4748. A manifest example of those who have been interiorly in self-love, and externally affable and virtuous, was (Charles XII). He was interiorly the proudest of all in the universal world: nor did he aspire to the greatest name in his kingdom only, but in the universal globe, which also he wished to govern; and, in some manner, he supposed himself to be interiorly a God. He could think interiorly, better than other men; even in every accident and in danger, his interior thoughts were most sagacious. He saw every single circumstance about him at one glance; he inwardly collated them and concluded rightly; nor was he willing that anyone should know this: he pretended, exteriorly, that he could not think interiorly. He was indignant if anyone said he possessed sagacious thought inwardly. To act thus he considered kingly; and he accustomed himself to do so continually. This was his interior life; and, in it, he thought concerning his dominion over all, in all things and in every detail; also that this was divine; and he believed, not that God is interiorly within that life, but that God is in men, especially in himself; and so he had no regard for religion. He praised the Mohammedan religion above the Christian, and said the latter religion was only for the simple; and, if he had been able, he would also have been willing to introduce natural religion, suited to the apprehension of all naturalistic persons. He also placed the kingly quality in stubbornness, even to the death; and, in that matter, he was fierce and cruel, having no regard for man's life. He could invent excuses which could not be again said; and then he was in the persuasion that the thing was in such wise, and in itself right, because it was from his internal thought. Nobody knew these things in the world, unless something of it by conjecture. He counterfeited justice and truth more perfectly than any other man; but all these things were laid open in the other life. He was there taken out of a dreadful hell and let into the state of his external man; and then he behaved himself virtuously, justly and truly; but, as soon as he came into his internal state of life, such things showed themselves as were dreadfully diabolical. He could see, in a moment, more things around him than others, no matter who they were; he could dispose these to assist him, so that he might rule; and this not only in the hells, but also in the first and second heaven, which [latter] he attracted to himself by means of the external man, and its just and true features, and likewise, at the same time, its persuasiveness. In a word, he sought hells which should obey him, and in heaven such things as might also assist him in his purpose of reducing all to subjection and of making himself the supreme God - whom he had believed not to exist, unless [He were] such men [as himself]. To relate the details would fill pages. He raved in this way for a week, that it might be shown to the angels of what quality he was, and of what quality they are who have acquired to themselves such an internal life in the world. He was present in his internal, diabolical life, more when in punishments and judgments than when out of punishments and judgment. He was told that were there myriads of myriads of such as he, they would not weigh, even as a feather, with the Lord; but he cared nothing about this. He wished to become the devil himself, and ruler of hell, and then to enter into a compact with those in heaven and with the Divine there as to power; but with the end in view that he might rule all things in hell, and that those in heaven might obey him: if otherwise, that he would reduce them to subjection. Such was his quality. Hence it was evident of what nature was the internal life, which was his ruling life; and that he is become a devil above the rest, and is then a fool above the rest.