5932. 1About the state of those in hell
I was granted to look into a certain hell where they were not so evil. There I saw many in a room at the front, and another room within it. It was a chamber for a judge. He was there alone. A certain one came there, strengast, emot sina 2. And when he came there, he sat on a kind of official chair, convinced that he had been sent there to be the judge. But the gang there crept behind the chair and certain ones crept across at the foot of the chair, from front to back, from one side to the other. As a result he became virtually invisible, not only to me but to himself as well, and almost imperceptible, only he knew that he was there. They also made fun of him, sitting beside him and over him. Finally the judge came out of his room and seated himself on the bench, at the right side; and then something like fire appeared in his right cheek and then in his left as well, which was a sign not only that he was the judge but also that he would pronounce judgment. He asked whether someone had committed a crime, and the perpetrators were summoned and judged and sentenced to be punished; the rest were commended and dismissed. The judge tolerated everything, their playing tricks and joking around, provided they did not hurt anyone. They were very afraid of him because he had power. How they track down those who do evil, and when they find them, detain them, was also seen. They go around with a kind of circularly-shaped banner that shades from dark to white and do their tracking using this. They are led in this way to those who do what is wrong, and they then throw this banner down over him, which he then lies under, and he cannot extricate himself from there until he has been judged. But this hell is among the milder ones.
Footnotes:
1. This number of this paragraph is missing in the original manuscript but is referred to by Swedenborg in the index at Infernum.
2. Swedish for "very stern, toward his own"
5932. THE STATE OF THOSE IN HELL.
It was granted to see into a certain hell, where they were not so very evil. I saw many there in a chamber towards the front, and another chamber within, leading out of which was an apartment for a judge, who was there alone. Thither came a certain one . . . . 1a lover of self; and when he came thither he placed himself upon a kind of throne, believing that he was admitted there in order that he might be the judge; but the crowd, there, went behind the throne, and some crawled across beneath the throne, along the length and breadth, in consequence of which he became, as it were, invisible, not only to me, but also to himself, and almost insensible. He knew only that he was there. They also made fun of him, by sitting near him and over him. At length, the judge came out of his room, and seated himself upon that throne at the right-hand side, and there then appeared as it were a fieriness in the right cheek, and then in the left cheek also; which was a sign, not only that he was the judge but also that he would administer judgment. He inquired whether anyone had committed evil. Some were arraigned and sentenced to punishment. The rest were commended and let go. The judge tolerated everything as regards making fun and having their jokes, only they must not do evil to anyone. They fear him exceedingly, because he possesses power. It was also seen, in what manner they seek out those who do evil, and, when they discover them, keep them in restraint. They go with a sort of banner of a round form, which shades of from dark to white; and with this they make search. They are thus led to those who do evil; and they let down that banner upon such a one, and he then lies under it, nor can he stir from thence, and this even until he has been judged. This hell, however, was among the milder ones.
Footnotes:
1. The MS. is undecipherable in this place. -TR.
5932. 1
De statu eorum in inferno
Datum est videre in infernum quoddam, ubi non erant tam mali, ibi vidi plures antrorsum in camera, et alium cameram intra, erat conclave pro judice, qui solus ibi, venit illuc quidam, strengast - emot sina, 2
et cum illuc venit, posuit se super quodam solio, credens quod illuc immissus ut judex esset, sed turba ibi ibant post solium, et quidam transversim repebant sub solium in longum et in latum, unde ille sicut invisibilis factus est non modo mihi sed etiam sibi, et paene insensibilis, sciebat modo quod ibi esset, etiam illudebant eum, sedendo prope eum et super eum; tandem venit judex ex suo conclavi, et se posuit super eo solio, ad dextrum latus, et tunc apparebat sicut igneum in gena dextra dein quoque in gena sinistra, quod signum erat non modo quod esset judex, sed etiam ut judicaret, quaerebat an aliquis malum fecerit, et factores arcessiti, et judicati ad poenam, reliqui laudati et missi, judex tolerabat omnia, quod luderent et haberent sua ludibria, modo non alicui malum facerent; timent pro illo valde, quia habet potestatem: visum etiam quomodo inquirunt illos qui malum faciunt, et cum inveniunt, continent, eunt cum quodam signo quod ab obscuro vergit ad album, rotunda forma, et per id investigant, ducuntur sic ad illos qui male faciunt, et demittunt super illum id signum, sub quo tunc jacet, nec potest inde se emovere, et hoc usque dum judicatus fuit; sed hoc infernum inter mitiora erat.
Footnotes:
1. sic in indice ad Infernum pro paragarpho in ms. originaliter numero carente sed serius a B. Chastanier false 5933 numerata
2. = serverissimus erga suos (verba suecica)