uch things can be
represented to the life. On seeing those birds represented, they at
first wanted to change them, but they afterwards were delighted
with them, and became quiet; the reason was, that birds signify the
knowledges of things, and the perception of this fact then flowed
in[o]; they therefore abstained from transmuting them, and so from
turning away the ideas of their memory. Afterwards it was permitted
me to represent before them a very pleasant garden full of lamps and
lights; they then paused and their attention was fixed, because lamps
with lights signify truths (_veritates_) which shine from good[p].
From this it was evident that they could be detained in the
consideration of material things, provided only that the signification
of those things in the spiritual sense were insinuated at the same
time; for the things which belong to the spiritual sense are not
abstracted from material things to the same extent, inasmuch as they
are representative of these.

[Footnote o: Birds signify rational things, intellectual things,
thoughts, ideas, and knowledges, nos. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988,
993, 5149, 7441. And this with variety according to the genera and
species of the birds, no. 3219.]

[Footnote p: Lamps with lights signify truths (_veritates_) which
shine from good, nos. 4638, 9548, 9783.]

34. Moreover, I spoke with them about sheep and lambs, but they were
not willing to hear of such things, because they were perceived
by them as terrestrial things; the reason was, that they did
not understand what innocence is, which lambs signify; this was
apperceived from the circumstance that, on my saying that lambs, when
represented in heaven, signify innocence[q], they said that they did
not know what innocence was, but only knew it by name: the reason is,
that they are affected with knowledges only, but not with uses, which
are the ends of knowledges, consequently they are unable to know, from
internal perception, what innocence is.

[Footnote q: Lambs in heaven, and in the Word, signify innocence, nos.
3994, 7840, 10132.]

35. Some of the spirits of the earth Mercury came to me, being sent by
others, in order that they might hear what was going on near me. These
were told by one of the spirits of our Earth, to tell their [friends]
not to speak anything but what was true, and not, as they were wont,
to present opposite things to their questioners; for that if any of
the spirits of our Earth were to do so