1509. There were once with me for several days spirits who during their lifetime had been such that they had not striven for the good of society, but only for themselves, serving no useful purpose to the general public. Their sole end in view had been to live sumptuously, to be dressed splendidly, and to grow rich; and they had been accustomed to false presences and to the ways of worming themselves in by various forms of flattering assent and of readiness to be of service, solely to the end that they might be noticed and be given charge of their master's property. All who were earnestly serving a purpose they looked down on with contempt. I perceived that they had been courtiers. Their sphere was such that it took away from me my whole concentration and made it so extremely troublesome for me to carry out and to think about serious things, true and good, that at length I hardly knew what to do. When such individuals as these come among spirits they bring upon them a similar listlessness. In the next life they are useless members and are cast out from wherever they go.