4574. About the hells of the inwardly deceitful and outwardly good
The Tongue
There are those who had outwardly appeared good, gentle, and dutiful in the world, but whose pleasure, which they had concealed within, had been inflicting harm on the neighbor in every possible way. Such people, like (Losche Bryggaren emot mig boende) 1, are not recognized by others. In the other life they also hold themselves aloft for a long time because outwardly they had been gentle and good. They did this among the simple that do not go into higher matters. Those outwardly good elevate themselves by the path toward the right where those are who were of the same nature. But they want others, especially those who are of such a nature, to harm other people. They sit there on the right at the side and are delighted by such things.
Spirits of this kind, let into a hell there, were engulfed by a cloud, some cast headlong into it, and this again and again, always followed by others. They are wicked demons. Those elevated by the former ones are of that nature. When thinking about matters of faith, because they had thought and believed something such, they force others, on whom they are acting, to put their tongue between their teeth, so that they will bite it and cut it off. It has been granted me to experience their attempt [to do] this many, many times so that I would know what they are like. They would have been happy if they had been able to utterly destroy me, for without a tongue I would be deprived of the ability to eat and also to speak, thus to associate with people. This is why their greatest passion is the passion for such things, and why their enjoyment increases in proportion to the magnitude of the harm. For two days now I have seen many thousands swallowed down into their new hell.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "Ԍosche the Brewer, living across from me"
4574. CONCERNING THE HELLS OF THOSE WHO ARE EVIL WITHIN AND GOOD WITHOUT. THE TONGUE.
There are those, who, in the world, appeared externally good, gentle and obliging; but their delight, which they concealed within, was that they might injure the neighbor in every possible manner. Such are not distinguished from others - as, for example, (Losche . . .) 1Such, in the other life, also hold themselves on high a long time, on account of their being externally gentle and good. [They do] this with the simple, who do not go very deeply [into things]; for, thus, they raise themselves up through a way to the right, where are such as have been similar; and they especially desire that such may injure each other. They sit there, to the right, at a side place, and there delight in such things. Such spirits are sent to the hell in that region. They are swallowed up by the thousand. Some are precipitated thither, and this through many vicissitudes: others forever following. They are malignant genii. Those who are raised up by these, are of such a character, also. While they think those things which are of faith - for they have thought and believed in something of the kind - they compel others, into whom they are operating, to put the tongue between the teeth in order that they may bite it, and so cut it off very many times, it was granted me to experience [this] attempt of his, and of such like ones, so that I might know of what quality they are. [They are such] as [would have] rejoiced, if they could [thus] have effected it, that they had destroyed me utterly; for, without a tongue, I should be deprived of the faculty of eating, and also of speaking, thus, of associating with men. Hence it is, that their greatest desire is the desire of such things; hence, also, their delight is augmented according to the magnitude of the injury [they are able to inflict]. I have now seen, for two days, many thousands thus swallowed down into their new hell.
Footnotes:
1. This is as the name appears in the Latin Edition, the Editor of which was unable to decipher the manuscript in this place, to his satisfaction. Dr. Achatius Kahl, however, in his Narratiunculae, conjectures that it may be meant for Anders Loschern von Hertzfeldt, an officer, of German descent, who lived in Sweden in the seventeenth century.
4574. De infernis dolosorum intus, et bonorum extus
Lingua
Sunt qui in mundo apparuerunt extus boni, mites, officiosi, sed jucundum eorum fuerat quod intus recondiderunt, quod nocere proximo quocunque modo possint, tales non dignoscuntur ab aliis, ut (Losche Bryggaren emot mig boende) 1
, tales etiam in altera vita tenent se in alto diu per quod extus mites et boni fuerint, hoc apud simplices qui non altius vadunt, se enim sic elevant per viam ad dextram, ubi sunt tales qui similes fuerunt, at volunt ut alii imprimis tales noceant aliis, sedent ibi ad dextram ad lateralem partem, et ibi delectantur talibus; tales missi sunt in infernum ibi, absorbti sunt a nube, quidam praecipitati illuc, et hoc per plures vices, semper alii succedentes; sunt maligni genii: qui elevantur ab illis tales sunt, dum cogitant illa quae fidei sunt, quia aliquid tale cogitarunt et crediderunt, adigunt alios, in quos operantur, linguam mittere inter dentes, ut manducent et sic amputent illam, tentamen ejus et talium perpluries experiri datum, ut scirem quales sunt, gavisi qui si hoc potuissent, quod prorsus me perdidissent, absque lingua enim privarer facultate edendi, tum quoque loquendi, ita conversandi cum hominibus; inde est, quod maxima illis cupido, cupido talibus et inde jucundum illis augetur secundum damni magnitudinem, nunc per duos dies vidi plura millia ita inglutita in novum eorum infernum.
Footnotes:
1. = Losche Cerevisiae Coctor exadversus me habitans (verba suecica)