[81]. tellen: RT omit. þer towart, lit. in that direction, i. e. concerning that matter: mostly used in local sense as ‘buhen þertoward,’ SK 1473. In l. 83 it means thereto. readien, discourse: rodien R, reoden T: W reads reordin.
[82 ff.] The details in this and similar descriptions, as VV 17-19, are ultimately derived from the Visions literature; see Introduction to piece X. The main divisions here correspond exactly to those in AR 144; ‘þe seoruwe of helle, þer bihold þreo þinges—þe untaleliche pinen þet no tunge ne mei tellen (comp. 119/85)—þe echenesse of euerichon, þet lesteð wiðuten ende (comp. 120/106-8)—þe unimete bitternesse of euerichon’ (comp. 120/108-112).
[82]. [wid]: supplied from T, not in R. ‘Infernus latus est sine mensura, profundus sine fundo, plenus ardore incomparabili (‘uneuenlich’), plenus foetore intolerabili (‘unþolelich’), plenus dolore innumerabili’ (‘untalelich’), V 208 d. wið ute grunde: comp. 40/178.
[83]. uneuenlich: comp. ‘al so ase heo (blisse) is unefenlich to alle worldes blissen, al so heo is untalelich to alle worldliche tungen,’ AR 410/11. R has unwerilich.
[85]. ne mei &c.: comp. 46/285, 126/303; ‘ne mahte hit na mon rikenin ne tellen,’ SJ 50/4.
[88]. smeke: smoke RT. smeche forcuðest, vilest of fumes, but RT have smecche, of flavours (smæcc); comp. ‘þreaste smeorðrinde smoke ut smecche forcuðest,’ SM 9/6. The adjective is everywhere else used of moral worthlessness; comp. 26/253.
[90]. alles cunnes pinen: see 81/80.
[91]. ase deoflen: R has as þe deoulen, which is preferable.
[94]. For bute bote T has unbotelich, a rare word, but ‘unboteliche lure,’ HM 17/25. The combination of bote and bale is very common; see Minot i. 4 note. as—weren belongs to hal. ful—grure, and unmistakably they see themselves terrible and awful. grisle . . . grure: comp. 56/40, 120/122, 121/131; ‘þet grisliche word ⁊ grureful ouer alle,’ AR 306/5; ‘grislich ⁊ grureful uorto biholden,’ id. 242/12.
[95]. froggen: T has froden: see [46/273 note].