1883. About the punishment of some who are immersed as if in deep clouds
I saw the punishment of one such, who was saying he would test whether he could gain power for himself by means of evils, so that by acting evilly, he might strike terror into others, and thus reign-an opinion held by many. For they would reign among their companions and over their subjects by fear, not by love.
The one in question, being of this character, began to perpetrate evil, which was portrayed by an axe with which he was striking a beam - but his intention was to strike people, in whose place the beam had been substituted. While he was engaged in this crime, he was suddenly let down into a cloud or cloud-like sea having no bottom. It was said that this place, where they exist with little life, is the punishment of such people. 1748, 9 April.
1883. CONCERNING THE PUNISHMENT OF CERTAIN ONES WHO ARE PLUNGED, AS IT WERE, INTO DEEP CLOUDS.
I beheld the punishment of one who said he was tempted as to whether he could, by means of evils, obtain power for himself so that by evil doing he might strike a terror into others, and thus rule, as such is the opinion of many, to wit, that it is the best way to rule among fellows and over subjects by fear, and not by love. Inasmuch as this one was of such a quality, he began to perpetrate evil, which was represented by an axe wherewith he would strike a beam, but his intention was to strike men, the beam being substitute. While engaged in this atrocity he was suddenly let down into a cloud, as a kind of cloudy sea without a bottom. Such, it was said, was the punishment of this kind of offenders when possessed of but a feeble degree of life. - 1748, April 9.
1883. De poena quorundam 1
, qui immerguntur altis quasi nimbis
Vidi unius poenam, qui dicebat se tentaturum 2
anne per mala potuerit sibi comparare potestatem, sic ut male faciendo aliis terrorem incuteret, et sic regnaret, sicut plurimorum opinio est, nempe quod per timorem, non autem per amorem, regnent, inter socios, et super subditos; is quia talis erat, incepit malum patrare, quod repraesentatum est per securem, qua percuteret trabem, sed intentio erat, ut percuteret 3
homines, supposita tunc trabe: is dum in isto flagitio esset, demissus est subito in nimbum seu nimbosum quasi pelagus, cui non fundus esset; dicebatur, quod id talium esset supplicium, ubi cum pauco vitae sunt. 1748, 9 April.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has quorundum
2. The Manuscript has tentarum
3. The Manuscript has pecuteret