withholds them from it.  On one occasion, when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselves more inwardly and profoundly than can be described:  for in their humiliation there was the thought that of themselves they were in hell, and that thus they were utterly unworthy to look to the Lord, who is the Holy itself.  So profoundly were they in this thought from faith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves, and in that thought they remained on their knees till the Lord raised them, and then drew them as it were out of hell.  When they thus emerge from humiliation, they are filled with good and love, and consequently with joy of heart.  When they humble themselves in this manner, they do not turn their face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but avert it.  The spirits who were about me said that never had they seen such humiliation.

92.  Some spirits who were from that earth were surprised that so many spirits from hell were about me, and that they also spoke to me; but it was given me to reply that this was permitted them for the purpose of enabling me to know their characters, and why they are in hell, and that this is according to their life.  It was also given me to state that there were several among them whom I had known when they lived in the world, and that some of them had then occupied stations of great dignity, and that then they had nothing at heart but the world; but that no evil spirit, even the most infernal, could possibly do me any injury, because I was continually protected by the Lord.

93.  An inhabitant of that earth was exhibited before me.  He was not indeed an inhabitant, but was like one.  His face resembled the faces of the inhabitants of our Earth, but the lower part of the face was black, not owing to a beard, which he had not, but to blackness in its place.  This blackness extended to underneath the ears on both sides.  The upper part of the face was ruddy, like the faces of the inhabitants of our Earth who are not quite fair.  They said further that on their earth they subsist on the fruits of trees, especially on a certain kind of round fruit which grows out of their earth; and likewise on pulse.  They are clothed with garments which they make of the fibres of the inner bark of certain trees, which fibres have such a consistence that they can be woven, and also cemented together by a kind of gum they have among them.  They related further that they know how to make fluid fires, from which they have light during evening and night.

94.  I saw a certain flaming object, exceedingly beautiful; it was of various colours, crimson, and also a glowing ruby hue, and from the flame the colours also glowed beautifully.  I also saw a hand, to which this flaming object adhered, at first on the back of it, afterwards on the palm or hollow, and from thence it played round about the hand.  This continued for some time.  Afterwards this hand with the flaming object was removed to a distance