2502. There was such poison in them that it blunted all my power to engage in truths and goodness, taking away all zeal. They have been with me for several days and have so troubled me in thinking and doing serious things, things true and good, and in seeing them, that I hardly knew what to do. Such is the influence of their poisons. When they are in the company of good spirits, they bring on them a sluggishness in doing good and the duties of their function.
Therefore when that kind of spirit comes among those who are inclined to performing useful tasks in the commonwealth, or into their societies, then all their ardor is dampened. So the human race is being led astray mainly by them, for which reason kings reject such people from their courts, for they inflict great harm on societies, leading them away from truths and goodness so that finally they are caught up in the pursuit of those things as something sweet, that is, of living sumptuously, dressing magnificently, enjoying nothing but idleness, harboring hatred toward those who are hard working and zealous for truth and goodness. They are destroyers of the human race. For it is generally known that people who begin to indulge in idleness take the greatest pleasure in it, like beggars who once they become accustomed to that laziness then hold back and remove themselves from every effort to be members of civil society, or to be citizens. They cannot be called citizens, but destroyers of citizens. 1748, 3 July.
2502. There was such a poison in [apud] them as blunted all power of acting in the true and good, so that they took away all zeal. They have been with me for some days, and have caused me such trouble [molestia] to think and do what is serious, true, and good, and to seeing these that I scarce knew what I was doing. Such is the influx of such poison when they are in the society of good spirits. They induce in them a listlessness for doing good and that which belongs to their business [muneris]. So he who inclines [inclinant for inclinat, I think] to labors and uses in the commonwealth when he comes among such, or into their societies, then all his zeal grows torpid; therefore the human race is especially seduced [misled] by these. Wherefore kings exclude such from their courts [aulis], for they greatly injure societies, and withdraw them from the good and true, so that they are at length ensnared by the study of these things as something sweet; for they live sumptuously, clothe magnificently, enjoy only [their] ease, hold in hatred those who are industrious and zealous for what is true and good: they are destroyers of the human race; for it is known that those who begin to indulge in ease derive therefrom the greatest sweetness; like beggars who accustom [habituate] themselves to that ease, and so are restrained from, and deprived of all zeal to be members of civil society, or to be citizens. Such cannot be called citizens, but destroyers of citizens. - 1748, July 3.)
2502. Venenum tale erat apud eos, ut hebetaret omnes vires agendi in veris et bonis, sic ut tollerent omne studium; apud me aliquibus diebus fuerunt, et mihi [intulerunt] 1
talem molestiam cogitandi agendique seria, vera et bona, et videndi ea, ut vix scirem quid facerem, talis est influxus venenorum talium; cum in societate spirituum bonorum sunt, iis inducunt torporem faciendi bonum, et quod eorum muneris est, ita qui inclinant ad labores et usus in republica, dum [id genus] inter tales venit, seu in eorum societates, tunc omne eis studium torpescit, sic ab iis imprimis seducitur genus humanum; quare reges tales ex aulis suis rejiciunt, nam societates maxime laedunt, et a veris et bonis seducunt, ut tandem eorum studio, sicut dulcedine irretiantur, nam vivunt opipare, vestiuntur magnifice, otio solum fruuntur, odio habent laboriosos et studiosos veri et boni, sunt perditores generis humani; nam notum est, qui [cum] otio indulgere incipiunt, ex eo maximum dulcedinis capiunt, sicut mendicantes, qui otio isti semel adsuescunt, sic detinentur et amoventur ab omni studio, ut sint membra societatis civilis, seu ut sint cives; tales non possunt dici cives, sed perditores civium. 1748, 3 Julius.
Footnotes:
1. sic Arcana Coelestia 1509