2974. About the cutthroats
The crime they were planning was to send cutthroats to me at night who were to kill me while I slept, which was also attempted in my sleep in the following manner.
There was in my dream a certain known friend who seemed to be lying with me. And as I lay unawares, thinking him to be a friend and fearing nothing at all, assuming it to be very safe to lie near him, he suddenly flung himself forward upon my head, his head and mouth at the back of my neck, trying to bite me with his mouth and suck out blood as tigers do, and thus to kill me like a bloodsucker. But beyond attempting and wanting to, he could do nothing, for I awoke. In my sleep I also noticed a knife in my hand, but at the time it was my intention to throw the knife away, but not at all to harm him. Having awakened, I saw a sheep behind me, which turned into a dog. As it became more and more a dog, it stretched its mouth forward toward me, and then disappeared. So the cutthroats have that nature that when they cannot [use] knives, they bite with their teeth, and are symbolized by dogs.
Presently it was asked who the criminal person was, but he has not yet been discovered - namely, the one who had inspired him who was with me to attempt this. It is his nature to cast blame on all the innocent people he knows. 1748, 29 Aug.
2974. CONCERNING THE CUT-THROATS.
The crime [facinus] which they entered upon was to send to me, in the night, cut-throats to kill me while I was asleep; which also was thus attempted in sleep. There seemed in [my] dream, that a certain friend whom I knew lay near me, and when I was ignorant, and supposed him a friend, and feared nothing at all, because supposing [myself] very safe, lying with him, he suddenly threw himself on my head, and [put] his head and so his mouth to the back of my neck [ad collum tergale] and wished to bite me with his mouth, and suck out my blood, as is the habit of tigers, and so kill me like a leech: but besides attempting and willing he could effect nothing: for I awaked. I observed also in sleep a knife in my hand, but at that time I had the wish to project [throw] the knife, but not at all to hurt him. I awaked, and saw a bird behind me, which was turned into a dog, which the more and more it became a dog, extended its mouth towards me, and so disappeared. Wherefore the cutthroats are of such a nature, that when they cannot [use] the knives, they bite with the teeth, and they are signified by the dogs. It was next asked who was the guilty one [facinorosus] but he has not yet been found, to wit, he who inspired him [that is] with [penes] me to attempt it. He is of such a nature, as to throw the blame on every innocent [person] that he knows. - 1748, August 29.
2974. De cultrariis
Facinus quod inibant, erat ut ad me noctu mitterent cultrarios qui me interficerent, cum dormirem; quod etiam in somno ita aggressum: erat in somnio quidam notus amicus mihi prope me cubare visus, et cum nescirem, cum amicum putarem, et nihil prorsus timerem, quia tutissimum putans cubare apud eum, projecit se subito super caput meum, suum caput et os sic ad collum tergale, et ore volens me mordere, et sanguinem exsugere, ut solent tigrides, et sic occidere ut sanguisuga, sed praeter conari et velle, nihil potuit, nam expergefactus; observabam quoque in somno cultrum in manu mea, sed in mea tunc voluntate erat cultrum projiciendi, nequaquam autem ei nocendi; expergefactus, videbam ovem 1
pone me, quae versa erat in canem, qui magis magisque canis factus protendebat os suum versus me, sed sic disparuit; quare cultrarii sunt tales, ut dum non possint cultris, mordeant dentibus, et ii significantur 2
per canes. Quaesitus mox qui fuit facinorosus, sed nondum inventus, qui nempe inspiravit eum penes me id aggredi; talis est, ut culpam rejiciat in omnes insontes, quos novit. 1748, 29 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition avem sed vide indicem ad Ovis et alibi
2. The Manuscript has quod ii significentur