231、对此，我补充三个记事。记事一：
有一次，我听到低下传来一些叫嚷声，仿佛通过水流咕噜咕噜涌上来。只听见左边那道叫嚷声喊着说：“哦，多么公正！”右边那道喊着说：“哦，多么有学问！”第三道在我身后，喊着说：“哦，多么有智慧！”我不禁想，难道地狱也有公正、学问和智慧？我忍不住想去看看那里是否有这样的人。便有声音从天上传来，对我说：“你必看到、听到。”于是，我在灵里离开家，看到我面前的地上有一个开口。我走过去往里一瞧，见有一个梯子。我顺着梯子下来，到了底部，看到平原长满灌木，其中夹杂着荆棘和荨麻。我问这里是不是地狱，他们说：“这是低地，就在地狱正上方。”我依次循声而去，先来到喊“哦，多么公正”的地方。只见这里聚集着一群人，他们在世时是凭偏袒和贿赂判案的法官；然后又来到喊“哦，多么有学问”的地方，发现所聚集的这群人在世时喜欢逻辑推理；最后来到喊“哦，多么有智慧”的地方，发现所聚集的这群人在世时热衷于证明一切。
我从此处返回发出第一道喊声处，也就是凭偏袒和贿赂判案、却被誉为“公正”的法官所在的地方。只见一侧有一座砖砌的圆形剧场，屋顶是用黑瓷砖盖的。我被告知，这是他们的法庭。剧场北边有三个入口，西边有三个入口，而南边和东边一个入口也没有。这表明他们的判决并不公正，而是武断的。剧场中间有一个壁炉，炉边的仆人正往炉内扔粘满硫磺和沥青的原木。摇曳的火光映照在灰泥墙上，呈现出晚上和黑夜的鸟类形像。这壁炉和投射这些形像的摇曳火光表现了他们的判决，暗示他们能以虚假的色彩描画问题的真相，使其看上去有利于他们所偏袒的那一方。
半小时后，我看到一些穿着礼袍和长外衣的年长者和年轻人进来了。他们摘下帽子，在桌旁各就各位进行审判。然后，我听见并发觉他们如何娴熟巧妙地倾向所偏袒的那一方，并扭曲他们的判决，使它们看似公正；甚至到了连他们本人也觉得不公正就是公正，公正反而成了不公正的地步。他们的这种错觉能从他们脸上看出来，也能从他们说话的语气听出来。凭天堂所赋予的启示，我能察觉每个要点是否有效。然后，我目睹了他们如何热情地沉浸于不公，并赋予它公正的表象，拣选对其有利的法律条文，通过巧妙的推理诱使其他人站在他们这一边。作出判决后，法官们将其传达给他们外边的当事人、朋友和支持者；而这些人为回报他们的偏袒，就大声喊着说：“哦，多么公正！哦，多么公正！”声音在街上传得很远。
这事过后，我与天上来的一些天使谈到这些法官，将我的所见所闻告诉他们。天使说：“在其他人看来，这类法官看似具有敏锐的理解力；而事实上，他们看不到一丁点公正与公平。若拿走他们的偏袒，他们坐在审判席上就和雕像一样哑口无言，只会说：‘我同意，我赞同这个或那个判决。’原因在于，他们所有的判决都基于偏见，案子自始至终都充满偏见和偏袒。所以，他们只看有利于他们朋友的东西；凡反对他的东西，他们则一概搁置，即便又拾起来，也是将其卷入争论，就像蜘蛛用蛛网缠住并吞食猎物那样。正因如此，若非落入他们偏见的蛛网，他们就看不到任何有效的要点。他们接受过测试，以查看他们能否找到有效点，结果发现他们不能。你们世界的居民对此会感到惊讶，但你可以告诉他们，这是被天上的天使所检验过的真理。由于这些法官无法看到任何公正，所以我们在天上并不把他们看作人，而是看作人形的怪物；他们的头是偏袒，胸是不公，手和脚是证据，脚底是公正。因此，若公正不利于他们的朋友，他们就会把它踩在脚底下，并践踏它。不过，你很快会看到，从天上观之，他们在我们眼里是何模样，因为他们的结局近了。”
看哪，就在这时，地面突然裂开了，桌子接连倒下。这些法官，连同整个剧场都被吞没了。他们被扔进洞穴的监牢中。然后，天使对我说：“你想看看他们在那里的情况吗？”看呀，他们的脸就像抛过光的钢；他们的身体从脖子到腰就像穿着豹皮的石雕；他们的脚则像蛇。我还发现，他们曾搁在桌子上的法律书籍变成了扑克牌。他们现在的任务不再是坐着审判，而是将朱红色的颜料制成胭脂，涂在娼妓的脸上，从而把她们变成美人。
看完这一幕，我想去造访其它两组人：一组是逻辑贩子，另一组是证明贩子。但天使对我说：“等一下，在他们上方、离他们最近的社群会派天使护送你。在他们的帮助下，你会从主得到启示，还将看到令人震惊的景象。”
231、在此我要做以下三段陈述：
第一：有一次我听到一阵喧闹声，好象是水中传出的欢笑声。我听到左边喊道：“多公正啊”，右边喊道：“我渊博啊”，又有一个声音喊道：“多有才智阿”，听到此我不禁想在地狱中也会有公正，渊博和智慧？正在我疑惑时，听到天国传来的声时，“你会看到并听到的。”
所以我又处于精神状态离开了家。只见面前的地面张开了。我走过去向看去，只见里面有一段台阶，我沿着它走到底部，只见地上长满了带刺的树木。我问是否我处于地狱中，人们告诉我这里是地狱之上的一层。
我于是朝着喊着公正的方向走去，只见那里聚集着在世间时曾经徇私的法官；在喊着渊博的方向聚集着在世间时是推理者的人；在喊首多有才智的方向聚集着在世间时有确认态度的人。
在第一群人那里我看到一个大厅，它被叫做法庭。是用砖建的，黑色的屋顶。在北边有三个门，在西边有三个门。而南边和东边却没有，这暗示着这里所做的裁判并不是公正的。
在里边，大厅中间有个壁炉，有人正向里面扔粘满硫磺和沥青的火炬，烟从烟囱中喷出，在墙上映出夜间的鸟的形象。这些烟映出的轮廓，象征着这里的审判会被涂上阴影。
半小时后，我看到一群穿着长袍的年长者和年轻人，他们坐在法官的位置上。我之后目睹了他们是何等的巧妙地掩盖他们的舞弊，使其看上去好象很公正。他们甚至发誓，公正的变得不公正，不公正的反而变得公正。但在他们的脸上和言语中可以看到他们是黑白颠倒。
我那时受到来自天堂的启示，使得我能够看到他们是否是在遵守法律而进行裁判。我看到他们想方设法地从法律中找出有利于他们的内容并极力回避不利于他们的内容。
审判后，法官公布判决，他们的当事人及其朋友，支持者就会在远处喊到多么公平啊。
之后我和天使谈到了这些见闻，天使说那些法官只是表面上装做热情明智，其实他们完全不知道什么是公正和公平。
“他们若不偏袒一方，则他们无法继续审判。他们的审判都是事先有判断的，他们总是偏袒朋友所在的一方，谁若反对他们，他们就会象蜘蛛一样用线将猎物缠住。
“这样，他们若不去遵循他们自己事先布好的网，他们则对法律一无所知。世间的人可能认为这很令人吃惊，但这却是真实情况。”
天使又说：“因为这些法官丝毫不知什么是正义，我们不认为他们是人，而是种怪物。他们的头脑中充满党羽成份，胸中充满非正义成份，只有脚底才是由正义的成份构成的，但这却被踩在脚底。”
“然而，对于我们天使来讲，他们的末日就要到了。”
突然间，地开了，这些法官的桌子塌了，他们被投入地狱中。
天使又问：“你想看看，他们现在如何呢？”
只见那些法官的脸好象是磨亮的钢一样。躯干好象是石刻的，穿着豹皮。他们的脚象是蛇。他们的法律书籍则变成了扑克牌样的东西，他们也不再是法官，而是用染料做化妆品，为妓女们涂脸用。
此后，我准备去另外两个地方，但天使说：“等一下，你将会有在那些地方之上的天使带着去。他们将会给你带去主的启示，你将会看到令人震惊的景象。”
231. I shall add here three accounts of experiences, of which this is the first.
I once heard some shouting, which welled up from the lower regions as if through water. One shout on the left was 'How just!'; another on the right 'How learned!'; and a third behind me 'How wise!' This made me wonder whether even in hell there were just, learned and wise people; and I had a strong desire to see whether there were such people there. A voice from heaven told me: 'You will see and hear.'
Then I left home in the spirit and saw in front of me an opening in the ground; on approaching and looking into it I saw steps, so I went down. When I reached the lower level, I saw plains overgrown with bushes mixed with thorns and nettles. I asked whether this was hell. 'It is the lower earth,' they said, 'just above hell.' Then I went towards each of the shouts in turn, first to that of 'How just!' There I saw a gathering of those who in the world had been judges influenced by partiality and bribery. Then I went towards the second shout 'How learned!' and saw a gathering of those who in the world had been fond of logic; and then to the third shout 'How wise!' and saw a gathering of those who in the world had been keen to prove everything.
[2] But I left the others and went back to the first group, the judges influenced by partiality and bribery, those who were being hailed as just. On one side I saw a sort of amphitheatre built of bricks and roofed with black tiles; I was told it was their court-house. It had three entrances on the north side, and three on the west, but none on the south or east sides; this was an indication that their judgments were not equitable, but arbitrary. In the middle of the amphitheatre was to be seen a hearth, on which stokers threw torches dipped in sulphur and full of pitch. Their light projected onto the plastered walls produced pictures of birds of the evening and night. But the hearth and the flickering light projected from it to form these pictures were representations of their judgments, indicating their ability to depict the truth of any question in false colours and make it look favourable to the side they preferred.
[3] Half an hour later I saw some old and young men in robes and gowns filing in; they took off their hats and sat down on chairs at the tables to hold a session. As I listened I realised with what skill and ingenuity they leaned towards the side they favoured, and twisted their judgments to make them appear equitable. Indeed they went so far that they themselves could see injustice as just and justice instead as unjust. It could be seen from their faces and heard in the sound of their voices that they had such delusions. Then I was granted enlightenment from heaven, so that I was able to grasp whether each point was valid or not. I then saw how zealously they wrapped up injustice and gave it the appearance of justice, selecting from the laws the one which suited their case, and using clever arguments to set the rest aside. When judgment had been passed, their sentences were relayed to their clients, friends and supporters outside, and they, to repay the favour shown them, went off far down the street crying 'How just, how just!'
[4] After this I talked about these judges to some angels from heaven, and told them some of what I had seen and heard. The angels said that such judges appear to others to be endowed with the sharpest powers of understanding, when in fact they are unable to see a grain of justice and equity. 'If you take away their partiality,' they said, 'they sit in court as dumb as statues, and only say, "I agree, I concur with the judgment of so-and-so or so-and-so." The reason is that all their judgments are based on prejudice, and prejudice treats the case from beginning to end with partiality. Consequently they can see no other side than their friend's; if anything comes to oppose it, they set it aside. If they do take the opposing point up again, they entangle it in arguments, like a spider's web wrapped around its prey, and swallow it. So it is that they cannot see any point as valid, unless it fits into the web of their prejudice. They were tested to see whether they could, and were found to be unable. The inhabitants of your world will be astonished that this is so, but you can tell them that this is a true statement which has been checked by angels from heaven. Since these judges cannot see any justice, we in heaven do not regard them as human beings, but as monstrous effigies of people, their heads made of partiality, their chest of injustice, their hands and feet of proofs and the soles of their feet of justice, so that, if this does not support their friend's case, they can tread it underfoot and trample on it. What they are really like to us from heaven you are going to see, since their end is at hand.'
[5] Then suddenly the earth split open, tables fell one on another, and the people together with the whole amphitheatre were swallowed up and thrown into prison in caves. Then I was asked whether I wanted to see them there. They appeared to have faces of polished steel, their bodies from neck to loins like carvings of stone dressed in leopard skins, and feet like snakes. I saw that the law books, which they had placed on the tables, had turned into playing cards; and now instead of delivering judgments the task assigned to them was to make vermilion into rouge, to daub on the faces of prostitutes and make them look like beauties.
[6] After seeing this I wanted to visit the other two groups, the one which consisted of people fond of nothing but logic, and the other of those who wanted to prove everything. 'Wait a bit,' I was told, 'and you will be given an escort of angels from the community closest above them. By their help enlightenment will come to you from the Lord, and you will see astonishing sights.'
231. To this I will append three narrative accounts. Here is the first:
I once heard some clamorings from below, which sounded as though they were gurgling up through water. I heard one clamor to the left crying, "Oh, how just!" Another to the right crying, "Oh, how learned!" And a third one behind me crying, "Oh, how wise!" Then, because it struck me to wonder whether there are any just, learned or wise people in hell, I began to feel a wish to see if people of this sort might be found there; and it was told me from heaven, "You will both see and hear."
So I left home in the spirit, and I saw in the ground before me an opening. I went over to it and looked down, and behold, it had a stairway in it. I went down this stairway, and when I reached the bottom, I saw fields covered with bushes intermixed with thorns and nettles. When I asked whether I was in hell, the people said it was a lower earth just above hell.
I then proceeded in the direction of each of the clamors in turn. Going first to the place where they were crying, "Oh, how just!" I saw a gathering of people who in the world had been judges swayed by partiality and gifts. Going next to the place where they were crying, "Oh, how learned!" I saw a gathering of people who in the world had been reasoners. And going third to the place where they were crying, "Oh, how wise!" I saw a gathering of people who in the world had been confirmers.
[2] I turned back from these, however, to the first place, where the judges were who were swayed by partiality and gifts and who were proclaimed as just. There, over to one side, I saw a kind of amphitheater, built out of bricks and having a roof of black tiles; and I was told that they called it the Tribunal. It had three entrances opening into it on the north side, and three more on the west side, but none on the south or east sides - an indication that their judgments were not judgments having to do with justice but arbitrary rulings.
Inside I saw in the middle of the amphitheater a fireplace, into which the keepers of the hearth were throwing torches covered with sulfur and pitch. Shafts of light flickered out from these on to the plastered walls and formed silhouetted images of birds of the evening and night. At the same time, this fireplace, and the shafts of light flickering out into silhouettes of these images, were representations of their judgments, reflecting their ability to illumine the issues in any case with colored hues and to shape them as they pleased.
[3] After a half-hour had passed, I saw some older and younger men entering in gowns and robes; and laying aside their caps, they seated themselves at tables, ready to sit in judgment. I then heard and observed how skillfully and cleverly they avoided any appearance of favoritism, turning their judgments into semblances of justice, and this to the point that they themselves viewed injustice as nothing other than just, and justice, conversely, as unjust. Their persuasions in regard to these matters were apparent to the eye from their faces and discernible to the ear from their comments.
I was given at that point enlightenment from heaven, which enabled me to perceive in each case whether the rulings were in accordance with the law or not; and I saw to what lengths they went to camouflage injustice and give it the guise of justice, picking out from the laws some one that might support them and drawing the rest to their side through clever reasonings.
After rendering their judgments, the judges would have their verdicts conveyed out to their clients, friends and supporters; and to repay them for their favor, these would cry out for some distance along the road, "Oh, how just! Oh, how just!"
[4] I afterwards spoke with angels of heaven about these events and told them some of the things I had seen and heard. The angels said to me that judges like that appear to others as though endowed with an exceptional keenness of understanding, when in fact they do not have the least inkling of what is just and fair.
"If you take away their partiality for one side or the other," they said, "they sit on their benches as mute as statues, saying only, I agree, I go along with this person or I go along with that person. That is because all their judgments are prejudgments, and their prejudgment pursues each case from beginning to end with a biased one-sidedness. Consequently they see only the side which involves a friend. Every point that is against him they move to the periphery; and if they take it up again, they entangle it in reasonings, as a spider does its prey in the threads of its web - and so destroy it.
"That is why, if they do not follow the web of some prejudgment of theirs, they do not have any inkling of the law. They have been examined to see whether they might have some inkling of it, and it was found that they did not. The inhabitants of your world will be surprised that such is the case, but tell them it is a truth investigated by angels of heaven.
"Since these judges lack any sight of justice," they continued, "in heaven we view them as being not human but monsters, whose heads are shaped by elements of partisanship, their breasts by elements of injustice, and their feet by matters of confirmation - with only the soles of their feet being formed by matters of justice, which they step on and trample into the ground if these do not favor some friend of theirs.
"However, you will see for yourself how they look to us from heaven, for their end is near."
[5] And lo, suddenly then the ground opened, so that tables after tables went tumbling down, and they and their whole amphitheater were swallowed up. And they were cast into caverns and made prisoners there.
Then the angels said to me, "Would you like to see them now?"
And behold, in respect to their faces they appeared as though made of burnished steel. In respect to their bodies from the neck to the loins they looked like figures carved out of stone, dressed in leopard skins. And in respect to their feet they looked like serpents. I also saw the lawbooks, which they had had lying on their tables, turned into playing cards. And now, instead of judging, they were given the task of processing pigments into cosmetics with which to paint the faces of harlots and so turn them into beauties.
[6] After seeing this, I was ready to go on to the other two gatherings, to the one where the people were merely reasoners, and to the other where they were merely confirmers. But at that point the angels said to me, "Rest a while. You will be given angels from the society just above those places to accompany you. Through them you will receive light from the Lord, and you will see some astonishing sights."
231. Three stories are added to these remarks. The first is this.
Once I heard outcries that were gurgling up from below as if through water - one to the left, "Oh, how just!" another to the right, "Oh, how learned!" and another behind me, "Oh, how wise!"
It occurred to me to wonder if there are also just, learned, and wise people in hell, so I wanted to see if people like that are there, and a voice from the sky told me, "You shall see and you shall hear."
I went out of the house, in spirit, and saw an opening in front of me. I went to it and looked down, and there I saw steps. I went down them. When I was down below I saw flatlands planted full of trees mixed with thorns and nettles.
I asked if this was hell.
They told me, "It's a lower land that is just above hell."
Then I went ahead, following the outcries one at a time, to the first, "Oh, how just!" where I saw a group of people who in the world had been judges influenced by friendship and bribes, then to the second outcry, "Oh, how learned!" where I saw a group of people who in the world had been reasoners, and the third outcry, "Oh, how wise!" where I saw a group of people who in the world had been provers.
I turned back from these to the first group, who were judges influenced by friendship and bribes, and who were pronounced
"just." I saw on one side something like an amphitheater built of bricks and roofed with black tiles. I was told that they called it the Judgment Seat. There were three entrances into it on the north side and three on the west side but none on the south and east.
This indicated that their decisions had nothing to do with justice but were arbitrary.
In the middle of the amphitheater was a hearth that the hearth attendants were throwing sulfur and pitch torches into. The flickering light from them threw on the plastered walls images of evening and night birds. The hearth and the flashes of light from it in shapes of those images represented their decisions. They could tint the matter of any issue with deceptive coloration and impose on it any form they chose.
After half an hour I saw old and young men in robes and cloaks come in. They took off their caps and sat down on chairs at tables, to sit in judgment. Then I heard and saw how skillfully and ingeniously they bent justice and turned it upside down into an appearance of justice, in consideration of friendship. They did it to the point where they could not see that injustice was any different than justice and they saw justice as injustice. Their belief in things like this showed on their faces and could be heard in their speech.
Then I was given enlightenment from heaven, by which I could tell whether each case was just or unjust, and I saw how purposefully they covered injustice over and gave it the appearance of justice. They selected the favorable laws, and they brought the other people over to their side through skillful reasoning.
After deliberation the sentences were delivered to the clients, who were their friends and patrons, and these went a long way shouting, "Oh, how just! Oh, how just!" to pay back the favor.
After this I spoke about them with angels of heaven and told them something of what I saw and heard. The angels told me that judges like that seem to others to be gifted with incisive intellectual brilliance, when in fact they see nothing at all of what is just and fair. "If you take away friendship for someone, they sit in judgment as mute as statues and just say, 'I assent. I agree with this or that.'
The reason is that all their judgments are prejudices, and prejudice dogs the case from beginning to end. So they see nothing but what favors their friend. Everything against him they set aside, and if they do take it up again they wrap it up in reasonings, as the spider wraps her prey in strands, and eat it up. This is why they see nothing of justice unless they follow the web of their prejudice. They've been investigated to see if they can see justice and were found not to. The inhabitants of your world will be surprised that this is so, but tell them this is a truth that angels of heaven found out.
"In heaven we view them as monsters, not people, because they have no vision of justice - monsters with heads made of what has to do with friendships, chests of what has to do with injustice, feet of what has to do with giving proofs, and soles of what has to do with the justice that they push aside and walk on if it doesn't favor a friend. But you're about to see what they look like from heaven, for their end is near."
Then the earth suddenly opened up! Tables tumbled on tables, and the judges were all swallowed up along with the whole amphitheater and thrown into caverns and imprisoned.
Then someone said to me, "Do you want to see them there?"
And I did see them - with faces like polished steel, with bodies from the neck to the waist as if carved from stone and dressed in panther skins, and with feet like snakes. And I saw the law books that they had placed on the tables turned into playing cards. And now in place of judging they were given the job of making red lead into a dye to daub the faces of prostitutes with and turn them into beauties.
After I saw these things I wanted to go to the other two groups - the one where the mere reasoners were and the other, where the mere provers were. And then someone told me, "Take a little rest. You'll be given angels from a community right above them, as companions. Through them you'll get light from the Lord, and you'll see remarkable things."
231. To the above shall be added three Memorable Relations. The First:
I once heard shouts which gurgled up from the lower regions as though through water; one on the left, OH, HOW JUST! another on the right, OH, HOW LEARNED! and a third from behind, OH, HOW WISE! And because I fell to thinking as to whether there were just, learned, and wise men even in hell, I felt a desire to see whether there are such men there. It was then said to me out of heaven, "You shall see and hear." In spirit I then went out of the house and saw before me an open hole. Drawing near, I looked down it and lo, a ladder. Descending by this, I saw at the bottom plains overgrown with trees intermingled with thorns and nettles, and I asked whether this was hell. They said, "It is the lower earth which is next above hell."
Following the cries in order, I then went to the first cry, OH, HOW JUST! and saw an assembly of those who in the world had been judges with an eye to friendship and bribes; then to the second cry, OH, HOW LEARNED! and saw an assembly of those who in the world had been reasoners; then to the third cry, OH, HOW WISE! and saw an assembly of those who in the world had been confirmers.
[2] From the latter I turned back to the first cry, where were judges with an eye to friendship and bribes who were being proclaimed as just. At one side I saw something like an amphitheater built of brick and roofed over with black tiles, and it was told me that they called it the Tribunal. It had three entrances on the north side and three on the west, but none on the south side or on the east, a sign that their judgments were not judgments of justice but arbitrary decisions. In the middle of the amphitheater was seen a fire-place, into which the servants of the hearth were throwing logs full of sulfur and pitch, the flickering lights from which presented on the plastered walls pictured images of birds of evening and night. This fire-place and the flickerings of the light into the forms of these images were representations of their judgments, in that they could illumine the facts of any case with colored paints, and induce upon them appearances in accordance with their inclinations.
[3] After half an hour, I saw men, old and young, enter, wearing long robes and cloaks. Putting off their caps, they took their seats at the tables to sit in judgment. I then heard and perceived how, with a view to friendship, they skillfully and ingeniously bent and twisted their judgments into the appearance of justice, and this even to the point that they themselves viewed what was unjust no otherwise than as just, and conversely, what was just as unjust. Their persuasions in these respects were apparent from their faces, and they came to the ear from their speeches. From the enlightenment which was then given me from heaven, I perceived the several judgments, as to whether or not they were judgments of justice; and I saw how assiduously they covered over what was unjust and induced upon it the appearance of what is just; and how they selected from the laws one that favored them and, by skilful reasonings, forced the others to their side. Following the judgments, the decisions were conveyed outside to the judges' clients, friends, and favorers, and these, in return for their favors, were shouting all along a lengthy road, OH, HOW JUST! OH, HOW JUST!
[4] After this, I spoke of the matter with angels of heaven, telling them something of what I had seen and heard; and the angels said: "Such judges appear to others as gifted with the most penetrating acuteness of understanding, when yet they do not see the least thing of what is just and equitable. If you take away their friendship for a party in a suit, they sit in judgment mute as statues and say merely "I agree, I adjust myself to this or that judgment." The reason is because all their judgments are prejudices, and prejudice together with favor follows the case from beginning to end. Hence they see nothing but what favors their friend. Everything which is against him they set aside, and if they again take it up, they involve it in reasonings, as a spider its captives in the threads of its web, and distort it. 1Hence it is that, when not following the thread of their prejudice, they see nothing of justice. They have been explored as to whether they can, and it was found that they cannot. The inhabitants of your world will wonder at this, but tell them that it is a truth explored by angels of heaven. Because these judges see nothing of what is just, we in heaven view them, not as men, but as monsters whose heads are made of matters of friendship, their bodies of matters of injustice, their feet of matters of confirmation, and the soles of their feet of matters of justice; and if the latter do not favor their friend, they throw them to the ground and trample them under foot. But you yourself will see how they appear to us from heaven, for their end is at hand."
[5] Then, behold, the ground suddenly yawned open, the tables fell one upon another, and the judges together with the whole amphitheater were swallowed up and cast into caverns and imprisoned.
The angels then said to me, "Do you wish to see them there?" And lo, they were seen with faces as of polished steel, their bodies from the neck to the loins like sculptures carved of stone and dressed in leopard skins, and their feet like serpents. And I saw the law-books which they had laid upon the tables, turned to playing-cards. Instead of sitting in judgment, they are now given the task of making vermilion into rouge, wherewith to deck the faces of harlots and thus transform them into beauties.
[6] After seeing this, I wished to go to the two other assemblies the one where they were mere reasoners and the other where they were mere confirmers, but it was told me, "Rest a while; angel companions will be given you from the society next above them. Through these, light will be given you by the Lord and you will see marvels."
Footnotes:
1. The Latin is et consumunt (and consume it), but this plainly refers to the spider and the fly.
231. We append three Memorabilia. 1
I
I once heard outcries which seemed to gurgle up from the lower regions through water - a shout on the left, "Oh, how just!" another on the right, "Oh, how learned!" and a third from behind, "Oh, how wise!" My thought halted at the idea of any just, learned, and wise in hell, and I wanted to see whether there were any. I was told from heaven, "You shall see and hear."
In the spirit I left the house, and saw an opening in the ground before me. I went to it and looked down, and lo! a ladder. By this I descended, and reaching the bottom, I saw level plains covered with shrubs, with which thorns and nettles were mixed. I asked if this was hell.
I was told that it was the lower earth next above hell.
I made my way to the outcries in turn. I came to the first, "Oh, how just!" and saw a company of men who had been judges in the world for friendship and gifts; then to the second, "Oh, how learned!" and saw a group of men who in the world had been reasoners; and to the third cry, "Oh, how wise!" and saw a company of men who in the world had been confirmers.
[2] But I turned back to the first outcry where were the judges for friendship and gifts, who were proclaimed to be just. To one side I saw what looked like an amphitheater built of brick and roofed with black tiles, and was told that it was called the Tribunal. It had three entrances on the north side and three on the west, but none on the south and east sides, a token that their judgments were not just but arbitrary judgments. In the middle of the amphitheater a fireplace appeared, into which the servants tending the hearth were throwing sulphurous and bituminous pitch-pine torches; the dancing light from them sketched images of birds of evening and of night upon the plastered walls. The fireplace and the dancing light in the shapes of those images were representations, however, of their judgments, for they could throw a light of any color on the subject matter in question and give it a form to suit them.
[3] After half an hour I saw old men and young entering in pallia and praetextae, who laid their caps aside and took their places in chairs at the tables to sit in judgment. I listened and perceived how skillfully and cleverly, with an eye on friendship, they warped and inverted judgments into an appearance of justice. They did this so thoroughly that they themselves saw the unjust to be no other than just, and the just to be no other than unjust. Their persuasions about just and unjust were evident in their faces and audible in their speech. Enlightenment was given me from heaven at the time, whereby I could perceive whether the several judgments rested in right or not. I saw how assiduously they obscured the unjust and gave it the look of justice; and how they selected out of the laws what was favorable and drew the rest their way by adroit reasonings. After the judgment the decisions were conveyed to their client friends and favorers. These, to requite them for their favor, shouted for a long way, "Oh, how just! Oh, how just!"
[4] After this I spoke with angels of heaven about these men and related some of the things which I had seen and heard. The angels told me that such judges seem to others to be endowed with a most penetrating acuteness of understanding, when as a matter of fact they do not in the least see what is just and equitable. If you take away their friendship for given persons they sit in judgment mute like statues and only say, "I assent, I am of your opinion." The reason is that all their judgments are prejudices. Prejudice follows a cause with partiality from beginning to end. Hence they see only their friend's case; everything against him they set aside, and if they recur to it, they entangle it in reasonings as a spider does its captives in the threads of its web, and do away with it. Only in following the web of their prejudice do they see anything of the right. They were explored as to whether they could see, and it was found that they could not.
"The inhabitants of your world," said the angels, "will be surprised that this is so; but tell them that it is the truth, tested by the angels of heaven. Because such judges see nothing of what is just, we in heaven consider them not men but monsters, in whom considerations of friendship make the head, injustice makes the breast, items of confirmation make the feet, and justice makes the soles, and if it does not favor a friend, it is forced aside and trampled under foot. But you shall see how they appear to us in heaven; for their end is near."
[5] Suddenly the ground opened, the tables tumbled upon one another, and the judges were swallowed up with the whole amphitheater and thrust into caverns and imprisoned.
I was asked, "Do you wish to see them there?" And behold, they looked as if they had faces of polished steel, with a body from neck to loins like graven stone garbed in leopard pelt, and feet like snakes. The law books which they had laid on the tables I saw turn into playing cards; and now, instead of presiding over court, they were put at making vermilion into rouge, for daubing the faces of harlots and transforming them into beauties.
[6] After seeing these things I wanted to leave for the two other assemblies, the one where were mere reasoners, and the other where were mere confirmers. But I was bidden, "Rest a little. Angel companions will be given you from the society next above them. Through them light will be given you by the Lord and you will see strange things."
Footnotes:
1. Also to be found in True Christian Religion 332-334.
231. Hereto shall be added three Relations. The First: I once heard noisy outcries which as it were gurgled up through waters, from beneath; one on the left, 'O how just!' another on the right, 'O how learned!' and a third from behind, 'O how wise!' And as it came into my thought whether there are any who are just, learned, and wise, also in hell, I was impressed with the desire of seeing whether there were any such there, and it was said to me out of heaven, 'You shall see and hear.'
And in spirit I went out of the house, and saw an opening before me. I drew near and looked down, and lo! a ladder By this I descended, and when I reached the bottom I saw level plains overgrown with trees mingled with thorns and nettles. And I asked if this was hell.
They said, 'It is the lower earth which is next above hell.'
And then I went on following the outcries in order. I came to the first, 'O how just!' and saw an assembly of those who in the world were judges for the sake of friendship and for gifts; then to the second, 'O how learned!' and saw an assembly of those who in the world had been reasoners; and to the third cry, 'O how wise!' and saw an assembly of those who in the world had been confirmers.
But I turned from these to the first where were the judges for friendship and for gifts, who were proclaimed just And I saw at one side as it were an amphitheater built of brick and roofed with black tiles, and was told that they called it the Tribunal. Into this there opened on the north side three entrances, and on the west side three; but on the south and the east sides there were none, an indication that their judgments were not the judgments of justice, but were arbitrary decisions. In the middle of the amphitheater a fire-place appeared, into which servants having the charge of it were throwing pitch-pine wood impregnated with sulphur and bitumen, the flickering light from which thrown upon the plastered walls presented pictured images of birds of evening and of night. The fire-place and the flickerings of light from it in the forms of those images were representations of their judgments, in that they could light up the subject matters of any question with colored dyes and present them in forms accordant with their inclination. After half an hour I saw old men and young enter wearing long robes and pallia, who putting off their caps, took their places in chairs at the tables to sit in judgment; and I heard and perceived how skilfully and ingeniously from the aspect of friendship they warped and inverted judgments, into the appearance of justice; and this so completely that they themselves did not see the unjust to be otherwise than as just, and on the other hand the just as unjust. Such persuasions respecting them were apparent from their faces, and audible from their speech. At that time illustration was given me from heaven, whereby I perceived in each case whether the judgment was of right or not of right; and I saw how assiduously they covered over the unjust and induced on it the appearance of justice; and how, out of the laws, they selected what was favorable and drew the rest to their side by skilfull reasoning. After the judgment the decisions were conveyed to the clients, their friends and favorers; and to requite the judges for their favor these shouted for a long distance, 'O how just! O how just!'
After this I conversed with the angels of heaven about these things, and narrated to them something of what I had seen and heard. And the angels told me that such judges appear to others as gifted with most penetrating acuteness of understanding, when yet they see not the least of what is just and equitable. If you take away their friendship for anyone they sit in judgment mute as statues, and only say, ‘I assent, I agree with this one or that one.' The reason is that all their judgments are prejudices, and prejudice with favor follows the cause from the beginning to its end. Hence they see nothing but what is in favor of their friend; everything that is against him they set aside, and if they take it up again they involve it in reasonings, as a spider involves its prey in the filaments of its web and consumes it. So that if they do not follow the web of their prejudice they see nothing of the right. They were explored as to whether they could see, and it was found that they could not.
'The inhabitants of your world,' said the angels, 'will be surprised that this is so; but tell them that it is the truth, explored by the angels of heaven. Because these see nothing of what is just, we in heaven regard them not as men but as monsters, of whom matters of friendship make the head, those of injustice make the breast, matters of confirmation the feet, and those of justice the soles, which, if they do not favor a friend are overthrown and trodden under foot. But how they appear to us from heaven, you shall see; for their end is nigh.' And lo! then suddenly the ground opened, and tables fell upon tables, and with the whole amphitheater the men were swallowed up and were thrown into caverns and imprisoned.
And the angels then said to me, 'Do you wish to see them there?' And behold, they appeared as with faces of polished steel, with a body from the neck to the loins as of sculptured stone clothed in garments of panther's skins, and with feet like serpents. And I saw the law books which they had laid upon the tables turned to playing cards; and now, instead of sitting in judgment, the employment was given them of making vermilion into rouge, wherewith to deck the faces of harlots and thus transform them into beauties.
After seeing these I desired to go to the two other assemblies, to the one where were the mere reasoners; and to the other where there were mere confirmers. But then it was said to me, 'Rest a little. Angel companions will be given you from the society next above them. Through them light will be given you by the Lord and you will see strange things.'
231. His adjicientur Tria Memorabilia: Primum hoc. Quondam audivi vociferationes, quae sicut per aquas egurgitabant ex inferis, unam ad sinistrum, O quam Justi; alteram ad dextrum, O quam Eruditi; et tertiam a tergo, O quam Sapientes; et quia incidit 1in cogitationem meam, num etiam in Inferno sint Justi, Eruditi, et Sapientes, afficiebar desiderio videndi, num tales ibi sunt; et dictum est mihi e Coelo, "videbis et audies;" et exivi domo in spiritu, et vidi ante me aperturam; illuc accessi, et despexi; et ecce scala; per hanc descendi: et cum infra eram, vidi campestria obsita arbustis cum intermixtis spinis et urticis; et quaesivi, num hic Infernum; dixerunt, "est Terra inferior, quae proxime supra Infernum est:" et tunc perrexi secundum Clamores in ordine; ad Primum, O quam Justi, et vidi Caetum ex illis, qui in Mundo fuerant Judices Amicitiae et Munerum; dein ad Clamorem Secundum, O quam Eruditi, et vidi Caetum ex illis, qui in Mundo fuerant Ratiocinatores; et ad Clamorem Tertium, O quam Sapientes, et vidi Caetum ex illis, qui in Mundo fuerant Confirmatores:
[2] sed ab his deflexi ad Primum, ubi erant Judices Amicitiae et Munerum, et proclamati Justi; et vidi a latere sicut Amphitheatrum structum ex lateribus, et tectum tegulis nigris; et dicebatur mihi, quod illud vocarent Tribunal; in illud patebant tres aditus a latere septentrionali, et tres a latere occidentali, sed nulli a latere meridionali et orientali; indicium, quod Judicia illorum non essent Judicia Justitiae, sed Arbitria. In medio Amphitheatri visus est Focus, in quem ministri focales injiciebant taedas sulphuratas et bituminosas, e quibus luces in parietes incrustatos evibratae sistebant imagines picturatas avium vesperae et noctis; sed focus ille, et inde evibrationes lucis in formas imaginum illarum, erant Repraesentationes 2judiciorum illorum, quod possent res cujusvis quaestionis coloratis fucis illuminare, et eis inducere formas secundum favorem.
[3] Post semihoram vidi Senes et Juvenes in praetextis et palliis intrantes, qui depositis pileis se super Soliis ad Mensas reponebant, sessuri judicia; ac audivi et percepi quam solerter et ingeniose ex aspectu amicitiae declinarent et inverterent judicia in apparentias justitiae, et hoc eo usque, ut ipsi non viderent injustum aliter quam justum, ac vicissim justum ut injustum; persuasiones de illis tales apparebant ex faciebus illorum, et audiebantur ex loquelis illorum: data mihi tunc fuit illustratio e Coelo, ex qua singula num juris vel non juris essent, percepi; et vidi quam industrie obvelarent injustum, et inducerent ei visionem justi; et ex legibus eligerent faventem, et reliquas per ratiocinia solertiae traherent in partem. Post judicia, Sententiae exportabantur ad clientes, amicos et fautores, et hi ad retribuendum illis favorem, per longam viam clamabant, O quam Justi, O quam Justi.
[4] Post haec loquutus sum de illis cum Angelis Coeli, et narravi illis aliqua de visis et auditis; et Angeli mihi dicebant, quod tales Judices appareant aliis sicut acutissima acie intellectus praediti, cum tamen ne hilum justi et aequi videant; "si tollis amicitiam pro aliquo, sedent in Judiciis muti sicut statuae, et modo dicunt, 'accedo, conformo me ad illum vel illum;' causa est, quia omnia Judicia illorum sunt Praejudicia, ac Praejudicium cum favore sequitur Causam ab initio ad finem ejus; inde nihil aliud vident quam quod amici est; omne id quod contra illum est, removent ad latus; et si reassumunt, involvunt id ratiociniis, sicut aranea capturas filis, et consumunt; inde est, quod si non sequuntur telam sui praejudicii, nihil juris videant; explorati sunt, num possint videre, ac inventi quod non: quod ita sit, mirabuntur incolae tui Mundi; sed dic illis, quod hoc sit veritas ab Angelis Coeli explorata. Quoniam illi nihil justi vident, in Coelo contemplamur illos non ut homines, sed ut monstra, quorum capita faciunt illa quae amicitiae sunt, pectora illa quae injustitiae, et pedes illa quae confirmationis, ac plantas illa quae justitiae, quae si non favent amico, supplantant et proculcant. Quales autem apparent nobis e Coelo, videbis, instat enim finis illorum;"
[5] et ecce tunc subito hiabat solum, ac mensae super mensas ceciderunt, et una cum toto Amphitheatro absorpti sunt, et conjecti in cavernas, et incarcerati; et tunc dictum est mihi, "vis videre illos ibi;" et ecce visi sunt quoad faciem sicut ex polito chalybe, quoad corpus a cervice ad lumbos sicut sculptilia e saxo vestita pellibus pardi, et quoad pedes sicut colubri: et vidi Libros Legis, quos super Mensis repositos habuerant, versos in chartas lusorias; et nunc loco quod judicarent, datum est illis munus, ut pararent minia in fucos, quibus oblinerent facies meretricum, et illas sic verterent in pulchritudine
Postquam haec visa sunt, volui abire ad duos reliquos Caetus, ad unum ubi erant mere Ratiocinatores, et ad alterum, ubi erant mere Confirmatores; et tunc dictum est mihi, "quiesce paulum; dabuntur tibi comites Angeli ex Societate proxima supra illos; per hos dabitur tibi lux a Domino, et videbis Mirabilia."
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: inicdit
2. Prima editio: Representationes