510、⑷这些人死后的命运是悲惨的，因为他们丢失了生命的至内层。每个人生命的卓越都取决于他的婚姻之爱，因为这生命与妻子的生命联结，并凭这联结提升自己。但对这些男人来说，婚姻之爱已荡然无存，生命的至内层也因此荡然无存，所以他们死后的命运是悲惨的。在度过他们外在的一段时期，就是使他们言谈理性、举止文明的时期后，他们被带入自己的内在，这时便被带入他们在世时所体验的那种淫欲及其快乐，并且级别也是一样的。事实上，死后，每个人都被带入他为自己所吸收的生命状态，好叫他从中被引离出来。没有人能从自己的邪恶被引离出来，除非他先被带入其中。否则，邪恶就会隐藏起来，并玷污心智的内层，像瘟疫一样蔓延，最终冲破阻挠，摧毁外在或身体层面。为此，在地狱边缘的那些声名狼藉的妓院会向他们打开，他们在那里寻找给他们机会放纵各种淫欲的妓女。不过，他们只被准许一天与一个妓女在一起，被禁止一天享有数个，否则就会受到惩罚。
后来，当接受检查，被发现这种淫欲如此根深蒂固，以致他们无法从中被引离时，他们就被带到一个地方，就在指定给他们的地狱正上方。他们在那里觉得自己昏倒了，但在其他人看来，他们仿佛仰面栽下去。事实上，是他们背部下面的地面裂开了，他们被吞没了，并沉到其同类所在的地狱。他们就这样聚集到自己人那里。我蒙允许在那里看到他们，还与他们对话。他们在自己人当中显得人模人样，这种特殊优待被准许是为了防止他们吓坏自己的同伴。但稍微远一点，他们看上去脸色苍白，好像脸上除了皮肤外什么也没有。这是因为他们里面没有属灵的生命，而每个人都是照着植入他的婚姻原则而拥有这属灵的生命。
他们说的话枯燥乏味，令人沮丧；他们饥饿时会发出呻吟声，他们的呻吟听上去就像一种奇特的嗡嗡声。他们衣衫褴褛，裤子提到腹部以上直到胸部周围，因为他们没有腰，其脚踝从肚子最底部开始。这是因为人的腰部对应于婚姻之爱，而他们没有这爱。他们说，由于性无能，他们憎恶异性。然而，他们在自己人当中仍能仿佛出于理性推理各种话题；不过，他们因是皮肤生物，故出于感官谬误推理。这个地狱在朝向北方的西部地区。从远处看，他们既不像人，也不像怪物，而是像果冻。然而，要知道，那些完全沉浸于这种淫欲，以致撕碎并毁灭自己里面的人类婚姻原则的人，就会变成这样的人。
510、（4）这样的人死后将是悲惨的，因为他们失去了生命的最内在的因素。
人生命的优秀程度之外决定于他的婚姻之爱。因为他的生命会与妻子的生命相结合。但因为这里所讲的这些人没有一点婚姻之爱存留在他们身上，所以也就没有一点生命的最内在因素存在于他们身上，所以死后他们将会是悲惨的。
在他们渡过一段属于他们的外在的生活之后，他们就会进入到他们的内在属性这中，即处于他们的情欲之中。因为死后每个人都会进入适应他自己的生活中，以便他能从中被拯救，否则罪恶就会处于隐藏状态并会污染思想的内在，最后破坏整个躯体。
为了实现这一目的，处于地狱边缘的妓院是对这些人敞开着的。在这里他们可以放纵情欲。但他们被限制每天只能与一个异性相处，否则将受到惩罚。
之后，当他们被审视并发现他们无法拯救之后，他们被带到一个在地狱上方的地方。他们会处于一种昏迷状态，在别人看来，他们似乎在下陷，地面张开并要将他们吞没。他们这样就进入到地狱中与他们相似的人在一起了。
我曾获许去看他们并与他们讲话。他们彼此之间看上去是人的形象，以便他们不会吓着对方。但在远处看，他们好象是有一张只有皮肤的白白的脸。这是因为他们没有精神性的生命。
他们的言语也是干燥无味的。他们饿了的时候就会发出哼哼声。他们穿着破烂的衣服，裤子提到了胸部，因为他们没有腰。这是因为人身上腰是与婚姻之爱相对应的。而他们是没有婚姻之爱的。
他们告诉我们因为他们变得性无能，所以他们污辱女性。
尽管这样，他们彼此间还能讨论许多事情，好象他们有理性一样；但因为他们的性质只有皮肤那么深，他们的推理也只是感觉上的一些错觉。
地狱是处于朝北的西部。
这些人从远处看不是人的形象而是魔鬼。
510. (iv) The fate of these people after death is pitiful, since they lack the inmost level of life.
The excellence of each person's life depends upon his conjugial love, for his life is linked with his wife's life and by being linked is raised to a higher level. But since in the case of these people there is not the slightest remnant of conjugial love, so that there is nothing either from the inmost level of life, their fate after death is pitiful. After spending a period in their outer levels, which allows them to talk rationally and act politely, they are brought into their inner levels, and at that time into the same kind of lust and the same degree of its pleasures that they experienced 1in the world. In fact each person is after death brought into the same state of life as he had made his own, for the purpose of withdrawing him from it. No one can be withdrawn from his evil, unless he has first been brought into it. Otherwise the evil would bury itself and pollute the inner levels of the mind, and spread like a plague until it broke down the barriers and destroyed the outer or bodily levels. For this purpose the houses of ill fame on the edges of hell are opened for them; there they find whores with whom they are given the chance of indulging their varying lusts. But this permission is for one woman a day, and it is forbidden under threat of punishment to enjoy more than one on the same day.
[2] Afterwards, when they have been tested and their lust has been found to be so ingrained that they cannot be withdrawn from it, they are taken to a place directly above the hell assigned to them. There they seem to themselves to faint, but to others to fall flat on their backs; and in fact the ground opens up beneath their backs and they are swallowed up, slipping into a hell containing people like them. So they are gathered to their own.
I was allowed to see them there and also to talk with them. To themselves they look like human beings, a privilege allowed to prevent them terrifying their companions. But a little way off they look to have white faces, as if composed of nothing but skin. This is because they have no spiritual life in them, something everyone has in proportion to the marriage principle implanted in him.
[3] Their speech is dry, parched and depressing. When hungry they moan, and their moans make a peculiar humming noise. They are dressed in rags with breeches pulled up above the belly to around the chest, because they have no loins, but their ankles start from the lower part of their belly. This is because people's loins correspond to conjugial love, something they do not have. They said that as a result of impotence they loathe the other sex. But they can still reason among themselves on different subjects, as if they were rational; but being creatures of skin they reason from the fallacies of the senses. This hell is in the western quarter verging on the north. These spirits seen from a distance no longer look like men, nor like monsters, but like jellies. But it should be known that the ones who become like this are those who became so thoroughly immersed in that lust that they tore apart and annihilated the human principle of marriage in themselves.
Footnotes:
1. Reading in quo fuerunt for in quo ejus fuerunt. The word ejus seems to have been repeated in error from the preceding clause.
510. 4. The lot of these people after death is a miserable one, since the inmost element of life is missing in them. The excellence of a person's life depends on his conjugial love, for his life then unites itself with the life of his wife and by that union is ennobled. But because not a particle of conjugial love remains in people of the character described here, and so nothing of the inmost element of life, therefore their lot after death is a miserable one.
After they have spent a period of time in the outward appearances of their lives, in which they speak rationally and behave civilly, they are propelled into their inner qualities, and so into the same lust and its delights, and into the same degree of it, in which they had been in the world. For everyone is introduced after death into the same state of life that he had adopted for himself, in order that he may be withdrawn from it, since no one can be withdrawn from his evil unless he has first been brought into it. Otherwise the evil would conceal itself and pollute the interior elements of the mind, and like a pestilence spread, and eventually break through its restraints and destroy the outward elements which are those of the body.
To accomplish this purpose, brothels are opened to them, which are on the periphery of hell, where they find harlots with whom they are given an opportunity to exercise their lusts with variety. But they are permitted to do this with only one a day, and are forbidden under threat of penalty from being with more than one on the same day.
[2] After that, when they have been examined and found to have that lust so ingrained in them that they cannot be withdrawn from it, they are conveyed to a particular place which is just above the hell reserved for them. They then appear to themselves as though to fall into a state of unconsciousness, and to others as though to sink down backwards with upturned face; and the ground actually opens under their backs and swallows them, and they sink down to their like. Thus they are gathered to their own.
It has been granted me to see them there and also to speak with them. To each other they appear as human, an appearance accorded them to keep them from terrifying their companions. However, at some distance they appear to have a white face, consisting, seemingly, only of skin, and this because they have no spiritual life in them, which in everyone depends on the conjugial inclination implanted in him.
[3] Their speech is dry, arid, and melancholy. When they are hungry, they lament, and their laments have a peculiar moaning sound. Their garments are tattered, and they wear their breeches drawn up over the belly around the chest because they do not have any loins. The ankles of their feet commence instead from the area just below the belly. The reason is that the loins in human beings correspond to conjugial love, and this is missing in them.
They told me that they loathe the opposite sex in consequence of their having become impotent.
Nevertheless, they can still reason with each other in regard to various matters, as though from rationality; but because they are only skin-deep in their thinking, they reason from misconceptions of the senses.
That hell is in the western zone towards the north.
These same people, however, from afar do not appear as human, nor as monsters, but as bits of frozen gelatin.
Still, it should be known that this is what becomes of those who have imbibed that lust to the degree that they have destroyed the human, conjugial inclination in them and annihilated it.
510. 4. Their fate after death is miserable, since they lack the innermost quality of life. The excellence of any man's life is in keeping with his love of marriage, because this links up with the life of his wife and is heightened by the association. But in these people not a scrap of the love for marriage is left, and therefore nothing of innermost life, so their lot after death is miserable. After going through a period of time existing in their outward personalities, in which they speak rationally and act civil, they are transferred into their inner qualities, and then they have the same lust as in the world and take the same pleasures in it. For after death everyone is placed in the same state of life that he has adopted as his own, so that he can be led out of it. No one can be led out of his evil without first being led into it. Otherwise the evil would conceal itself and pollute the deeper parts of his mind, spread like a disease, and then break down the bars and ruin the outward parts belonging to his body.
For this purpose brothels are opened to them, at the side of hell. They get a chance to try all their lusts with harlots there. But this is allowed with one a day and is forbidden with more than one on the same day, under penalty. Later, when the lust proves to have been so ingrained in them that they cannot be led out of it, they are taken to a certain place just above the hell that will receive them, and they seem to themselves as if they are passing out, and to others they seem to be sinking, faceup. And the ground actually does open under their backs, and they are swallowed up and sink into a hell where the likes of them are. So they are gathered to their own.
I was allowed to see them there, and to talk with them, too.
To each other they look like people, which appearance they are granted so as not to terrify their associates. But from a distance they appear with expressionless white faces as if made of just skin, and this is because there is no spiritual life in them, which everyone has according to the principles of marriage implanted in him. Their speech is dry, parched, and sad. When they are hungry they moan, and their moans sound like a strange - sounding murmur.
They have torn clothes, and pants pulled up over their stomachs, around their chests, because they have no groins, but their ankles start at the bottom of their stomachs. The reason is that people's waists correspond to the love in marriage, and they do not have this. They said that they loathe the other sex because they have no potency. They can still argue among themselves about various things, as if with reason, but they argue on the basis of the tricks the senses play, because they are skin - deep people.
This hell is in the western quarter, towards the north.
From a long distance these same people look like neither people nor monsters but like snowmen.
But note that this happens to the ones who have been steeped in that lust to such a degree that they have torn to pieces the human principle of marriage in themselves and have annihilated it.
510. IV. THAT THEIR LOT AFTER DEATH IS A MISERABLE ONE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT THE INMOST OF LIFE. Every one has pre-eminence of life according to his conjugial love; for this life conjoins itself with the life of the wife, and by the conjunction exalts itself. But because with these men not the least remnant of conjugial love is left, and hence nothing of the inmost of life, therefore their lot after death is a miserable one. After passing a period of time in their externals, during which they speak rationally and act civilly, they are let into their internals, and then into the same lust and its delights in which they had been in the world, and in the same degree thereof. After death every one is let into that state of life which he has appropriated to himself, to the end that he may be led out of it; for no one can be led away from his evil unless he has first been led into it, otherwise the evil would hide itself and pollute the interiors of his mind, and spreading like a pestilence, would finally burst the barriers and destroy the externals which are of the body. To this end brothels on the side of hell are open to them, where are harlots with whom there is opportunity of varying their lusts; but this is granted them with only one harlot a day, and it is forbidden them under penalty to be with more than one on the same day.
[2] Afterwards, when they have been examined [and it is found] that the lust is so inbred that they cannot be led away from it, they are taken to a certain place which is directly over the hell assigned to them. To themselves they then appear as though falling into a swoon, and to others, as though sinking down with upturned face. The ground under their backs is actually opened and they are swallowed up and sink down into the hell where are their like. They are thus gathered to their oven. It was given me to see them there, and also to speak with them. Among themselves they appear like men, this being granted them that they may not be a terror to their companions; but at some distance they appear with a white face consisting, as it were, of skin only, and this because within them is no spiritual life, every one having this according to the conjugial implanted in him. Their speech is dry, parched, and sad.
[3] When hungry, they lament, and their lamentations are heard as a peculiar snorting. They have tattered garments, and their breeches are drawn up over the belly around the breast because they have no loins, the ankles of their feet starting from the lowest part of their belly, and this because with men the loins correspond to conjugial love, and this they do not have. Because they have no potency, they said that they loathe the sex. Yet among themselves they can reason about various matters as if from rationality; but because they are cutaneous, they reason from the fallacies of the senses. Their hell is in the western quarter towards the north. At a distance they appear, not as men, nor as monsters, but as things of ice. It should be known, however, that those become such who are so imbued with that lust that they have rended the human conjugial with themselves and annihilated it.
510. (iv) Their lot after death is wretched, since they have no inmost life. The excellence of one - s life is in accord with his marital love, for one - s life conjoins itself with the wife - s life and in the conjunction is exalted. But as nothing of marital love and so nothing of inmost life is left with the men in question, their lot after death is wretched. After spending some time in their externals, in which they speak rationally and act as becomes citizens, these men are let into their internals. Therewith they are let into the lust with its enjoyments in the degree in which they had been in it in the world. For after death every one is let into the identical state of life which he had made his own, to the end that he may be withdrawn from it. No one can be withdrawn from his evil unless he has first been brought into it. Evil conceals itself otherwise and pollutes the interiors of the mind, spreads like a plague, finally bursts the barriers, and destroys the externals which are of the body. To this end brothels are opened to these men, which are at the sides of hell, where are harlots with whom there is opportunity of varying their lusts; but indulgence is granted with only one harlot on any day and is prohibited under penalty with more.
[2] Later, when it has been ascertained that this lust is so inbred in them that they cannot be withdrawn from it, they are conveyed to a spot which is just over the hell assigned to them, where they seem to themselves to fall into a swoon, and to others as though they were sinking with the face upturned; indeed, the ground actually opens under their backs and they are engulfed and sink down into a hell where their like are; so they are gathered to their own.
I was allowed to see them there and also to speak with them. Among themselves they look like human beings, which is granted them that they may not be a terror to one another. But at some distance they seem to have unvaryingly white faces of skin only, and this because there is no spiritual life in them, which every one has according to the marital inclination planted in him.
[3] Their speech is dispirited, parched and sad. When they are hungry, they wail, and their wailings have a peculiar rumbling sound. They have tattered garments and wear breeches pulled up above the belly around the chest, as they have no loins, the ankles of their feet starting at the lowest part of the belly. The reason is that the loins with human beings correspond to marital love, and this they have not. They said that, having no potency, they loathe the sex. They still can reason among themselves about various matters, as if from rationality, but being cutaneous, they reason from fallacies of the senses. This hell is in the western quarter toward the north. But in the distance the same beings do not look like men or like monsters, but like frozen things. It is to be noted, however, that this is a description of those who have indulged this lust to such a degree that they have torn the human marital inclination to pieces in themselves and annihilated it.
510. (4) That their lot after death is miserable, since the inmost of life is wanting to them. The excellence of the life of everyone is according to his conjugial love; for it conjoins itself with the life of the wife and by the conjunction exalts itself. But as with these not the least of conjugial love remains, nor therefore, anything of the inmost of life, for that reason their lot after death is wretched. After passing a period of time in their externals, during which they speak rationally and act civilly, they are let into their internals, and then into a similar lust and its delights, in the same degree of it in which they had been in the world. For after death everyone is let into the same state of life that he had appropriated to himself, to the end that he may be led out of it; for one cannot be led away from his evil unless he has first been led into it. Otherwise the evil would hide itself and pollute the interiors of the mind, and diffuse itself like a pestilence, and finally burst the barriers, and ruin the externals which are of the body. To this end, brothels are opened to them, which are at the side of hell where there are harlots, with whom there is opportunity of varying their lusts; but indulgence is permitted with only one a day, and with more on the same day is prohibited under penalty. Afterwards, when it has been found out by exploring them, that the lust is so implanted that they cannot be led away from it, they are taken to a certain place which is directly over the hell assigned to them, and then they appear to themselves as if falling into a swoon, and to others as if they were sinking down with upturned face; and the ground is actually opened under their backs and they are swallowed up, and sink down into the hell where their like are. They are thus gathered to their own. It was given me to see them there and also to speak with them. Among themselves they appear like men, which is granted them that they may not be a terror to their associates. But at some distance they appear with a face constantly white, as if of cuticle only, and this because there is no spiritual life in them, which everyone has according to the conjugial inherent in him. Their speech is dry, parched, and sad. When hungry they wail, and their wailings are heard as a grumbling of peculiar sound They have tattered garments, and the nether garments are drawn up over the belly around the breast, for they have no loins, but the ankles of their feet start from the lowest part of the belly. The reason is that the loins with men correspond to conjugial love, and this they have not. They said that they loathe the sex for the reason that they have no potency. And yet among themselves they can argue about various matters, as if from rationality; but because they are cutaneous, they reason from the fallacies of the senses. Their hell is in the western quarter towards the north. But these same from a long way off do not appear as men, nor as monsters, but as formed of ice. But it should be known that such do they become who are imbued with that lust to such a degree that they have rent in pieces and annihilated the human conjugial with themselves.
510. IV. Quod illorum sors post mortem sit misera, quoniam illis vitae intimum non est. Praestantia vitae est cuique secundum Amorem ejus conjugialem, illa enim conjungit se cum vita uxoris, et per conjunctionem se exaltat; at quia apud hos ne hilum superest ex amore conjugiali, et inde nec aliquid ex intimo vitae, ideo sors illorum post mortem misera est. Hi post exactam periodum temporis in externis suis, in quibus rationaliter loquuntur et civiliter agunt, immittuntur in interna sua; et tunc in similem libidinem et ejus jucunda in eodem gradu, in quo ejus fuerunt in Mundo; unusquisque enim post mortem intromittitur in eundem statum vitae, quem sibi appropriaverat, propter causam ut inde abducatur; non enim potest aliquis abduci a suo malo, nisi prius in illud inductus fuerit; alioquin malum reconderet se, et inquinaret interiora mentis, et sicut pestis se diffunderet, et dein rumperet repagula, ac disperderet externa quae corporis sunt. Propter hunc finem aperiuntur illis Ganeae, 1quae a latere inferni sunt, ubi scorta, cum quibus datur copia variandi suas libidines; sed hoc conceditur in die cum una, et sub poena interdicitur cum pluribus eodem die.
[2] Postea, dum explorati sunt, quod Libido illa tantum ingenerata sit, ut non queant ab illa abduci, feruntur ad quendam locum, qui proxime est supra Infernum illis addicatum, et tunc apparent sibi sicut cadant in deliquium, et aliis sicut subsidant supino vultu, et quoque actualiter aperitur solum sub dorsis illorum, et absorbentur, et illabuntur in Infernum ubi similes; ita colliguntur ad suos. Datum est mihi illos ibi videre, et quoque cum illis loqui; inter se apparent sicut homines, quod datur illis ne consociis terrori sint; sed ad quandam distantiam visi sunt facie alba constante sicut ex sola cute, et hoc quia non illis inest vita spiritualis, quae cuivis est secundum conjugiale ei insitum.
[3] Loquela illorum est sicca, torrida et tristis: dum esuriunt, lamentantur, et lamenta illorum audiuntur sicut fremitus peculiaris soni: sunt illis lacerae vestes, et femoralia subtracta super ventrem circum pectus, quia non illis lumbi sunt, sed a regione imae ventris incipiunt tali pedum illorum; causa est, quia lumbi apud homines correspondent Amori conjugiali, et hic illis non est. Dixerunt, quod fastidiant sexum ex nulla illis potentia. At usque inter se de variis ratiocinari possunt sicut ex rationalitate, sed quia cutanei sunt, ratiocinantur ex fallaciis sensuum. Infernum hoc est in plaga occidentali versus septentrionem. Iidem vero e longinquo non apparent sicut homines, nec ut monstra, sed sicut gelatina. At sciendum est, quod tales fiant illi, qui Libidinem illam in tali gradu imbuerunt, ut Conjugiale humanum apud se discerpserint et adnihilaverint.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Ganaea,