afterwards on the palm, and thence it played round the hand on all sides: this continued for some time; presently the hand with the flaming principle was removed at a distance, and where it rested there was a bright lucid appearance; in that bright lucid appearance the hand retired from view, and instantly the flaming principle was changed into a bird, which at first was of like colors with the flaming principle, the colors sparkling in like manner, but they successively changed, and as the colors changed, the vigor of life in the bird changed also: it flew all around, and at first about my head, afterwards in a direction in front into a kind of narrow chamber, which appeared like some consecrated place, and as it flew more in a front direction its life in proportion departed, till at length it was changed into a stone, at first of the color of a pearl, but afterwards of an obscure color; but notwithstanding its being without life, it still continued flying. During the flight of this bird around my head, and whilst it was still in the vigor of life, there appeared a spirit from beneath, rising through the region of the loins to the region of the breast, who thence desired to take away the bird; but inasmuch as it was so beautiful, he was prevented by the spirits around me, who all kept their eyes fixed attentively upon it: but the spirit, who rose from below, powerfully persuaded them that the Lord was with him, and consequently that what he did was from the Lord; although most of them did not believe this, still they no longer hindered him from taking away the bird: he was not able however to retain it, by reason of an influx from heaven at that instant, and therefore presently let it fly out of his hand at perfect liberty. When this had passed, the spirits around me, who had been exceeding attentive to the bird and its successive changes, began to discourse with each other concerning it, and continued their discourse for a considerable time: they had a perception that such appearance must needs signify somewhat celestial; they knew that a flaming principle signifies celestial love and its affections; that hand, to which the flaming principle adhered, signifies life and its power; that changes of color signify the varieties of life as to wisdom and intelligence; that bird has also a similar signification, but with this difference, that a flaming principle signifies celestial love and the things appertaining to that love, whereas bird signifies spiritual love and the things appertaining to that love; (celestial love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is charity towards our neighbor;) and that the changes of

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colors and at the same time of life in the bird, till at length it became a bird of stone, signify the successive changes of spiritual life as to intelligence: they knew further that the spirits, who ascend from beneath, through the region of the loins to the region of the breast, are in a principle of strong persuasion that they are in the Lord, and hence believe that whatever they do, howsoever evil it may be, is done by them agreeably to the Lord's will. But though they knew all this, yet they could not hence know who were meant by this appearance: at length they were instructed from heaven, that the inhabitants of Mars were meant; that their celestial love, wherein as yet several are principled, was signified by the flaming principle which adhered to the hand; and that the bird in the beginning, whilst it was in the beauty of its colors and in the vigor of its life, signified their spiritual love; but that by the bird's becoming as it were a bird of stone and void of life, and at length of an obscure color, were signified such of the inhabitants as had removed themselves from the good of love, and were in evil, and yet still believe that they are in the Lord; the like was signified by the spirit, who rose up and was desirous to take away the bird.

95. By a bird of stone were also represented the inhabitants of that earth, who after a strange manner transmute the life of their thoughts and affections into almost no life, concerning which circumstance I received the following information. There was a certain spirit above my head, who discoursed with me, and from the sound of his voice it seemed as if he was in a state of sleep: in this state he spake many things, and all with a prudence equal to that of a person awake; it was given to perceive that he was a subject by which the angels spake, and he in that state perceived and produced what was said by them;" for he spake nothing but what was true; if any thing flowed in from another source, he admitted it indeed, but did not bring it forth. I questioned him concerning his state; he said that that state was to him a peaceable state; and that it was free from all solicitude respecting the future; and that at the same time he was fruitful in producing uses, whereby he had communication with heaven. I was told that such, in the Grand Man, have relation to the sinus longitudinalis, which lies in the brain between the two hemispheres thereof, and is there in a quiet state, howso

11 That communications are effected by means of spirits sent forth from societies of spirits and angels to other societies, and that those emissary spirits are called subjects, n. 4403, 5856, 5983, 5985 to 5989.

ever the brain be disturbed on each side. During my conversation with this spirit, some spirits introduced themselves towards the fore part of the head where he was, and pressed upon him, wherefore he retired to one side, and gave them place. The stranger spirits discoursed with each other, but their discourse was unintelligible both to myself and to the spirits about me: I was instructed by the angels, that they were spirits from the earth Mars, who had the art of discoursing with each other in such a manner, that the spirits present could neither understand or perceive what they said; I wondered how such discourse could possibly be contrived, because all spirits have one speech, which flows from the thinking principle, and consists of ideas, which are heard as expressions in the spiritual world: but I was informed, that those spirits by a certain method form ideas expressed by the lips and the countenance, unintelligible to others, and that in the same instant they artfully withdraw the thoughts, being particularly cautious lest any thing of affection should manifest itself, because in such case the thought would appear, inasmuch as thought flows from affection, and is as it were in it. I was further instructed, that the inhabitants of the earth Mars, who make heavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in a life of love, contrived such speech, but not all; and that the contrivers thereof, when they become spirits, retain the same kind of speech. These are they, who were particularly signified by the bird of stone; for to form a speech by modifications of the countenance and foldings of the lips, with a removal of the affections, and a withdrawing of the thoughts from others, is to deprive speech of its life and soul, and to make it like a dead image, and by degrees to do the like also to themselves. But although they suppose that their discourse is not understood by others, yet angelic spirits have a perception of all and singular the things which they discourse about; the reason is, because it is not possible for any thought to be withdrawn from angelic spirits. This was also proved to them by living evidence; I was thinking concerning this circumstance, that the wicked spirits of our earth are not affected with shame when they infest others; this thought entered into me by influx from some angelic spirits who had a perception of their discourse; those spirits of Mars instantly acknowledged that that was the subject of their discourse, and they were much surprised: moreover several things, which they both spake and

thought, were discovered by an angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavors to withdraw their thoughts from him. Afterwards those spirits entered by influx from above into my face; the influx felt like small striated rain, which was a sign that they were not in the affection of truth and of good, for this is represented by what is striated (striatum:) they then spake plainly with me, saying, that the inhabitants of their earth discourse in like manner with each other. They were then told that this is evil, because hereby they obstruct the influence of things internal, and recede from them to things external, which external things also they deprive of their proper life; and particularly, because to speak in such a manner is not sincere: for they who are sincere, are never disposed to speak or even to think any thing but what others may know, not caring if the whole world, yea if the whole heaven, was acquainted with their words and thoughts; but they who are otherwise disposed, judge and think evil of others, and well of themselves, and at length are betrayed through habit to think and speak evil of the church, of heaven, yea, and of the Lord himself. I have been informed, that they who love knowledges, and not so much a life according to knowledges, in the Grand Man, have relation to the interior membrane of the skull; but that they who accustom themselves to speak without affection, and to draw the thought to themselves and withdraw it from others, have relation to that membrane when become bony, because from having some spiritual life, they come to have no life.

96. Inasmuch as by a bird of stone are also represented those who are principled in knowledges alone, and in no life of love, and inasmuch as hence they have no spiritual life, therefore, by way of appendix, we shall take this opportunity of shewing, that they alone have spiritual life who are principled in celestial love, and thence in knowledges; and that each kind of love contains in itself every principle of knowledges appertaining thereto. This may be exemplified by the case of all living creatures, whether they be the inhabitants of earth or of air; each is in possession of the science of all things appertaining to its particular love, which love has respect to nourishment, a safe habitation, the propagation of their kind, the care of their young, and with some to provide for themselves during winter; wherefore each is in possession of all science that is requisite, such science being implanted in its love, and flowing into each animal as into its proper receptacle, and in some cases

being of such an extraordinary nature, that man cannot but be amazed at it: with the animals, however, science is connate, and is called instinct; nevertheless, it appertains to the natural love in which they are principled: and if man was principled in his proper love, which is love to God and towards his neighbor, (this is man's proper love as distinguishing him from the beasts, being heavenly love,) then man would not only be principled in all requisite science, but likewise in all intelligence and wisdom, for intelligence and wisdom would flow from heaven into those two kinds of love, that is, through heaven from the divine [principle or being.] But inasmuch as man is not born to those two kinds of love, but to their contraries, viz. to self-love and the love of the world, therefore he must needs be born in all ignorance and want of knowledge; nevertheless, by divine means, he is brought to somewhat of intelligence and wisdom, but still not actually so, unless the love of self and of the world be removed, and thus a way be opened for love to God and towards his neighbor. That love to God and neighborly love contain in them all intelligence and wisdom, may appear from the case of those in another life, who, during their abode in this world, have been principled in such love; when these after death are admitted into heaven, they there come into such knowledge and wisdom as they before had no conception of; yea, they think and speak there, like the rest of the angels, such things as ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man to conceive, which are ineffable; the reason is, because those two kinds of love have the faculty of receiving in themselves such things.

CONCERNING THE EARTH OR PLANET SATURN, ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.

97. THE spirits from the earth Saturn appear in front at a considerable distance, beneath in the plane of the knees, where the earth itself is; and when the eye is opened to see thither, a multitude of spirits come into view who are all from that earth; they are seen on this part of that earth, and to the right of it. It was given also to discourse with