4552. THAT EVIL SOCIETIES COHERE, AND ADJOIN TO THEMSELVES STUPID AND SIMPLE SPIRITS. There were some of the more evil sort of sirens who approached, when I wrote, because they could thus attract my pleasure to themselves, and deprive me of it. As often as they came, they also brought along stupid spirits, who, in the world, were learned, and hence of a haughty disposition. These were interposed, and as often as they came, they brought simple upright spirits, whose faith in them was such that they believed whatever they said, as if they had been oracles. The sirens appeared in front, on the right hand, beneath; the learned-stupid spirits to the right on the level of the head, and the simple near by; and it was observed, that, as often as the sirens came, the others came also, and arranged themselves thus in order before me, and superinduced darkness upon me, so that I could scarcely know how to write anything, nor to think, save confusedly. This was very often said to the stupid ones; but they took no notice, for the sirens infused into them [the belief] that they were learned, that they were sent hither to rule, and many such [notions]. Hence it was evident, that there was a league of societies, extending from the evil to the simple upright; but still those who are upright, after being long harassed by such, are released, or liberated, from that league, and come amongst the upright.