nsiderable distance; the Moon to the
left, at a moderate height: the satellites also appear to the left
relatively to their own planets. Such is the situation of these
planets in the ideas of spirits and angels. Spirits also appear near
their own planet, but apart from it. With regard to the spirits of
Mercury in particular, they do not appear in any particular quarter,
or at any particular distance, but they appear sometimes in front,
sometimes to the left, sometimes a little to the back; the reason is,
that they are allowed to wander through the universe for the purpose
of procuring knowledges.

43. Some spirits of Mercury once appeared to the left in a globe, and
afterwards in a compact body (_volumen_) extending itself lengthwise.
I wondered whither they were bent, whether to this or to some other
earth, and I soon observed that they turned towards the right, and,
rolling along, approached the earth or planet Venus towards the
quarter in front. But when they reached it, they said that they would
not remain there, because the inhabitants were evil; wherefore they
turned round to the back part of that earth, and then said they would
remain there, because the inhabitants of that part were good. While
this was taking place I was sensible of a remarkable change in the
brain, and of a powerful operation from it. From this it was given me
to conclude that the spirits of Venus who are from that part of the
planet, were in concord with the spirits of Mercury, and that they had
relation to the memory of material things which is in concord with
the memory of immaterial things, to which the spirits of Mercury have
relation; hence a more powerful operation was felt from them when they
were there.

44. I was desirous of knowing what kind of face and body the men
(_homines_) on the earth Mercury have, and whether they are like the
men (_homines_) on our Earth. There was then exhibited before my eyes
a woman exactly resembling those who are on that earth. Her face was
beautiful, but smaller than that of the women of our Earth; she was
also more slender in body, but of equal height: her head was covered
with some linen stuff, arranged without art but still in a becoming
manner. A man (_vir_) also was exhibited. He, too, was more slender in
body than the men (_viri_) of our Earth; he was clothed in a
garment of dark blue fitting closely to his body, without folds or
protuberances anywhere. Such, I was told, were the personal form a