622. Continuation about the spirits of the inhabitants of Jupiter
The punishing spirit who was speaking forcibly, as was said [541], as if by forward thrusts of the voice, and standing at the left, below the mid portion of the body, came up to me and wanted, according to the custom on their earth, to punish me because of things I had thought and said. And those angels, as they call them, stood at the region of my head in order to guide him, to permit him to punish according to the circumstances, and thus to moderate.
But he was not permitted to do anything to me, except to show me their various kinds of punishments, one being to cause a painful contraction around the midriff, like that of a sharp belt being tightened, which, they said, was attended with great pain to their people. Another kind was a privation of breathing, such that they finally came into a shortness of breath caused by the intervals of stoppage. Yet another was to announce their death, and the consequent loss of joy from their married partner, children, companions, or from those who are dear to them; for these spirits are able to find out in an instant what they love.
622. CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE SPIRITS OF THE INHABITANTS OF JUPITER
The punishing spirit who spoke, as was said [n. 541, in a compelling manner as if by protrusion of the voice, and who was standing at my left side below the middle of the body, approached me, and as is the custom on their earth, wanted to punish me on account of certain things thought and said; their angels, as they are thus called by them, were stationed at the region of his head in order that they might lead him, and also permit him to punish according to the circumstances, and thus that they might moderate. But he was not allowed to do anything to me except to show me the varieties of their punishments. One kind was a painful constriction about the middle of the belly as if caused by the compression of a sharp girdle, which the spirits said was attended with much pain to their people. Another kind of punishment was the holding up of the respiration, so that their breathing becomes constricted, and this through alternations of intermission. Furthermore, they threaten them with death and thus the privation of joy from their spouse, children, companions, or from those things which are dear to them, for these spirits can know in a moment what they love.
622. Continuatio de Jovis incolarum spiritibus
Spiritus puniens qui loquebatur, ut dictum est [541], coacte, tanquam per protrusiones 1
vocis, adstans ad sinistrum infra medium corporis, ad me alluit, voluitque, sicut mos est in eorum tellure, me punire, ob quaedam cogitata et dicta, et ii, ita dicti iis angeli, adstiterunt a regione capitis, ut ducerent eum, permitterent punire secundum circumstantias, et sic moderarentur, sed non licuit ei quicquam in me, praeter quod mihi ostendisset genera eorum punitionum, nempe quod circa medium ventrem fieret coarctatio dolorifica, sicut cinguli acuti comprimentes, quod dicebant fieri cum multo dolore apud suos. Alterum genus erat respirationis sublatio, sic ut tandem in angustiam respirationis venirent, et haec per intermissionis 2
vices: porro quod denuntiarent iis mortem, et sic privationem gaudii ex marito, liberis, sociis, seu ab iis, quae iis chara sunt, nam quid amant, momento scire possunt.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; imperfectum in the Manuscript;forte intermissim