4363. Later on it was permitted him to defend himself. He spoke as he had done in the world, in his outward qualities, arguing that he had spoken well, that he had thought well at that time, when on the subject of truth, the common good, he said that everyone is alike in that they regard themselves and not the public, that they also had regarded truth and justice out of self-interest, and many such arguments. He was responded to by mediums from heaven, that he is a thief and a good-for-nothing, trying to plunder the public for his own advantage in the guise of outward qualities, that he held an official function not for the country's, but for his own sake, that officials are members and instruments of the king as head, while he on the contrary was for himself, and that one cannot judge concerning [the motives of] others, because they are inward qualities that do not show; and because he is one in whom there is nothing of truth or conscience, he could form no other [than a negative] opinion of others.
[2] It was added that in the other life these qualities become manifest, among other similar ones, that everyone atones in the other life for their own character, that if there are a thousand who say the same thing, it is not from the same origin, and that their being many is no excuse, all atone for what they had been. All this and probably more was said to him, and because nothing more than such traits were found in him, it was declared that there was no alternative but that he be thrust into hell. 1749, 20 Aug. 1His passion consisted in the fact that he delighted in writing - for this he was inclined to take much credit. This, however, was his only pleasure and delight, which he preferred above all else, in which he was motivated not by a regard for the common good, but because he had been captivated by a passion for it and found it lucrative for himself, for he received a relatively considerable income from it.
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of the sun, meaning Sunday.
4363. Being afterwards permitted to defend himself, he spoke as in the world, in an external manner, employing arguments, and uttering well what he then conceived well, as, for instance, when he spoke of truth, of the common good, and went on to say that all others had respect to themselves and not to the public, that they even regarded truth and justice only as they bore upon their self-interest, and various specious reasonings of this kind. An answer was returned him by subjects from heaven, to the effect that he was a thief and a villain, aiming from self-love to plunder the public by means of exterior semblances and performing service, not from the love of country, but from the love of self; that official persons are the members and organs of the king, who is the head, while he, on the contrary, was acting solely for himself, and was consequently incapacitated for judging of others, inasmuch as things of an interior character do not appear outwardly. Consequently, as he was one who was utterly devoid of truth and conscience, he could form no other opinion concerning others [than such as accorded with his own quality]; adding, that these and similar things [in regard to character] became manifest in the other life, where everyone fares according to his quality in the present life; and where, if a thousand should conspire to speak the same thing, yet if it were not from the same origin with all, numbers would be of no avail - one and all would be obliged to suffer according to what they had been. All this and probably much more was said to him, and yet as no other traits appeared in him than such as were above described, he was informed that there was no alternative but that he must be cast into hell. - 1749, August 20. His present pleasure arose from the fact of his formerly delighting in authorship; this he wished to arrogate to himself as a merit. But this was his sole and paramount pleasure and delight, wherein he was influenced not by a regard to the public good, but from a view to his own enjoyment and emolument, as it yielded him a comparatively large income.
4363. Postea permittebatur ei se defendere, loquutus sicut in mundo, exterius, cum argumentis, quod bene loquutus, quod tunc cogitaverit bene, cum de vero, communi bono, quod omnes alii quoque tales sint, ut se spectent non publicum, quod verum et justitiam spectarint quoque sui causa, et plura talia ratiocinia, cui responsum a subjectis e coelo, quod furfur et nequam sit, per exteriora deripere voluerit publicum sui causa, quod officio functus non patriae sed sui causa, quod officiarii sint membra et viscera regis qui caput, is contrarium pro se, et quod de aliis judicare nequeat, quia illa sunt interiora quae non exstant, et quia is talis, in quo nihil veri nec conscientiae, non aliam opinionem de aliis potuerit habere, quod haec manifesta fiant in altera vita, et alia similia, quod quisque secundum qualitatem suam luat in altera vita, quod si mille sint qui prorsus idem loquuti, non tamen ex simili origine sit, et quod nulla excusatio quod plures, omnes luunt secundum quod fuerint; ita ei et plura forsan dicta, et quia nihil adhuc quam tale repertum apud eum, dictum quod non posset quam in infernum detrudi. 1749, 20 Aug. - Ejus voluptas constitit in eo quod in scribendis delectaretur, hoc sibi ut meritum vindicare voluit, sed hoc fuit ejus voluptas et delectatio unica, quam praeferebat omnibus aliis, non fine publicae causa, sed quia captavit hanc voluptatem et nactus sui lucri causa, nam inde lucrum insigne respective habuit.