3997. About sirens
Those the highest overhead, preeminently sirens, out of anxiety when I was writing about them (because about the pontiff and David [3656 ff.]), who flow into the lower deceitful spirits when I was writing, they inflicted the region of the abdomen with a rather strong pain, which was their anguish, producing this effect, because they do not want to be exposed, nor written about. I spoke with them, realizing that they slip themselves into the feelings and are able to arouse compassion. As if they were upright, they did arouse compassion, and complained about their condition, but they were told that it is their nature to be able to lead even the upright astray. From life in the body they had brought the ability to appear upright to others and to slip into their company, while having as their intention or purpose cruelties, love of self, and adulteries. Borne along with such things in mind, and with goodness in the mouth, they are able to slip into societies of the upright - which cannot be tolerated, so I was unable to pity their conditions of life, or their lot. 1748, 19 Nov.
3997. CONCERNING THE SIRENS.
Those who were greatly elevated above the head, or the sirens of the highest grade, from a certain anxiety while I was writing concerning them, especially concerning the pontiff and David, who flow into the lower deceitful ones, these while I was writing, inflicted a sensible pain in the region of the abdomen, which was their own anguish putting forth its effect in that manner, because they were unwilling to be exposed or to have anything written respecting them. I spoke with them and perceived that they would insinuate themselves into the affections, and are able to move compassion as if they were upright. They even actually excited such emotions, and complained concerning their state; but it was said to them that they were such as could seduce even the upright, and that they had derived this from their life in the body, that they could appear upright before others, and thus act by insinuation, when yet they had in their mind, as an end, cruelties, the love of self and adulteries; and while they cherished these things internally, and had goodness in their mouth, they could then insinuate themselves into the societies of the upright, which was not to be borne; wherefore it was out of my power to pity their state of life or their lot. - 1748, November 19.
3997. De sirenibus
Qui altissime supra caput, in summo gradu sirenes, ex anxietate cum scriberem de iis, quia de pontifice et Davide [3656 ff.] , qui influunt in dolosos inferiores, ii cum scriberem, incutiebant abdominis regioni dolorem satis sensibilem, qui erat angor eorum, eum effectum edens, quia detegi non volunt, nec de iis scribi, loquutus cum iis, et percepi, quod insinuarent se in affectiones, et movere possent misericordias; sicut forent probi, excitabant etiam, et conquesti de suo statu, sed iis dictum, quod tales sint, ut quoque probos seducere possent, ex vita in corpore id traxisse, ut coram aliis probi visi, sic se insinuantes, cum animo haberent seu pro fine crudelitates, sui amorem, et adulteria, cum ea animo geruntur, et bona ore, tunc possent se insinuare in societates proborum, quod tolerari non potest; quare non misereri possem eorum status vitae seu sortis. 1748, 19 Nov.