be said; therefore there is no need of any
particular comment for its confirmation.

* * * * *

182. To the above I will add TWO MEMORABLE RELATIONS. FIRST. After some
weeks, I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Lo! there is again an
assembly on Parnassus: come hither, and we will shew you the way." I
accordingly came; and as I drew near, I saw a certain person on Helicon
with a trumpet, with which he announced and proclaimed the assembly. And
I saw the inhabitants of Athens and its suburbs ascending as before; and
in the midst of them three novitiates from the world. They were of a
Christian community; one a priest, another a politician, and the third a
philosopher. These they entertained on the way with conversation on
various subjects, especially concerning the wise ancients, whom they
named. They inquired whether they should see them, and were answered in
the affirmative, and were told, that if they were desirous, they might
pay their respects to them, as they were courteous and affable. The
novitiates then inquired after Demosthenes, Diogenes, and Epicurus; and
were answered, "Demosthenes is not here, but with Plato; Diogenes, with
his scholars, resides under Helicon, because of his little attention to
worldly things, and his being engaged in heavenly contemplations;
Epicurus dwells in a border to the west, and has no intercourse with us;
because we distinguish between good and evil affections, and say, that
good affections are one with wisdom, and evil affections are contrary to
it." When they had ascended the hill Parnassus, some guards there
brought water in crystal cups from a fountain in the mount, and said,
"This is water from the fountain which, according to ancient fable, was
broken open by the hoof of the horse Pegasus, and was afterwards
consecrated to nine virgins: but by the winged horse Pegasus they meant
the understanding of truth, by which comes wisdom; by the hoofs of his
feet they understood experiences whereby comes natural intelligence; and
by the nine virgins they understood knowledges and sciences of every
kind. These things are now called fables; but they were correspondences,
agreeable to the primeval method of speaking." Then those who attended
the three strangers said, "Be not surprised; the guards are told thus to
speak; but we know that to drink water from the fountain, means to be
instructed concerning truths, and by truths concerning goods, and
thereby