1386. Instead he was led into the swamp and was sunk into it and covered over under that muddiness, or rather, rolled around as by a breaking wave with quite a large hollow, sometimes as if enclosed in a room - and even to all sides, from the front to the opposite shore, then to the left, almost where the flesh-eaters are.
There appeared there an atmosphere the color of gold, which was bending all around, and finally reached him, lifting him up. That golden atmosphere along which he had been lifted up extended downwards. At the time he did not so much appear, even though he was there.
I was thinking that that golden atmosphere symbolized something good, but a certain spirit who had been sent there took that golden atmosphere, which extended down from him in his ascent, and raised it in the manner of the skirt of a woman's gown trailing behind her, called a Slap. 1Having raised it, he said that it contained filth, like something worm-ridden. So it symbolized that there was that kind of self-trust and arrogance that looks like gold to them, when in fact it is utterly filthy. 1748, 15 March.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "train."
1386. But he was carried away into the lake and there immersed. He was drawn beneath that mire, or rather rolled about like a wave for quite a considerable distance, sometimes as if under an arch, and indeed in every direction, from the front to the opposite side, then to the left, almost to the place where are those who devour flesh [n. 1381. An aura of a golden color, as it were, appeared there; it was turned about in every direction, and at length reached him. He was raised up by this golden aura which was continued beneath along the path by which he had been elevated, but he himself did not then appear, although he was there. I suppose that the golden aura signified something good. But a certain spirit who had been sent thither elevated that golden aura which followed him in his ascent, as a woman's trailing gown (called in Swedish "slep") usually does behind her back. Thus was he raised up with it. That aura was said to contain what was filthy, like something verminous, and thus to signify that such confidence together with pride, which appears to them as gold, is nevertheless utterly filthy. 1748, Mar. 15.
1386. Sed perlatus est in stagnum, et ibi immersus, ibi sub luteo isto perducebatur, seu potius sicut fluctus volvebatur, cum spatio satis multo, quandoque sicut camerato, et quidem quaque versum, ab anteriori ad oppositum latus, tum ad sinistrum, ubi fere qui comedunt carnes [1381] ibi apparuit sicut aura, coloris auri, quae circumflectebatur tandem pervenit eum, sic elevatus [est] aurea ista aura, qua via elevatus, continuabatur subter, sed is tunc non ita apparuit, tametsi ibi erat, putabam quod aura ista aurea significaret aliquid boni, sed a quodam spiritu, qui illuc missus, aura ista aurea, quae ab eo in ascensu continuabatur, elevabatur sicut solet pendula vestis mulieris, post tergum, cum eo, quod vocatur Slap 1
{a}, sic elevata, dicebat quod contineret spurcum, sicut verminosum, ita significabat ea, quod talis confidentia cum fastu [inesset], quae iis apparet 2
sicut aurum, cum tamen spurcissimum sit. 1748, 15 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has Slap
2. The Manuscript has apparent