5042. After this a part of the great city sank still more deeply, and a part of Falun more deeply, because their inward elements were more evil than the rest of the people. But at the present day they have become worse than they were formerly due to their governor (A[nton] Swab 1) having divided the populace. He has incited them with profit and money and has rewarded everyone who would stand on his side, honoring them with both skill and eloquence. The rest, whatever they were like, honest or dishonest, he has persecuted in every way. He has deprived them of their profits and insulted them personally or through others. In a word he has sown seeds of disagreements filled with intense hatred in every faction there. As a result, because from ancient times they had a hereditary honesty, and also because inwardly they had been wise but have destroyed these qualities in themselves, as a result they are among the worst peoples in Sweden today. On account of this they have sunk down more deeply than others.
Footnotes:
1. See footnoted information on him in passage 4701.
5042. Furthermore, a part of the great city sank down still deeper, and the Fahlun part deeper yet; for the reason that the evil [there] are more interior than the rest: at this day, they have become worse than they were formerly; and this has come to pass on account of their governor (Anders Swab) who has divided the people in the following way: - He has allured by profits and money, and rewarded, all who stood upon his side, and honored them both by manner and words. The rest, no matter of what character they were, honest or dishonest, he has persecuted in every way; he has deprived them of their gains; he has slandered them himself and through others; in a word, he has sown discords, from inward hatred, in the whole community there. Therefore, these people, inasmuch as integrity was hereditary with them from ancient times, and thereby, also, they were interiorly wise; and because they have, yet, destroyed these things in themselves - therefore, they are now, at this day, among the worst communities in Sweden; wherefore they sank down more deeply than the others.
5042. Porro subsidit pars urbis magnae adhuc profundius, et profundius pars Fahlunensis, ex causa quia interiores mali sunt quam reliqui, sed in hodiernis temporibus facti sunt pejores, quam fuerunt olim, hoc factum est a gubernatore eorum (A. Swab) qui ita divisit populum, allexit per lucra et pecunias, et remuneravit omnes qui a parte sua starent, etiam honoravit eos tam arte quam verbis, reliquos qualescunque erant, sinceri vel non sinceri, persequutus est omni modo, privavit eos lucris suis, vituperavit ipse, et per alios, verbo dissidia ex odio intestino inseminavit omni coetui ibi, inde illi, quia sinceritas illis ex antiquis temporibus ex haereditario fuit, et inde quoque interius fuerunt sapientes, sed quia illa destruxerunt apud se, ideo nunc inter pessimas gentes hodie sunt in Sveria, quapropter illi prae aliis profundius subsiderunt.