570. Besides the spirits of that earth spoken of before, there are other spirits who also persuade things contrary, for there are contrary spirits everywhere, and these are the spirits of those who have been banished from their society, and have become evil [see n. 520]. When these come alongside a man, something resembling flying fire falls near the front of the man and so proceeds to his back low down, and there speaks towards his higher parts, and this in a hoarse or cloven voice which cannot very well be described; it is almost as if he spoke with a forked tongue. He says contrary things to them, namely, that they ought not to live according to the instruction of their angels, but according to their own license, and similar things which are opposed to what the instructing spirit had previously told them. For the most part they come not long after the instructing spirit has gone away, and so say things contrary to him and persuade to a licentious life. But because the men there know they are such, they care nothing about them. Thus they learn also what evil is, for their life and understanding without a knowledge of evil, as long as they are men and indeed men of such a quality, cannot be given; but they must be instructed what good is by means of evil, and so learn to shun evil and to strive after good, thus also to be affected with good. 1748, Jan. 27.