Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, Passion of Perpetua and Felicity 4
The blessed Saturus published this vision, which he himself wrote down.
He said: We were suffering, and we left the body behind; four angels began carrying us toward the east without touching us. We were not lying on our backs as we rose, but moving as if we were climbing a gentle slope. Once freed, we immediately saw the first immense light, and I said, ‘Perpetua — for she was at my side — this is what the Lord promised us; we have received the promise.’
While those same four angels were still carrying us, a great space opened before us, like a park filled with rose trees and every kind of flower. The trees stood as tall as cypresses, and their leaves fell without ceasing. In that park four other angels, brighter than the rest, saw us, honored us, and told the other angels, ‘Here they are, here they are,’ with admiration. The four angels who had been carrying us trembled and set us down, and we walked across a broad avenue on foot.
There we found Jocundus, Saturninus, and Artaxius, who had endured the same persecution and were burning alive; we also found Quintus, who had left prison as a martyr. We asked them where the others were, but the angels said to us, ‘Come first, enter, and greet the Lord.’
We approached a place whose walls seemed to be built of light. Four angels stood before its door and clothed those entering in white robes. Once clothed, we entered and saw immense light; we heard a united voice crying, ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ without ceasing. In the center of that place sat one who looked like a man with white hair and a youthful face, whose feet we could not see. Twenty-four elders sat on his right and left, and behind them many others stood. We entered with great awe, stood before the throne, and the four angels lifted us up so we could kiss him; he passed his hand over our faces in blessing. The other elders said, ‘Let us stand.’ We stood and exchanged peace. Then the elders said, ‘Go, and enjoy yourselves.’ I said, ‘Perpetua, you have what you want.’ She replied, ‘Thanks be to God; just as I was cheerful in the flesh, I am even more cheerful here.’
We went out and saw Optatus the bishop on the right and Aspasius the presbyter and teacher on the left, standing before the doors, separated and sad. They threw themselves at our feet and said, ‘Reconcile us, because you have separated from us and left us like this.’ We answered, ‘Are you our father, and are you our presbyter, that you should throw yourselves at our feet?’ We threw ourselves down and embraced them. Perpetua began speaking with them, and we set them apart in the park under a rose tree.
While we were speaking with them, the angels told them, ‘Let them be; let them refresh themselves. If you have any disputes among yourselves, forgive one another,’ and the angels troubled them. They said to Optatus, ‘Correct your people, for they come to you as if returning from the circus and contending in factions.’ It seemed to us as if they wanted to shut the gates. We began to recognize many brothers there, and martyrs as well. All were nourished by an indescribable fragrance that satisfied us. Then, rejoicing, I awoke.
Latin
I. Sed et Saturus benedictus hanc visionem suam edidit, quam ipse conscripsit. « Passi, inquit, eramus, et exivimus de carne, et coepimus ferri a quatuor Angelis in orientem, quorum manus nos non tangebant. Ibamus autem non supini sursum versi, sed quasi mollem clivum ascendentes. Et liberati primam jam vidimus lucem immensam; et dixi: Perpetua (erat enim haec in latere meo), hoc est quod nobis Dominus promittebat: percepimus promissionem. Et dum gestamur ab ipsis quatuor Angelis, factum est nobis spatium grande, quod tale fuit quasi viridarium arbores habens rosae, et omne genus floris. Altitudo autem arborum erat in modum cypressi, quarum folia cadebant sine cessatione. Ibi autem in viridario, alii quatuor Angeli fuerunt clariores caeteris, qui ubi viderunt nos, honorem nobis dederunt, et dixerunt caeteris Angelis: Ecce sunt, ecce sunt; cum admiratione. Et expavescentes quatuor illi Angeli qui gestabant nos, deposuerunt nos: et pedibus nostris transivimus stadium via lata. Ibi invenimus Jocundum et Saturninum et Artaxium qui, eamdem persecutionem passi, vivi arserunt; et Quintum, qui et ipse martyr in carcere exierat; et quaerebamus ab illis ubi essent caeteri. Dixerunt autem nobis Angeli: Venite prius, introite, et salutate Dominum. II. Et venimus prope locum, cujus loci parietes tales erant quasi de luce aedificati; et ante ostium loci illius quatuor Angeli stabant, qui introeuntes vestierunt stolas candidas. Et nos vestiti introivimus, et vidimus lucem immensam, et audivimus vocem unitam dicentium: Agios, agios, agios; sine cessatione. Et vidimus in medio loci illius sedentem quasi hominem canum, niveos habentem capillos et vultu juvenili, cujus pedes non vidimus. Et in dextra et in sinistra seniores viginti quatuor, et post illos caeteri complures stabant. Introivimus cum magna admiratione, et stetimus ante thronum; et quatuor Angeli sublevaverunt nos, et osculati sumus illum, et de manu sua trajecit nobis in facie. Et caeteri seniores dixerunt nobis: Stemus. Et stetimus, et pacem fecimus. Et dixerunt nobis seniores: Ite, et ludite. Et dixi: Perpetua, habes quod vis. Et dixit mihi: Deo gratias, ut, quomodo in carne hilaris fui, hilarior sum et heic modo. III. Et exivimus, et vidimus ante fores Optatum episcopum ad dexteram, et Aspasium presbyterum doctorem ad sinistram, separatos et tristes, et miserunt se ad pedes nobis, et dixerunt nobis: Componite inter nos quia existis, et sic nos reliquistis. Et diximus illis: Non tu es papa noster, et tu presbyter, ut vos ad pedes nostros mittatis? et misimus nos, et complexi illos sumus. Et coepit Perpetua cum illis loqui, et segregavimus eos in viridario sub arbore rosae. Et dum loquimur cum eis, dixerunt illis Angeli: Sinite illos, refrigerent; et si quas habetis inter vos dissensiones, dimittite vobis invicem; et conturbaverunt eos. Et dixerunt Optato: Corrige plebem tuam; quia sic ad te conveniunt quasi de circo redeuntes, et de factionibus certantes. Et sic nobis visum est, quasi vellent claudere portas. Et coepimus illic multos fratres cognoscere, sed et martyres. Universi odore inenarrabili alebamur, qui nos satiabat. Tunc gaudens experrectus sum. »