    ineffābilis –e

    unspeakable, wonderful, horrible

    Iēsūs –ū m.

    Jesus (Christ)

    Christus –ī m.

    Christ

    com-putō –āre

    to assign (CL to sum up, reckon, compute)9

    indulgentia –ae f.

    indulgence, fondness

    redēmptor –ōris m.

    a contractor, farmer

    dominicus –a –um

    of or belonging to a lord or master

    resurrectiō –ōnis f.

    resurrection, rising from the dead

    dominicus –a –um

    of or belonging to a lord or master

    paradīsus –ī m.

    Paradise10

    dēlicia dēliciae f. (often plural) or
    delici(ōl)um –ī m.

    charm, delight

    tormentum tormentī n.

    torture; pain, agony

    vesper vesperae (abl. vespere) f.

    evening

    namque

    for in fact11

    māssa –ae f.

    lump, mass

    plumbum plumbī n.

    lead

    liquefaciō –ere –fēcī –factus;
    liquefīō –fierī –factus sum

    dissolve; melt

    ōlla –ae f.

    a pot, jar

    Leviathan

    Leviathan (Biblical sea monster)

    satelles satellitis m.

    supporter, satellite (OLD 2)

    dēgluttiō (dēglūtiō) –īre

    to swallow down12

    īnfernus –ī m.

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

    ēmittō ēmittere ēmīsī ēmīssus

    to send out

    forās

    outside, on the outside

    faciō facere fēcī factus

    to do, make; to act, conduct oneself (OLD 28)

    impius –a –um

    disloyal

    dēvorō dēvorāre dēvorāvī dēvorātus

    to swallow, devour

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