4580. About the hells of the male sex, who are similar to sirens that are of the female sex
There are some of the male sex who speak in a pleasing tone and as if truthfully and have acquired this by both ingenuity and habit so that they can appear to be such. And they are also believed to be such and completely convince others that they are like this, when in reality they are entering into others feelings. And they entice them as opportunities offer and when their reputation is not endangered, and they deceitfully and cunningly plunder their wealth. They know various methods of doing this. Inwardly they are extremely wicked, having no other purpose than ruling and deceiving. In the other life such spirits sound as if they are sound and true and are believed by the simple to be such. They are totally pernicious.
[2] They are not unlike the sirens, supposing that they can never be thrust down into hell, trusting in their artfulness. There are a great number of these and their hell has been changed; now it is near the hell of the sirens but closer, nearer to the side part, toward the back. When they had been thrown there, it appeared as if they were all gathered one after the other into a ball and then rolled down into their own hell where a misty cloud welcomed them. As a result communication with the world of spirits is taken away from them. There they practice these things among themselves because they cannot do so with others. But they torment each other, regularly and reciprocally, until their malice is tamed, which does not take place except after many centuries.
4580. CONCERNING THE HELLS OF [THOSE OF] THE MALE SEX WHO ARE LIKE THE SIRENS, WHO ARE OF THE FEMALE.
There are some of the male sex, who talk sincerely and as it were truly, and have also acquired from practice and disposition the ability to appear so, and are also believed to be of such a character, and quite persuade others that they are such; when yet they enter into the affections of others, and inveigle them according to opportunity, and, when their reputation is not endangered, [they seduce] others to such things, and plunder others of their belongings, in a deceitful and cunning manner. They know different ways of doing this. They are interiorly the most malicious, having no other end than to rule and cheat. Such, in the other life, sound as if sincere and true, and are so believed to be by the simple. They are wholly pernicious, not unlike the sirens; they suppose that they [can] never be thrust down into hell: they trusted in their art. There is a great number of such, and their hell was changed. It is near the hell of the sirens, but nearer, at a less distance [from me], and nearer to the side, to wit, backwards. When they were cast thither, it appeared as if all were successively heaped together into one ball, and then rolled down into their hell. There, a nebulous [cloud] receives them. Hence, communication with the world of spirits is taken away from them. They there practice such things upon one another, because they cannot do so upon others; and they torment each other, and this by turn and turn about, and at oft-repeated intervals, even till their malice is subdued, which only happens after many ages.
4580. De infernis masculini sexus, qui similes sunt sirenibus quae faeminini
Sunt ex masculino sexu, qui sonore et quasi vere loquuntur, et quoque arte et habitu traxerunt id ut tales appareant, et quoque tales creduntur, et prorsus persuadent aliis quod tales sint, cum tamen intrant in aliorum affectiones, et pelliciunt secundum occasiones, et cum non fama periclitatur, alios ad talia, et aliis eorum opes dolose et astute deripiunt, sciunt diversis modis hoc facere, interius sunt malitiosissimi, non alium finem habentes quam imperandi et decipiendi, tales sonant in altera vita sicut sonores et veri, et a simplicibus ita esse creduntur, sunt prorsus perniciosi, sirenum non absimiles, putant quod nusquam [possint] detrudi in infernum, confisi arte sua, tales multa copia, et mutabatur eorum infernum, est prope sirenum infernum, sed ad minorem distantiam, propius laterali parti, nempe retrorsum: illi cum illuc conjecti sunt, apparuit sicut omnes in unum globum conglobati successive fuerint, et dein devoluti in infernum suum, ibi nebulosum excipit illos, inde aufertur illis communicatio cum mundo spirituum; ibi exercent talia inter [se,] quia in alios non possunt, at cruciant se, hoc per vices et vicissim, usque dum domatur eorum malitia, quod non fit nisi post plura saecula.