751. The second city lies between Gehenna and the swamp, almost equidistant from them. There, the better ones of them seem to themselves to dwell. This city sometimes appears magnificent to them, with palaces and quite beautiful houses. But sometimes the same city is suddenly turned into countryside, or small towns, sometimes even into stinking swamp, practically nothing but mire, in which they are being buried. So the illusion varies for each individual who is there, and is not the same with everyone - for they are dominated by illusions. Therefore, depending on their various passions, and punishments, as well as refreshing enjoyments at intervals, they experience these fantasies as if they were entirely actual, quite unable to tell but that they are real. In this city, it is a common expression that the city is theirs, but the land the Lord's [cf. 728].
751 1/2. I inquired who was the governor of the city. This they did not know, and told me that no one was, but that they were nevertheless together, for fear of the robbers wandering in the deserts. Thus they are held together because of fear. It is clear that the Lord controls their illusions in this way, through fear, so that one does not attack the other, as in the deserts, which would happen if they were not under the Lord's auspices.
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