3365. When I awoke, they were seen to be fleeing away to their own place higher up, and from there they were working but to no effect. Finally, when I wanted to drive them away from me, they seemed to be wrapped up in a cloth, like those who had been wrapped in a woollen cloth [3298] - I thought it was they. Then they were let down by a rock slanting in a straight line, to some depth. It was a hard rock leaning downwards, straight in its whole length. When they had come about halfway, then the cloth wrapping was unrolled, and small human bodies were seen to go out from it, a multitude, about which it was said that they were the ones they had carried off, all acquaintances of mine. They also poured in something of the persuasion to the effect that by their frosty and noxious persuasion they could kill anyone they came across. But those little people were seen to escape from there, so they were the ones that had been wrapped up by them in a woollen cloth, and preserved - not acquaintances, but others, so that I would learn how they work. For just when [my acquaintances] appear to be wrapped up, they wrap up others by their persuasions, but the wrapping up is preservation, lest their persuasions operate more strongly than they may endure, and so that they may come out of it better [than before].
3365. (When I awoke they seemed to flee away to their place above, and acted thence, but with no effect; at length, as I wished to drive them away from me, they seemed to be wrapped in a cloth [sheet] like those who [were wrapped in] the woolen cloth [sheet]. I thought it was they. Thus were they let down through a rock, slanting in a straight line, to some depth; it was a hard rock, inclining downwards, which lengthwise was straight; when [they were let down] to nearly half distance, then the bundle of cloth was unloosed and a multitude of small human bodies seemed to go forth; concerning whom it was said that these were the ones whom [the evil spirits] had carried off with themselves, [namely], all my acquaintances. They also infused so much of persuasion, as that by their most chilly and deadly persuasion, they could kill whomsoever they came across. But the little men [manikins] seemed to escape thence, thus were such as were wrapped by them in a linen cloth [sheet] and preserved, not [my] acquaintances, but others; so that I might know how they act, for when they appear to be wrapped [in a sheet], they involve others in their persuasions. But the involving is preservation that their persuasions may not operate more strongly than they can endure, and that hence they may become better.)
3365. Cum evigilatus aufugere visi ad locum suum superius, et inde agebant, sed cum nullo effectu, tandem eos volens a me abigere, involvi videbantur panno, sicut ii qui panno laneo [3298], putabam quod ii essent, sic demissi per petram oblique rectam, aliquam profunditatem, erat petra dura inclinans deorsum, in longitudinem 1
rectam, cum ad dimidiam fere distantiam, tunc exsolvebatur fascia seu pannus, et exire visa humana parva corpora, multitudine, de quibus dictum, quod ii essent, quos secum abstulerint, omnes meos notos, infundebant etiam persuasionis quid, ex eo quod persuasione sua gelidissima et pestiferissima possent necare quemcunque offenderent; sed visi ii homunciones inde elabi, ita erant tales qui involuti ab iis panno lineo, et conservati, non noti sed alii, ut scirem quomodo agunt, nam tunc cum apparent involvi ii, involvunt alios, suis persuasionibus, sed involutio est conservatio, ne persuasiones eorum operentur fortius quam ut sustineant, ac ut inde meliores existant.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has longitudem