1648. About preparation of the way before the coming of angels to people on the planet Jupiter; and about John the Baptist
A certain one of the spirits of Jupiter who strike a person with fear and terror at their coming, came up to me at my left side under the elbows, and spoke there in his usual way, at first as though somewhat grinding his teeth, and after that his lips, so that the sound of his talking was like someone emitting sound while pressing his lips together. The words were not in a continuous series, but quite disconnected, thus the ideas or words of his discourse did not come one after the other, so that I had to wait fairly long to find out what he was saying.
He was also somewhat frightening in regard to what he was saying, telling me, among other things, that on their planet it is customary, when angels were arriving, for him to be sent ahead to prepare the person for the coming of the angels. And he talked about them, and warned that I should receive them properly and do them no harm. I replied to him that this did not depend on me, but the spirits of this earth where I am, whom, if they are present, I cannot control; but if he and his were able to do it, it would be fine.
1648. CONCERNING THE PREPARATION OF THE WAY, BEFORE THE ADVENT, OF ANGELS TO MEN ON THE EARTH JUPITER, AND CONCERNING JOHN THE BAPTIST.
A certain one of the spirits of Jupiter who strike fear and terror into man by their approach, applied himself to my left side under the elbows, and then spoke in his peculiar way, at first with a somewhat harsh, grating sound, as of the teeth, and afterward as of the lips, as he also said, so that the sound of his utterance was heard like that of one who sonorously compresses his lips. The words were not continuous, but very discrete, and accordingly the ideas or words of the discourse were not closely connected, [but so separated that] it was necessary to wait for a considerable time in order to know what was said. He inspired also a degree of terror in connection with what he uttered, saying to me among other things that it was customary in the earth prior to the approach of angels to have one sent before as a herald, to prepare a man for their coming, to talk with him concerning them, and to admonish him to entertain them courteously, and to do them no harm; to whom I replied that this did not depend upon me, but upon the spirits of the earth where I am, whom, if they are present, I cannot control; but if they [the spirits of Jupiter] were able to do it, very well.
1648. De praeparatione viae ante adventum angelorum ad hominem in tellure Jovis; deque Johanne Baptista
Quidam ex spiritibus Jovis, qui timorem, et terrorem incutiunt homini per adventum suum, appulit ad sinistrum meum latus sub ulnis, et ibi suo modo loquutus, primum sicut aliquantum strideret dentibus, postea sicut labiis, ut dicebat, ita ut sonus ejus loquelae audiretur sicut quis 1
sonore comprimens 2
labia, voces erant non continuae, sed admodum discretae, ita loquelae ideae seu voces non contiguae, ut exspectare debui diutius scire, quid loqueretur; circa ea, quae dicebat quoque terroris aliquid incutiebat, dicens mihi, praeter alia, quod in eorum tellure ita solitum sit, cum angeli advenirent, quod is praemitteretur, et praepararet hominem ad adventum angelorum, de quibus etiam loquebatur, et monebat, quod eos exciperem bene, absque aliqua injuria, cui respondebam, quod hoc meum non sit, sed spirituum hujus telluris, ubi sum, qui si adsunt, non possum moderare, sed si ii possent, bene esset.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has sic qui
2. imperfectum in the Manuscript