4658. About a dark room in hell
The room is toward the front, on the right-hand side at a distance, where those are who had plotted to become more powerful than others in their Kingdoms by right or by wrong and who accounted religion as nothing and did not believe in God but believed all things to come from nature and ascribed everything to their own prudence. They sit at a rather long table in that Room, and a certain one who calls himself the great God is seated on a higher throne. And those sitting there acknowledge him as such. He places a kind of scepter on that table, and all who are there listen to him and worship him. It was granted me to see him there and to hear them speaking and saying what they were deliberating among themselves, for they deliberate together. But they did not want it known because they were such in the world. They had deliberated, they said, about whether there was one God or many, and they concluded there are many and that the earlier gods no longer exist and that they [themselves] have succeeded them. They deliberated also about god, saying that every god should be called the greatest god by his own worshippers. Then too they said that one god may not act against another, and further, that those who are clever can aspire to become gods.
They also said that they had deliberated concerning eternity [and concluded] that there are many eternities and that there is always an eternity wherever there is some god. Then they said that those who are involved in deliberations there go away and come back, and that some do not come back when they go away nor know where they are going, and much of the same. They are steeped in such insanity because in the world they had plotted nothing other than becoming great. They have a quite strong persuasive power. Using fantasies, their god is able to make something appear, which he calls [performing] miracles. Beneath the table there was a coffin, the kind dead bodies are put in. This was taken away from them, and then he said that he could then no longer work miracles. From this one could conclude that a particular one of them was from the Catholics. They were exposed to ridicule by certain spirits by means of fantasies so that simple spirits would see what that spirit was like. In short, they are very stupid but seem to themselves the wisest of all. Afterwards it became known where he was from, namely, from Constantinople, and that there he had been in the post of Mufti and had derived that arrogance from it. The coffin under the table was an image 1of Mohammed's coffin, which was under the bed as long as he remained. He said he had been able to do miracles but not later on. He was then exposed to ridicule by a great many [spirits] and thus cast into hell. He said that he had first been under Mohammed in the other life, but after this, when he was made a god, was above him.
Footnotes:
1. Reference to shades, dead people, etc. from Ovid M:14:358.
4658. CONCERNING A DARK INFERNAL CHAMBER.
That chamber is forwards, on the right side, at some distance. In that place are such persons as have plotted, in kingdoms, to become powerful above others, by right or wrong, and have accounted religion as nothing, nor believed in God, but [have believed] that all things are of nature, and attributed everything to their own prudence. In that chamber they sit at quite a long table; an in a throne, above, sits a certain one who calls himself the great God; and they who sit, also acknowledge him for such. He places a certain scepter on that table; and all there hear and worship him. It was granted to see those things there, and to hear them speaking, and telling about what they were deliberating with each other: for they deliberate; but they wish that it should be unknown, because such was their disposition in the world.
They said they had deliberated whether there was one God, or many, and have concluded that, at present, there are many, and that those who formerly were gods are no longer so, and that thus they succeed each other. They have also deliberated concerning God, [to the effect] that every god should be called the great God by his own [worshippers]; again, that one god does not act against another: further, that they who are shrewd, can aspire to become gods. They said they had also deliberated, concerning eternity, that there are many eternities, and always an eternity where there is any god. Then they said, that the deliberators there, depart and return; and that some, when they depart do not return, nor do they know whither they go; and many similar thing. They are in such an insanity, for the reason that they have plotted nothing else, in the world, than to become great. They have quite a strong persuasive faculty. Their god, by means of phantasies, is able to present anything to the sight, which [presentations] he calls miracles. Under the table was a coffin, such as dead bodies are laid in. This was taken away from them; and he then said that he could, then, no longer work miracles. From that it may be concluded, about anyone, that he was of the Catholics. They [the so-called miracles] were exposed to derision, by certain spirits, by means of phantasies, so that simple spirits might see of what quality he [the pretended god] was. In a word, they are in stupidity, but they seem to themselves the wisest of all. Afterwards, it became known whence he was, that he was from Constantinople, and that, there, he was in the post of Mufti, and that he derived that pride thence. The coffin under the table, was the likeness of Mahommed's coffin; and it was under the roof as long as he remained. He declared himself to have been able to work miracles, but afterwards [not]. He was then exposed, by many, by great derision, and thus was cast into hell. He said that, previously, in the other life, he was under Mahommed, but afterwards, when he became God, that he was above him.
4658. De Camera obscura infernali
Camera illa est antrorsus ad latus dextrum ad aliquam distantiam, ibi sunt tales qui in Regnis machinati sunt ut potentes fiant prae aliis, per fas et nefas, et religionem pro nihilo aestimarunt, nec crediderunt in Deum, sed omnia naturae esse, et suae prudentiae omnia tribuerunt; in Camera illa sedent illi ad mensam satis longam, et in solio superius sedet quidam qui se vocat magnum Deum, et illi qui sedent etiam eum agnoscunt pro tali, sceptrum quoddam ponit super mensa illa, et illum audiunt omnes ibi, et colunt; datum est videre illum ibi, et audire illos loquentes, et dicentes quid inter se consultarent, nam consultant, sed volunt ut incognitum sit, quia tales in mundo; consultavisse dicebant, num unus Deus esset vel plures, et concluserunt quod nunc plures, et quod dii qui prius fuerant, non amplius sint, et quod sic succedant; consultaverunt etiam de deo, quod quisque deus a suis diceretur maximus deus; tum quod unus deus non faciat contra alterum, tum quod qui ingeniosi sunt, aspirare possint deos fieri; etiam consultavisse dicebant de aeterno, quod plura aeterna sint, et aeternum semper ubi aliquis deus, tum dicebant quod consiliarii ibi abeant et redeant, et quod quidam cum abeunt non redeant, nec sciunt quo vadunt, et similia plura, in tali insania sunt, propterea quod non aliud machinati sunt in mundo, quam ut magni fiant; persuasivum habent satis forte. Deus eorum per phantasias potest aliquid sistere videndum, quae vocat miracula: sub mensa fuit loculus in quali corpora mortua reponuntur, ille iis ablatus est, et tunc dixit ille, quod si tunc non posset amplius miracula facere, ex eo concludi potuit quod aliquis ex Catholicis fuerit. Ludibriis exponebatur a quibusdam spiritibus, per phantasias, ut viderent simplices spiritus qualis esset, verbo, sunt in stupiditate, at sibi videntur omnium sapientissimi. Postea innotuit unde fuit, quod ex Constantinopoli, quod ibi fuerit loco Mufti, et quod inde traxerit illum fastum; loculus sub mensa erat effigies loculi Mahumedis, qui sub lecto, quamdiu ill remanebat, dicebat se miracula potuisse facere, sed postea [non] ; dein a pluribus magnis ludibriis est expositus, et sic conjectus in infernum, dicebat quod primum in altera vita fuerit sub Mahumede, sed postea cum factus deus, quod supra illum.