3516. Now and then they mouthed the claim that it was for the sake of their Republic that they made a practice of trying to seize from others all their possessions, as though everything in the whole world belonged only to them. But they were told that they do not have the Republic at heart, only taking this as a supporting argument - the usual ploy when someone acquires a passion for something, and afterwards takes on the habit of defending it.
They were therefore let into a state of mind to see, if they were able to seize from their country all that it had, and all its citizens had, whether they would have done so, and it was shown by a mental image of them communicated to me that they would have, and if the Republic was afterwards unable to sustain itself, that they would have emigrated together with all their amassed wealth, not caring at all if it should utterly perish. So that argument is an afterthought, not an end, for had it been their end, then something of good would be in it.
[2] Now there is nothing but evil, because they are entirely opposed to love toward the neighbor, not caring, as shown, if they would thereby deprive families of their livelihood, so that with their little children they would have to go about naked, begging. So in them there is nothing but evil.
They were astonished when they realized they had nothing of good - which they could not but realize, being the kind that perceive truth - for they know that love of the neighbor is the principal law. Whether they had had any love at all (except toward those who had assisted them in writing and dealing, who were poor), they are thinking over, but not finding any. As for the others, they consider them to be laboring under fantasies with which [their minds] are infested, but they were asked whether they are not acting contrary to love, whether this comes before everything else, and they were unable to reply.
3516. They everywhere pretended with their lips that it was wholly for the sake of their republic that they were disposed to wrest from others their property, as if to them alone pertained everything in the whole extent of the earth. But it was told them that they had no [real] concern for the commonwealth, but merely laid hold of this as a confirmatory argument, as one does when he undertakes to defend any concupiscence to which he has become addicted. They were therefore remitted into a state which might put it to the test whether, if it had been possible, they would have seized and appropriated whatever belonged to the state and its citizens, and it was shown by an idea communicated to me, that they would have done it, and if the republic could not afterwards have sustained itself, that they would have gathered up their wealth and emigrated, not caring if the whole country should perish. Wherefore it is clear that the argument was post-assumed, and not a proof of their real end, which, if it had been, would have implied the presence of something good. As it was, it implied only evil, as they were wholly contrary to the love of the neighbor, not caring, as was shown, if they should so far deprive families of their substance that they should be compelled to go forth naked with their children and live by begging. There was therefore nothing in them but evil. They wondered when they perceived that they had nothing good in them, which they could not but perceive, as they were such as could perceive what is true, for they know that the love of the neighbor is the principal law: but whether they themselves had ought of this love, except towards the poor who favor [and assist] them in their writing and trading, though they ponder upon it, they find no evidence of it. As to others, they look upon them as laboring under phantasies with which their minds are infected. But when it was inquired whether they were not wholly contrary to love, and whether this was not still a principle of vastly higher excellence, they were unable to answer.
3516. Ore ferebant passim, quod Reipublicae suae causa ita faciant, quod aliis praeripere omnia eorum vellent, sicut ad eos solum pertinerent omnia quae in universo terrarum orbe essent; sed dictum iis, quod Respublica iis non cordi sit, modo quod assumant hoc ut argumentum confirmans, sicut solet, dum [quis] in cupiditate aliqua est, postea defendit eam ex usu, quem assumit; quare missi in statum, si surripere possent reipublicae suae omnia quaecunque haberet, et quae incolae haberent, annon fecissent, et ostensum idea eorum communicata mihi, quod id facerent, et si Respublica non postea se sustineret, quod cum opibus conquisitis, emigrarent, nihil curantes, si periret prorsus: quare est argumentum postea assumtum, non finis, qui finis si esset, tunc boni quid inesset; nunc non nisi malum, quia prorsus contrarii sunt amori erga proximum; non curantes, ut ostensum, si sic privarent familias, ut nudi cum infantibus irent mendicantes: quare in iis nihil nisi malum; mirati sunt ii, cum perciperent, quod nihil boni haberent, quod non potuerunt non percipere, quia tales sunt ut percipiant quid verum, nam sciunt quod amor proximi sit principalis lex, num quicquam amoris habuerint, nisi erga eos qui faverunt iis in scribendo et negotiando, qui pauperes, pensitant, nec inveniunt. Judicant de aliis, quod phantasiis laborent et infecti sint, sed iis dictum, annon ii sint contrarii amori, an hoc praestat prae illis, nec respondere potuerunt.