5648. Continuation concerning Babylon and the seven mountains
There are very many mountains there, they are there, and from there toward the north, up to twenty, but in the book of Revelation they are all called the seven mountains" on which lives the beast [19:9], because seven in the opposite sense stands for what is profane; and most who are there are from the Italian nation. In the one told about earlier [5630 ff.] the Romans dwell, because they more than others have a love of exercising control and thus are not interested in higher knowledge. Behind them live the rest of the Italians who are like those are who are above Rome, like those from Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, Mila and the northern region of Italy. These live there on the central mountains. On the furthest mountains toward the north were those from Naples, and further on from Sicily. For the worst dwell toward the north there; they are those who are from Sicily. They have acuteness in their false belief and have more false beliefs than others; and they are not so much in the love of exercising control as the Romans.
5648. CONTINUATION ABOUT BABYLON AND THE SEVEN MOUNTAINS.
There are many mountains there, which are in that part and northwards from it, as many as twenty; but they are all called in the Apocalypse [ 17:9 ], the seven mountains upon which dwells the beast; 1because seven, in the opposite sense, signifies a profane [state]. And the majority who are there, are of the Italian nation. On that, about which something has been previously related, the Romans dwell, because they are in the love of governing more than all the rest; neither do they care so much for knowledges. Behind them dwell the rest of the Italians who are of such a character: as those who are higher up than Rome, for instance, those who belong to Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, Milan, and the Trans-alpine provinces. These dwell upon the middle mountains there. In the farthest [mountain] towards the north, are those who were from Naples, and farther on, from Sicily; for the worst dwell towards the north there. They who were from Sicily, are those who have been in the subtlety of falsity, and in falses, more than the rest; and not so much in the love of governing, like the Romans.
Footnotes:
1. The passage in the Apocalypse speaks of the woman as sitting on the seven mountains; but as, according to verse 7 of the same chapter, the woman sat on the beast, the "beast" also was on them, as above represented. -ED.
5648. Continuation de Babylonia et septem montibus
Sunt ibi plures montes, qui ibi, et inde versus septentrionem, usque ad viginti, sed omnes illi vocantur "septem montes" in Apocalypsi, super quo habitat bestia [XVII: [9], quia septem significant prophanum in sensu opposito, et plerique qui ibi ex Italica gente sunt; in illo, de quo prius narratum [5630 seqq.] habitant Romani, quia illi prae caeteris in amore imperandi sunt, nec ita curant cognitiones; post illos habitant reliqui Itali qui tales, ut qui supra Roma, ut qui e Toscana, Genua, Venetiis, Milano, et Transmontana, illi habitant ibi super montibus mediis, in ultimis versus septentrionem fuerunt ex Neapoli, et ulterius ex Sicilia; pessimi enim habitant versus septentrionem ibi, qui erant e Sicilia, qui in acumine falsi et in falsis prae reliquis; et non ita in amore imperandi sicut Romani.