1675. A certain rebuking spirit came to me, but stood, not - like those from among the spirits of Jupiter - at my side, thus speaking to me, but above my head, near the fontanel, or pulsating membrane. There he was, speaking with me. He had the ability to explore the very small details [of my memory] and bring them out in their exact connection so as to encompass my entire thinking on any subject, without departures. He took out whatever he found, and scolded me; but certain matters he was not allowed to bring forth. The matters he did produce were those in which he considered me to be involved, and at fault.
When I had spoken with him for a while, I was given to understand that he was from among those spirits just spoken of, one who reproved the people during their life, but delicately. Hence I concluded that the people of that region or planet were distinguished by very deep thinking, and were reproved in this manner. Therefore I was allowed to speak in the same way. He, too, desired to become an angel, but when I said that it was not angelic to look only for a person's evils, but to look for good, and then excuse the bad things, he insisted that it was done for the sake of improvement, and was therefore good. But hearing me say that it was not angelic, his retort was that neither was it angelic for me to speak that way to him and to expose his evils.
I told him that I could do nothing else but say what I did when the matter presented itself, and so, I am not looking for his evils, but he himself is exposing his evils to me, and thus telling them to himself. For what was said by me came from him.
Then he did not want to remain any longer, yet he loved my saying that he could become an angel, provided he does not love [reproving]. It cheered him to hear that he could become an angel, and I conversed with him for a while on that subject.
1675. (A certain chiding spirit came to me, but in a different manner from those who were of the spirits of the earth Jupiter, and taking his stand at my side addressed me in that position; but still he seemed to hover somewhat above the head, about the region of the fontinel (the fount of pulsation), and spoke with me. He was able to explore the minuter things [of my mind or memory], and to bring them forth, and that too in a skilful connection, so that he would restrain [even my own] restraining thought, nor did he withdraw himself thence. He brought forth the things which he discovered [in my memory], and chided me on account of them. Some things he was not permitted to produce; what he did produce were such things as he supposed to be mine, and for which he regarded me as the responsible cause. After having conversed with him for some time, it was given me to understand that he was one of the spirits of those of whom I am now speaking, who in their lifetime were chiders of their fellow-men, though doing it in a subtle manner. From hence I was able to conclude that the men of that region or planet were distinguished by very profound thought, and that consequently this kind of chiding took place, wherefore it was granted to me to speak in like manner. He would fain also in a similar way become an angel; but when I remarked that it was not angelical to search only into a man's evils to the neglect of his goods, and without an attempt to excuse his evils, he still insisted that this was done for the sake of reformation, and therefore was a good; and when he heard me say that that was not angelical, he replied that neither was it angelical to speak thus with him and to detect his evils, to which when I answered that this was nothing more than declaring the fact as it showed itself to be, inasmuch as I did not inquire into his evils, but he disclosed them himself and I had only said what had come from him, he was then unwilling to remain any longer, being still pleased, however, that I should say that he might become an angel, provided he would not set his heart so much upon the fact of his becoming one - this produced an exhilarating effect upon him, concerning which also [we] held some further conversation together.)
1675. Spiritus quidam increpator venit ad me, sed non, sicut 1
ii qui de spiritibus telluris Jovis [541, 545], ad latus adstitit, ac ita locutus est, sed supra caput circa fontanellam [seu] fontem pulsatilem 2
, ibi erat, et mecum loquebatur, is potuit explorare ea, quae minutiora erant, ac 3
ea depromere, et quidem cum concinno nexu, adeo ut cogitationem contineret in rebus continentem, nec abinde discedebat, deprompsit ea quae inveniebat, et me increpabat, quaedam producere ei non concedebatur, quae producebat, erant talia, quae putabat mea esse, ac me in causa; cumque aliquantum cum eo loquutus, intelligere dabatur, quod esset ex spiritibus eorum, de quibus nunc, qui increparent homines, in vita eorum, sed subtiliter, inde etiam concludere potui, quod homines istius regionis seu telluris essent admodum profundae cogitationis, et sic quod tali modo increparentur, quare mihi dabatur similiter loqui, voluit similiter angelus fieri, sed cum dicerem, quod id non angelicum esset, inquirere solum mala hominis, sed bona, et sic excusare mala, institit dicere, quod emendationis gratia id factum, sic bonum, at cum audiebat, quod id non angelicum esset, mihi regerebat, quod nec angelicum esset, ita cum eo loqui, et ejus mala detegere, cui cum dicerem, quod hoc non aliter esse posset, quam dicere quum res se ostendit, et quod sic non ejus mala inquiram, sed is suamet mala mihi manifestet, proinde quod 4
is sibi sic ea dicat, nam ab eo venit hoc quod diceretur a me, tunc noluit amplius remanere, id usque amans, quod dixerim eum potuisse angelum fieri, modo talia non amet; quod angelus potuisset fieri, id eum exhilaravit, de qua re aliquantum cum eo loquutus.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has non sicut
2. In the Manuscript fontem pulsatilem supra non deletum fontanellam scriptum
3. The Manuscript has erant; ac
4. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has quis