106、接着，天使从银鼎里取出第三张纸，从中读到如下内容：“我们隔间的同胞讨论了婚姻之爱兴起的原因，发现其主要原因和婚姻兴起的原因一模一样；因为婚前，婚姻之爱并不存在；它之所以存在，是因为当一个人热恋或疯狂爱上一个少女时，他会全心全意地想把她作为一种最爱的产业来占有。一旦得到少女的许诺，他看待她，如同自我看待自我。这就是婚姻之爱的源头，这一点从每个男人对情敌所表现出的狂怒和对侵犯其爱情者的嫉妒明显看出来。然后，我们又认真思考了这爱的活力或性能力的源头，以三比二的优势得出这样的结论：与妻子在一起时的活力或性能力来自某种性开放。我们从经验得知，两性情爱的性能力比婚姻之爱的更强劲。”这张纸标注的字母是I（意大利）。一听到这话，有喊声从桌旁响起：“把这张纸扔了，再从银鼎里拿一张。”
106、接下来天使又开始读写在第三张纸上的观点：
“我们讨论后认为婚姻之爱的来源与婚姻的来源相同。没有婚姻的存在也就没有婚姻之爱。当一个年青人非常爱一个姑娘时，他费尽心思想要拥有他。当她接受他以后，他将她看做是自己的财产，这就是婚姻之爱的来源。
这一点也解释了为什么他们会对情敌痛恨致极，以及极其嫉妒。
关于婚姻之爱的力量，我们三比二认为与一个伴侣间的婚姻之爱的力量与得到认可的性关系有关。他们说经验告诉他们对乱性的爱的力量要大于婚姻之爱。”
这个观点来自意大利人。
在座的听后都喊到：“把那张纸放一边去，再从缸里拿一张来。”
106. Next he read from the third paper he took from the urn as follows.
'We, the representatives in our cell, have debated the reasons for the development of conjugial love, and have observed that the leading one is its identity with the development of marriage, since this love had not before come into existence. It did so, because when someone is dying [of love], 1that is, is desperately in love with a girl, he wants with all his heart and soul to possess her, as the most attractive of all properties. As soon as she pledges herself, he looks on her as one looks upon oneself. It is quite plain that this is the source of conjugial love from the frenzy each lover displays against his rivals, and his jealousy towards any who violate his love.
'Afterwards we debated the source of the strength or potency of that love, and the verdict by a majority of three to two was that strength or potency with a wife was the result of some licence with the other sex. They said they knew from experience that the potency of sexual love was stronger than that of conjugial love.' This paper was signed with the letter I.
On hearing this there was a cry from the tables, 'Take this paper away, and draw another from the urn.'
Footnotes:
1. It has been suggested that perit 'is dying' is here a printer's error for petit 'is seeking', but this is unnecessary.
106. Next, drawing for the third time a piece of paper from the urn, the angel read from it the following opinion:
"We fellow countrymen in our cubicle discussed causes of the origin of conjugial love, and we saw the leading one of these to be the same as the original cause for marriage, since before marriage conjugial love did not exist. It came about, then, because when anyone is dying for or desperately loves a young woman, he tries with his heart and soul to possess her as his most prized possession. And as soon as she pledges herself to him, he regards her as an owner regards his property. That this is the origin of conjugial love is plainly evident from everyone's fury at rivals and jealousness against intruders.
"We considered afterwards the origin of the vigor or potency of that love, and the prevailing opinion of three against two was that vigor or potency with one's partner comes from having some license in matters of sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of promiscuous love is greater than the potency of conjugial love."
This statement was signed below with the letter I.
When the others heard this, they cried from the tables, "Put that paper away and take another from the urn."
106. Soon, for the third time, the angel pulled a paper from the urn and read this from it:
"We countrymen in our booth have turned over the reasons for the origin of married love, and we see that this one prevails that it is the same as the origin of marriages, because that love did not exist before marriages did, and it emerged because when someone courts or desperately loves a girl, he wants with all his heart and soul to possess her as his own beloved, above all others.
And once she promises herself to him he sees her as self sees self.
It is clearly evident from everyone's fury toward rivals and from jealousy toward violators that this is the source of married love.
"Next we examined the source of this love's energy or potency, and it came out three to two that a partner's vigor or potency comes from having certain liberties with the other sex."
They said they know from experience that in sexual love the potency is better than the potency in married love. This was signed I.
When the people at the tables heard it they clamored, "Get rid of this paper and pull another one out of the urn!"
106. Then for the THIRD time the angel drew a paper out of the urn. From this he read as follows: "We compatriots in our stall have reflected on the causes of the origin of conjugial love, and have seen that the chief cause is the same as with the origin of marriage; for before marriage, that love did not exist, and it exists then because when one seeks or desperately loves a virgin, he desires with heart and soul to have her as a possession to be loved above all else; and as soon as she pledges herself, he regards her as self regards self. That this is the origin of conjugial love is very clear from the fury of every man against rivals, and from his zeal against violators. We then considered the origin of the virtue or potency of that love, and three against two have decided that with a married partner its virtue or potency is from some license with the sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of love of the sex surpasses the potency of conjugial love." This was subscribed with the letter I.
Hearing this, the men at the tables cried out, "Remove this paper and draw another from the urn."
106. Presently the angel produced a paper from the urn for the third time, and read as follows: "We compatriots, in our cell, have pondered the causes of the origin of marital love, and have found that the chief cause is the same as that for the origin of marriage. Previously that love had no existence; it arose from the fact that when one pines for or desperately loves a young woman with heart and soul, he desires to have her as a possession lovely above all things. As soon as she pledges herself, he regards her quite as self regards its own. That this is the origin of marital love is very clear from a man's fury at rivals, and from his jealousy toward trespassers. We afterwards considered the origin of the vigor or potency of that love. Three have prevailed against two that vigor or potency with a married partner is from some license with the sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of sexual love surpasses the potency of marital love." This was subscribed with the letter I.
Hearing this there was a cry from the tables, "Put that paper aside and take another from the urn."
106. Presently, the third time, he drew a paper out of the urn from which he read as follows: 'We compatriots, in our cell, have meditated upon the causes of the origin of conjugial love, and have seen as the chief of them that it is the same as the origin of marriage. For that love had no existence before, and arises from the fact that when one pines for or desperately loves a virgin with heart and soul, he desires to possess her as a possession lovely above all things. And as soon as she pledges herself he regards her as self regards its own. That this is the origin of conjugial love is very clear from the fury of everyone against rivals, and from the jealousy against violators. We afterwards considered the origin of the virtue or potency of that love; and three against two have decided that the virtue or potency with a married partner is from some license with the sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of the love of the sex surpasses the potency of conjugial love.' This was subscribed with the letter 1.
Hearing this there was a cry from the tables, 'Put away this paper and take another from the urn.'
106. Mox Tertio exprompsit chartam ex urna, ex qua legit haec. "Nos populares in nostra Cella versavimus causas originis Amoris conjugialis, et vidimus illarum hanc dominam, quod sit eadem cum Origine Conjugii, quia Amor ille non prius exstitit; et exstitit, quia cum aliquis perit 1seu perdite amat virginem, anima et corde vult possidere illam ut proprietatem supra omnia amabilem; ac ut primum illa spondet se, spectat illam sicut proprietarius 2spectat proprium: quod hoc sit origo amoris conjugialis, patet clare ex cujusvis furore contra rivales, et ex zelotypia contra violatores. Versavimus postea originem virtutis seu potentiae illius amoris, et tres contra duos praevaluerunt, quod Virtus seu potentia cum conjuge sit ex aliqua licentia cum sexu; dixerunt, quod ab experientia sciant, quod potentia amoris sexus praevaleat potentiae Amoris conjugialis." His subscripta est litera I. His auditis clamaverunt e Mensis, "remove hanc chartam, et extrahe aliam ex urna."
Footnotes:
1. Fortasse petit intenditur.
2. Prima editio: proprium