6072. Idleness, use, Hin[rik] Benzelstierna
It is known from experience that idleness is the devilҳ pillow, that idleness is like a sponge, which absorbs dirty water of various kinds, because a person who is leading an idle life is talking about and so thinking about everything in the world, clean and unclean, and so finds delight in everything unclean, because a person is inclined to those things, and there is nothing that repels them. It is the love of useful service alone that acts as a repellent, because in its pleasure it restrains the mind, so that it looks at the rest as outside itself. This was seen in the case of H[inrik] B[enzelstierna], who loved idleness. Moved by desire for pleasure he drew many, many evils to himself and allowed himself to be led by their pleasures, thus by spirits who had them.
6072. IDLENESS - USE - HEN[RIK] BENZELSTIERNA. 1
It was made known to me by experience, that idleness is the devil's pillow, because idleness is like a sponge which draws to itself dirty water of various sorts, inasmuch as he who is in idleness, speaks, and therefore thinks, about all things in the world, pure and impure, and hence receives the devil of all impure things - since man inclines to these things and there is not anything to drive them away. Only the love of uses repels them for this holds the mind in its delight, and thus regards all other things as outside itself. This was seen in the case of H[enrik] B[enzelstierna], who loved ease. Owing to his delight in it, he attracted to himself very many evils, and suffered himself to be led by the delights thereof, thus by the spirits who were in them.
Footnotes:
1. Usually written Benzelius. At the time of his death, in 1758, he was Archbishop of Upsal. -TR.
6072. Otium, usus, Hin. Benzelstierna
Ab experientia notum factum est, quod otium sit pulvinar diaboli, quod otium sit sicut spongia, quae attrahit aquas spurcas varii generis, quia qui in otio est loquitur et inde cogitat de omnibus rebus in mundo, puris et impuris, et inde capit delectationem omnium impurorum, quia homo inclinat in illa, nec est aliquid quod repellit, amor usuum unice repellit, nam continet animum in suo jucundo, ita spectat reliqua sicut extra se; hoc visum est apud H. B. qui otium amavit, ille ad se attraxit ex jucundo mala permulta, et passus est se duci a jucundis eorum, ita a spiritibus, qui in illis erant.