themselves Saints, and who, under penalty of punishment in case of
disobedience, command their servants, of whom they have great numbers,
to address them as lords. They also forbid them to adore the Lord of
the universe, saying that they themselves are mediatory lords, and
that they will convey their supplications to the Lord of the universe.
The Lord of the universe, who is our Lord, they do not call the One
only Lord, as all the others do, but the Supreme Lord, for the reason
that they call themselves lords. They call the sun of the world the
face of the Supreme Lord, and believe that He has His abode there;
wherefore they also adore the sun. The other inhabitants hold them
in aversion, and are unwilling to have intercourse with them, both
because they adore the sun, and because they call themselves lords,
and are worshipped by their servants as mediatory gods. Their
head-dress was shown me by spirits: it was a high crowned hat of a
dark colour. In the other life such appear to the left at some height,
where they sit like idols, and at first are worshipped by the servants
who had formerly been with them; but these, too, afterwards hold them
in derision. What surprised me, their faces there shine as from fire:
this arises from their having believed themselves to be saints; yet,
notwithstanding this fiery appearance of their faces, they are cold,
and intensely desire to become warm. From this it is evident that the
fire from which they shine is the fire of the love of self, and an
_ignis fatuus_. In order to acquire warmth they seem to themselves
to cut wood, and while cutting, under the wood appears something of a
man, whom at the same time they try to strike. This arises from their
attributing merit and holiness to themselves: those who do this in
the world, in the other life seem to themselves to cut wood, as was
likewise the case with some from our Earth, who have been spoken of
elsewhere. To illustrate this subject, I may here adduce my experience
concerning these:[A] "In the lower earth, under the soles of the feet,