111、天使取出第八张纸，从中读到如下内容：“我们隔间的同胞没有找到婚姻之爱的最终源头，因为它在心智的最内层隐藏得太深了。即便最出色的智慧，恐怕也无法在这爱的源头上投下一丝光明。我们做了许多猜测，但讨论它的微妙之处却是徒然的，我们不知道我们的猜测是空洞的瞎想还是合理的判断。所以，若有人想从心智的至圣所去探明它的源头，将其摆在眼前，建议他求助德尔斐神谕。我们曾在其源头之下深思这爱，发现它在心智中是属灵的，在那里就像涌出甘流的源头。它从心智流入胸腔，在此变得快乐，被称为博爱之心（a love of the heart）。就其本身而言，博爱充满友谊，并出于完全倾向于相互友情而充满信任。当婚姻之爱经由胸腔再往下降时，它就变成了性爱（sexual love）。若一个年轻人在脑海中反复思想这些及类似的事，如他为自己优先选择一位异性，而不要其他人时的情形，婚姻之爱的火焰就在他心中被点燃了。这火焰因是婚姻之爱的初次燃起，故就是它的源头。至于其活力或性能力的源头，我们承认唯一的源头就是爱情本身，因为爱情与性能力是不可分割的伴侣。不过，它们具有这样的特点：有时这一个在先，有时那一个在先。当爱情在先，其活力或性能力跟随它时，二者都是高尚的，因为这时，性能力是婚姻之爱的活力。但是，若性能力在先，爱情跟随它时，二者都是下流的，因为这时，爱情来自肉体的性能力。因此，我们根据爱情下降或上升、因而从源头发展到目标所遵循的次序来判断它们各自的品质。”这张纸标注的字母是D（丹麦）。
111、天使又抽出第八张纸，读道：
“我们组的人没有得到婚姻之爱来源的答案，因为它深藏在大脑之中。最有智慧的人也没法看到其来源。我们做了一些推理并且做了讨论，不知道我们所得到的只是一种猜测还是完好的观点，也许只有哲人才能知道答案。
“就我们来讲，我们认为这种爱低于它的来源。它在头脑中时是精神的，象是一缕怡人的气流。从头脑流入到胸腔，在此时，它被叫做心中的爱，它是相互之间的友谊和信任，之后，当它继续向下流动时，它就变成一种性爱。
“当一个年青男性从众多女性中选一个为伴侣时，他会在头脑中考虑婚姻之爱，这时，这些想法会点燃这种爱之火，因为这是最初的爱之火，我们认为这就是婚姻之爱的来源。
“至于婚姻之爱的力量的来源，我们认为它来自于爱本身，因为爱与爱的能力是不可分的，有时候爱在前，有时爱的力量在前。当爱在前爱的力量与其相随时，二者都是高尚的，因为此时爱的力量是来自于婚姻之爱，但是当爱的力量在前爱在后时，二者都是低贱的，因为此时的爱来自于肉体上的需要。我们是通过对这二者的先后来判断其品质的。”
这一论断来自丹麦人。
111. He took out a paper for the eighth time, from which he read out the following.
'We, the representatives in our meeting, have not discovered the ultimate source of conjugial love, because it lies too deeply hidden in the inmost recesses of the mind. Even the most masterly wisdom cannot cast a ray of light on that love at its source. We have made many conjectures, but having to no purpose debated its subtleties, we do not know whether our guesses are trifles or sound judgments. Anyone therefore wishing to extract the source of that love from the inmost recesses of the mind and present it to view is advised to resort to the Delphic oracle.
'We have thought about that love below its source as being a spiritual movement in people's minds, resembling there a spring of sweet water, from where it flows down into the breast, becoming there pleasant and being called bosom-love. This regarded in itself is full of friendship and full of trust, as a result of an unqualified mutual propensity. On passing through the breast it turns into fervent love. When a young man ponders such things in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses for himself one in particular of the opposite sex, the fire of conjugial love is lighted in his heart; and since this fire is the first sign of that love, it is its source.
'We cannot make out any other source for its strength or potency than the love itself, since these are inseparable companions, but of such a nature that sometimes one takes precedence and sometimes the other. When love takes precedence, and its strength or potency follows, both are noble, because potency is then the strength of conjugial love. But if potency takes precedence and love follows, then both are ignoble, because love is then the result of carnal potency. We therefore judge the quality of either to be dependent upon the order in which loves comes down or goes up, thus advancing from its source to its goal.' This paper was signed with the letter D.
111. An eighth time a piece of paper was drawn, and the angel read from it the following opinion:
"We fellow countrymen in our meeting did not find the actual origin of conjugial love, because it lies inmostly hidden away in the sacred repositories of the mind. The most consummate wisdom cannot with any ray of understanding even touch that love in its origin. We formed a number of theories, but after vainly debating the finer points, we did not know whether we had come up with empty guesses or sound opinions. Anyone, therefore, who would ferret out the origin of conjugial love from the sacred repositories of the mind and bring it before his view, let him go to an oracle!
"As for us, we considered this love on a level below its origin, observing that it is spiritual in the mind and is like the wellspring of a pleasant stream there. From this point it flows down into the breast, where it becomes delightful and is called a love of the heart, which regarded in itself is full of friendship and full of confidence resulting from a total inclination to mutual companionship. Then, when it has passed down through the breast, it becomes a sexual love.
"When a young man in his thoughts reflects on these and similar considerations, which he does when he chooses one of the opposite sex for himself in preference to the rest, they kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love. Since this fire is the first kindling of that love, it is its origin.
"As for the origin of its vigor or potency, we acknowledge no other source than the love itself, for love and ability are inseparable companions. But still they are such that sometimes the one leads and sometimes the other. When love leads and vigor or potency follows it, both are noble, because the potency is then the vigor of conjugial love. But if potency leads and love follows, then both are ignoble, because love is then love belonging to a carnal potency. We judge the quality of each, therefore, depending on the order in which love descends or ascends and thus proceeds from its origin to its goal."
This statement was signed below with the letter D.
111. In its turn the eighth paper came out, from which he read:
"We countrymen in our group have not found the precise source of the love in marriage because it lies down deep in the sanctuaries of the mind. Not even the most perfect knowledge can touch that love at its source with a single ray of comprehension.
We made many conjectures, but after pursuing many fine points uselessly we did not know if we were conjecturing in jest or earnest. So whoever wants to dig the source of that love out of the sanctuaries of his mind and place it before his eyes needs a Delphic oracle.
"We did consider that love downstream from its source how it is spiritual in the mind and like a sweet spring there, flowing into your chest, where it becomes joyful and we call it bosom love. Seen for what it is, it is complete friendship and complete confidence, and it comes from being completely attracted to each other. And when it goes on through your chest it becomes a cheerful love.
"When a young man turns things like these over in his mind, which happens when he chooses one person from the other sex for himself, the fire of love for marriage kindles in his heart. This fire is the beginning of this love, so it is its source.
"The only source we recognize for vigor or potency is that love itself, for love and potency are inseparable companions, but in such a way that sometimes one goes first and sometimes the other. When love goes first and vigor or potency follows it, both are noble, because then potency is the vigor of married love. But if potency goes first and love follows, then both are debased, because then the love comes from bodily potency.
"Therefore we decide what each love is like by the order of succession in which it goes up or down and progresses from its source to its goal."
This was signed D.
111. For the EIGHTH time a paper came forth, from which he read as follows: "In our compartment, we compatriots have not found the actual origin of conjugial love because that origin is inmostly laid up in the sanctuaries of the mind. Not even the most consummate wisdom can reach that love in its origin with any ray of the understanding. We have made many conjectures, but after vainly revolving subtleties, we know not whether our surmises are trifles or judgments. He, therefore, who wishes to draw forth the origin of that love from the sanctuaries of the mind and set it before his eyes, let him go to Delphi. We have contemplated the love below its origin--that in the mind it is spiritual, being there like the fountain-head of a sweet current; that from the mind it flows down into the breast where it becomes delightful and is called bosom-love, which, considered in itself, is full of friendship and, from a plenary inclination to mutuality, is full of confidence; and that when it has passed through the breast it becomes genital love. When a young man revolves these and like things in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses one of the sex for himself, they kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love; and this fire, being the primitive of that love, is its origin. As to the origin of its virtue or potency, we acknowledge none other than the love itself, for they are inseparable companions and yet of such sort that sometimes the one precedes and sometimes the other. When love precedes and virtue or potency follows both are noble because the potency is then the virtue of conjugial love. But if potency precedes and love follows, then both are ignoble because the love is then from carnal potency. We therefore judge the quality of each from the order in which the love descends or ascends, and so proceeds from its origin to its goal." To this was subscribed the letter D.
111. For the eighth time a paper was lifted out, from which the angel read as follows: "We compatriots in our meeting have not found the very origin of marital love, for that lies inmostly secluded in the sanctuaries of the mind. Not even the most consummate wisdom can by any line of understanding reach that love in its origin. We have made many conjectures, but after vainly attempted subtleties, we do not know whether our surmises are trifles or sound judgments. Any one who wants to draw the origin of that love from the sanctuaries of the mind, and set it before his eyes, must go to Delphi. We have contemplated the love below its source - how in the mind it is spiritual, and how it flows thence as from a fountain with a delicious current into the breast, where it becomes delightful and is called bosom love, which considered in itself is utter friendship and trust with a full mutual inclination; and how when it passes through the breast it becomes generative love. When a young man revolves these and like things in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses one of the sex for himself, they kindle in his heart the fire of marital love; this fire, being the first stage of that love, is its origin. We also acknowledge nothing besides that love itself as the origin of its vigor or potency, for they are inseparable companions, though sometimes one, sometimes the other, is first. When the love is first and vigor or potency follows, each is noble, because the potency is then the vigor of marital love. But if the potency precedes and love follows, each is ignoble because then the love comes of carnal potency. We therefore judge the quality of either by the order, according as the love descends or ascends and so proceeds from origin to goal." To this was subscribed the letter D.
111. The eighth time a paper came forth, from which he read the following: 'We compatriots, in our meeting, have not found the very origin of conjugial love, because being stored up in the sanctuaries of the mind it is inmostly concealed. Not the most consummate wisdom even, by any ray of understanding, can reach that love in its origin. We have formed many conjectures, but after in vain revolving the subtleties in our minds, we know not whether we were conjuring up trifles or rational judgments. He therefore, who would draw forth the origin of that love from the sanctuaries of the mind, and set it before his eyes, let him go to Delphi. We have contemplated the love below its origin; that in the mind it is spiritual, and is as a fountain of a delicious current whence it flows into the breast, where it becomes delightful and is called bosom love, which considered in itself is full of friendship and full of confidence, from a full inclination to mutuality; and when it has passed beyond the breast it becomes genital love. When a young man revolves these and like things in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses for himself one of the sex, they kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love; which fire, as it is the primitive of that love is the origin of it. We acknowledge no origin of its virtue or potency other than that love itself, for they are inseparable companions, and yet such that sometimes one goes before and sometimes the other. When love precedes and virtue or potency follows it, each is noble, because the potency then is the virtue of conjugial love. But if the potency precedes and love follows, each then is ignoble because the love is then of carnal potency. We therefore, judge the quality of both from the order in which the love descends or ascends, and so proceeds from its origin to its goal.' To this was subscribed the letter D.
111. Vice Octava exivit charta, ex qua legit haec: "Nos populares in nostro Conventu non invenimus ipsam originem Amoris conjugialis, quia illa in sacrariis mentis latet intime reposta; consummatissima sapientia ne quidem aliquo radio intellectus potest illum amorem in origine sua attingere; divinavimus multa, sed post subtilitates inaniter agitatas, non scivimus an nugas vel an judicia augurati simus; quare qui originem illius amoris vult e sacrariis mentis educere, et dare sibi in conspectum, adeat Delphos. Nos contemplati sumus amorem illum infra originem suam, quod sit spiritualis in mentibus, et ibi sicut fons venae dulcis, ex quo defluit in pectus, ubi fit jucundus, et vocatur amor pectoralis, qui in se spectatus est plenus amicitia, et plenus confidentia ex plena inclinatione ad mutuum; et quod ille dum pertransiit pectus fiat amor genitalis: 1haec et similia cum Ephebus cogitationibus suis volvit, quod facit cum ex sexu sibi praeoptat unam, accendunt in corde ignem amoris conjugialis, qui ignis, quia est primitivus illius amoris, est origo ejus. Originem Virtutis seu potentiae non aliam agnoscimus, quam ipsum illum amorem, sunt enim individui comites, sed usque tales, ut quandoque unus praecedat, et quandoque alter; dum amor praecedit, ac virtus seu potentia illum sequitur, est uterque nobilis, quia potentia tunc est virtus amoris conjugialis; at si potentia praecedit et amor sequitur, tunc est uterque ignobilis, quia amor tunc est potentiae carnalis; nos itaque ex ordine, in quo amor descendit aut ascendit, et sic a sua origine ad metam progreditur, qualitatem utriusque judicamus." His subscripta est Litera D.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: genialis: