3370. When I awoke from the pleasant sleep, then I saw human bodies as if floating in the sea, some also crawling, as if dead, but still human; later also some limp, lifeless. About them it was imparted to me that such perished in this way before the flood, and became dead spirits. Others said that they were dead, and therefore would perish, others that they had been like this for centuries, and had thereby been purged, and that when those qualities that were so dreadful had perished, they would come to life again by means of remains [of goodness]. These remains would be tempered with evils that they can live with, and would develop a character, purged by the death of their worst fantasies and their worst passions, just as certain kinds of rainbows appear symbolically.
Hence it is now being imparted to me that the rainbow became a sign that the human race would not perish, because they can come to life again, and their few remains [of goodness] can be tempered with their most obvious evils and with some even with their nearly most obvious, so that they would still live as spirits. Thus the life of their fantasies and passions would perish and remain such, for nothing can perish except by such a death.
3370. When I awaked from the sweet sleep, I then saw human bodies floating [natantia], as it were, in the sea; also some crawling, dead, as it were, yet human: afterwards, also pendulous [and] inanimate. It was insinuated concerning these, that such thus perished before the flood, and became dead spirits; others said that they were dead, and so perished; others that they were thus for ages, and so vastated, [and that] when those things which were so dreadful, had perished, they would revive [come to life again] with remains, which would be tempered, in their case, by evils wherewith they could live, and dispositions would be formed by vastation through death of the worst phantasies, and worst cupidities; like as certain species of rainbows [occur] through representations. Hence it now insinuated that the rainbow was made a token that the human race should not perish, because they can revive, and their few remains so tempered with their nearest evils, and in the case of some, with also the evils next contiguous, that they might still live as spirits, thus the life of their phantasies and cupidities would perish and remain such; for nothing can perish save through such a death.
3370. Cum a somno dulci evigilatus, tunc 1
videbam corpora humana quasi natantia in mari, quaedam etiam repentia, sicut mortua, usque humana, postea quoque pendula, exanima, de quibus insinuatum quod tales ante diluvium perirent 2
ita, et fierent mortui spiritus, alii dicentes quod mortui essent, et sic perirent, alii quod sic essent per saecula, et sic devastati, [quodque] cum periissent ea quae tam dira, cum reliquiis reviviscerent, quae temperarentur cum iis malis, cum quibus vivere possent, et formarentur indoles, devastatis per mortem phantasiarum pessimis et cupiditatum pessimis, sicut [formantur] quaedam species iridum per repraesentationes, inde nunc insinuatur, quod iris facta signum quod non periret humanum genus, quia reviviscere possunt, et reliquiae eorum paucae ita temperari 3
cum malis eorum proximis et apud quosdam etiam cum malis proxime affinibus, ut usque viverent ut spiritus, sic vita eorum phantasiarum et cupiditatum periret, et remaneret talis, nam nihil perire potest, nisi per talem mortem.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition tum
2. The Manuscript has perirerent
3. The Manuscript has temporari