12. In the spiritual world the face of the earth is similar to what it is in the natural world. There are urban and country places there. They who dwelt in cities in our world, dwell also in cities there: in like manner those who lived in country places. Moreover, the cities in the spiritual world are similar to the cities in the natural world, but only as to the streets and public squares; but they are not similar as to the buildings. Neither do the good and the evil dwell promiscuously there; but in the middle of the city, where also are the public buildings,* dwell the best, who are the governors and magistrates. To the east there are those who are in the clear good of love, to the west those who are in the obscure good of love, to the south those who are in the clear light of truth, to the north those who are in the obscure light of truth. The good of love and the truth of faith decrease from the middle into the farthest circumferences. Since the cities there are similar to the cities in our world, there is also a London there similar to London as to the streets; but not as to the houses, neither as to the inhabitants, nor their habitations in the quarters. I was conducted into it in the spirit, and wandered through it, and recognized it. And I spoke with certain ones there, and said that men in the world would wonder, and would not believe that they who live in London see a London also after death; and if they are good, also dwell in their city: yet it is altogether so. They said that neither would they have believed it, when they were in the world; because such a thing does not fall into sensual ideas, but only into rational ideas enlightened by spiritual light; also that they did not then know that the spiritual appears before a spirit, as the material does before a man; and that all the things which exist in the spiritual world are from a spiritual origin, as all the things in the natural world are from a material origin: in like manner the houses of a city, which are not built as in the world, but rise up in a moment created by the Lord: so too all other things. They rejoiced that now as before they are in England, and in its great city; and they said that there is also another London below, not dissimilar as to the streets, but dissimilar as to the houses and as to the inhabitants: namely, that the evil dwell in the middle, and the upright in the last circumferences; and that those come into that London from the London in the world, who have not been in any spiritual love, and hence not in any spiritual faith, but have indulged the pleasures of the body and the lusts of the mind. Also that the city, in the middle where the evil dwell, sinks down by turns into the deep; and the evil are thus cast down into hell: and that the opening is renewed, and the evil are again collected into the middle of it, and again are swallowed up by hell. This is in the world of spirits, it is different in heaven, and different in hell. * Tafel has, "aedificium;" in the MS. the words, "ubi etiam aedificium est," are written above the line. Possibly it should read, "ubi etiam editius est," "where, also, it is more elevated."