4760. [4786] CONCERNING THE HELL OF THOSE WHO ARE INWARDLY MALICIOUS AND IN THE LUST OF REVENGE. GUSTAF BENZELSTJERNA. There was a certain one known to me in the life of the body, Gustaf Benqlstjerna In outward form he appeared honest, and seemed to have led a secluded life. It was his custom, when he replied to anyone against whom he meditated evil, to utter such malicious sayings as stung inwardly, and, so, such as could not be answered. He was accustomed thereto, so that his sarcasms flowed forth from his interior quality; consequently, he was in the desire of killing, as it were, the souls of others. Such spitefulness remained with him after death; and it was there shown of what nature he was. He was, inwardly, a hard body, as it were, comparatively like a plague sore, and an exhalation, from deep hells, emanated from him when he spoke. It was afterwards disclosed of what nature he was - for in time, the interiors of all are gradually disclosed in the other life - and it was then ascertained that he was of such a nature, and also that he deceitfully plotted many things, and this secretly, in addition to what any one could observe. In my case, he called forth a spirit who was an adulterer, whose presence inflicted a severe pain in the ginglymus of the loins; and this by means of another spirit who was above, in front, on the right. Wherefore, as be was of such a character, he was put into quite a deep hell under the feet, where they begin to be of such a character; and this was done by degrees. And meanwhile, it was noticed of what nature he had been; and it was ascertained that he had cherished inextinguishable revenge, and also contempt, and a species of hatred against the entire human race. Wherefore, he was put beneath a rock, for there is a cloudy rock, which, where they are of such a character in a lesser degree, goes over them; and he there appeared with a chain around his neck, so that he was fettered. He complained of that; and, meanwhile, he was examined as respects his vengefulness, and it was discovered that it was murderous: therefore, he was put deeper down. In that place, as it was said, they seem to devour one another; and they who look on do not appear otherwise to the. Such hatred causes this [appearance]. He, also, did similarly; wherefore he was put down deeper. From that hell, when it is opened, there is such an exhalation, that it infects those whom it meets, and reduces them to insanity; for it stirs up interior evils. When they speak also there is heard, as it were, a low hissing, after the speech; and this is from interior deceit. [4787] The same spirit, inasmuch as he still breathed vengeance from a deeper hell, was submerged in the sea there: for a raging sea appears there: and, after some efforts at swimming, sank to the bottom, whence I heard him saying that there were various monsters there, which were never seen in the world. But yet, he breathed out, from thence, the venom of revenge, and infected certain ones around me, and in such wise, that, as it was revenge, I was twisted as to the ginglymi of the loins: I was grievously tortured. They attracted him [King Frederick] from whom was such a sphere as tortured that part, and also the bones round about, as far as to the ribs, etc. [4788] In that profound, are such as have breathed deadly revenges; and they are the deeper in it according as they have breathed more interior revenge even as far as killing, and as they have perceived more delight in revenge, and as they had been more persistent in it.