415. THAT SPIRITS IN A MOMENT KNOW HOW TO TRANSPORT THEIR EVIL INTO ANOTHER: ALSO GOOD INTO EVIL It is wonderful that spirits, from a kind of natural instinct, can at once transfer good into evil, and indeed as assiduously as though they had learnt it from long continued use. It is equally wonderful that they can transfer any penalty or similar thing inflicted upon themselves to another, and indeed to one who is innocent, and so escape from their fate. This has been made evident to me by much experience which it would be tedious to relate. Such a nature or instinct comes from no other source than from the habit of lying, and thus during the life of the body of transferring whatever blame they may have to others, or of contriving that suspicion may fall upon another, that they themselves may be freed. Hence there is derived so depraved a nature.* 1747, Dec. 28. * Crossed out: "which unless it be removed, cannot but undergo vastation".