2967. About the dragon changed into the form of an inward spirit
Because the dragon continually bears malice and plots deceptions against the faithful, he even, about two days ago [25 Aug.] plotted a new trick together with others, trying to call forth cutthroats, for which reason he fled away toward the rear of me when he himself had been treated miserably by the cutthroats [2922], being there for about a day. Today he invented a different trick to deceive and then drive away innocent people, namely, turning himself into the form of an inward spirit, which can easily be done, and then deceiving them under that form.
He was therefore by permission turned into that form, into which he had not [been turned] before, so they say, and then he flew forth quite high toward the regions in front, speaking with me all the while through spirits. But since there are myriads of such evil spirits, he was let in among them and treated badly, but was set free by the Lord. So he was brought back into his original form, namely that of an outward spirit, such as he is and had been.
Then, so that I would learn of their state when those who are inward go back into the outward form, he spoke with me from his own proper form, remembering nothing of what had happened to him in the form of an inward spirit. So he had forgotten everything, and if he had not learned from me that he had been thus [changed], and had been among those evil spirits, among other things, he would not have known what he had done at that time. This all shows that inward spirits and angels, when they become spirits, do not know what went on in heaven, or even that they had been [inward] spirits or angels.
2967. CONCERNING THE DRAGON, CHANGED INTO THE FORM OF AN INTERIOR SPIRIT.
Inasmuch as the dragon continually harbors malice [wickedness] and plots deceits against the faithful, and about two days before even plots with others a new deceit [to wit], that he wished to call out the cut-throats; therefore he fled to my back [posteriora], and was treated miserably by the cut-throats, and was there for about a day. Today he invents another deceit, in order to deceive the innocent, and so lead them away, to wit, that he might turn himself into the form of an interior spirit, which can easily be done, and so deceive under that form. Wherefore from permission, he was turned into such a form, into which, they say [he has not been turned] before, and so flies away on high towards anterior [regions], and, meanwhile, spoke with me through interiors; but inasmuch as myriads of such are evil, he was sent among them, and harshly treated, but, was liberated by the Lord. Therefore being reduced into [his] original form of an exterior spirit, such as he is, and was then; in order that I might know the state of those who are interior, when they resume the exterior form, he spoke with me, from his own form, and remembered nothing of those things which happened to him in the form of an interior spirit; so that he had forgotten everything, and if he had not known from me, that he has been of [in] such a sort [state], and that he has been amongst such evil spirits, and many [other things], he would not have known what he then did. From this, it can be evident that interior spirits, and angels, when they become spirits, are ignorant what was transacted in heaven, yea, that they have been spirits or angels.
2967. De dracone mutato in formam spiritus interioris
Quia draco continue malitiam gerit et dolos nectit contra fideles--etiam 1
ante binos, circiter dies [24 Aug.], etiam dolum novum cum aliis nexit 2
, quod evocare vellet cultrarios, quare aufugit ad posteriora mea, cum ipse a cultrariis 3
miserabiliter tractatus [2922] ibi per diem circiter erat--hodie 4
alium dolum invenit, ut deciperet innocentes, et sic abigeret, nempe quod verteret se in formam spiritus interioris, quod facile fieri potest, et sic sub ea forma deciperet, quare ex permissione versus est in formam talem, in quam sicut dicitur, non prius, et sic evolavit altius versus anteriora, et mecum per spiritus interea loquutus, sed quia myriades tales sunt mali, immissus est inter eos, et male tractatus 5
, sed liberatus a Domino; quare reductus in formam pristinam, nempe 6
exterioris spiritus, qualis est, et fuerat; tunc, ut scirem statum eorum, cum redeunt in formam exteriorem, qui interiores, loquutus est mecum ex suamet forma, et nihil eorum meminit, quae ei acciderunt in forma interioris spiritus, sic ut oblitus omnium, et si non ex me novisset, quod talis fuerit, et quod inter malos tales spiritus fuerit, et plura, non novisset, quid tunc egerit, ex quibus constare potest, quod interiores spiritus, et angeli, dum spiritus fiunt, quod nesciant [id] quod peractum in coelo, imo quod fuerint spiritus aut angeli.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has fideles; etiam
2. The Manuscript has nectit
3. The Manuscript has cultrarii
4. The Manuscript has erat: hodie
5. The Manuscript has tractus
6. The Manuscript has nem ut alibi contractum videas nempe