179、⒇就本质而言，真正的婚姻之爱是灵魂的联结，心智的结合，是在胸腔，因而在身体里面结合的努力。前面（158节）讨论了灵魂的联结和心智的结合。之所以在胸腔感觉到一种结合的努力，是因为胸腔是集会的场所，可以说是一座宫廷；而身体则是它周围人口稠密的城市。胸腔之所以是集会的场所，是因为由灵魂和心智施加于身体的一切影响首先流入胸腔。它之所以像一座宫廷，是因为胸腔是心与肺的所在地，故能控制身体的一切部位。心脏通过血液控制全身，肺脏通过呼吸控制全身。显然，身体如同它周围人口稠密的城市。
因此，当夫妻的灵魂和心智被联结起来，并且联结他们的是真正的婚姻之爱时，那么可推知，这充满爱的联结首先流入他们的胸腔，并通过胸腔流入他们的身体，产生一种结合的努力。结合的努力在身体更明显，因为婚姻之爱将其努力指向它的最表层，从而实现其极乐的完满。由于胸腔是两条路径的交汇处，故显而易见，婚姻之爱为何在那里寻求其微妙感觉的场所。
179、（20）真正的婚姻之爱实际就是灵魂，思想的结合，是努力从胸部到全身的结合。关于灵魂与思想的结合参见158节，从胸部到全身的结合就好比胸部是一个城市的市政厅或宫殿，身体好象是围绕着宫殿的城市。胸部比作市政厅，是因为来自于灵魂及思想的一切意向都首先到达胸部。它又好比是宫殿是因为胸部总领全身，因为心脏和肺脏都处于胸部。心脏通过血液而控制全身，肺脏通过呼吸而控制全身。
因此 ，当婚姻中的双方的灵魂和思想相互结合后，这总结合流入他们的胸部，从胸部进入到身体中，并使其产生相互结合的愿望。
179. (xx) Truly conjugial love regarded in essence is a union of souls, a linking of minds, and an effort to be linked in chest and so in body.
The union of souls and the linking of minds were discussed before (158). The reason why the striving to be linked is felt in the chest is that this is the council chamber and, so to speak, the royal court, and the body is the town with all its people around it. The chest is the council chamber because all the influences exerted by the soul and mind on the body flow first into the chest. It is like a royal court, because it has control over every part of the body, being the seat of the heart and lungs; the heart exerts its control everywhere through the blood, the lungs everywhere through breathing. It is obvious that the body is like the town with all the people around it.
So when the souls and minds of a married couple are united, and it is truly conjugial love which unites them, it follows that this gratifying union first affects their chests, and through it their bodies, producing a striving to be linked. It does so the more, because conjugial love directs its effort to its lowest level, so as to achieve the fullness of its welcome pleasure. Since the chest stands at the junction of the ways, it is obvious why conjugial love has acquired there the location of its delicate feeling.
179. (20). Truly conjugial love regarded in itself is a union of souls, a conjunction of minds, an effort to conjunction in breasts, and a consequent effort to conjunction in body. That it is a union of souls and conjunction of minds may be seen above in no. 158. That it is an effort to conjunction in breasts is because the breast is like a city's town hall, and like a royal court, and the body like the teeming city surrounding it. The breast is like a city's town hall because all decisions delivered from the soul and mind to the body flow first into the breast. It is like a royal court because it is the seat of government over all things of the body; for that is where the heart and lungs are, and the heart reigns through the blood in every part of the body, and the lungs through the respiration. It is apparent that the body is then like the teeming city surrounding such places.
Consequently, when the souls and minds of married partners are united, and united by truly conjugial love, it follows that this lovely union flows into their breasts, and through these into their bodies, and causes an effort to conjunction. This is also all the more so, because conjugial love directs the effort to its ultimate expressions, in order to bring its blissful pleasures to fulfillment. And because the breast is at the midpoint, it is apparent why conjugial love has found the seat of its exquisite sensation there.
179. 20. The real love in marriage, viewed in itself, is a union of souls, minds joined together, a drive to join together in their breasts leading to a drive to join bodily. No. 158, above, shows that married love is a union of souls and an interconnection of minds. It is a drive in their breasts to join because the breast is a meeting place, like a royal court, and the body is like a populous city around it. It is like a meeting place because everything from your soul and mind that ends up in your body runs into your breast first. It is like a royal court because the government of everything in your body is there. For your heart and lungs are there. Your heart, through your blood, and your lungs, through respiration, reign throughout.
That your body is like a populous city surrounding it, is obvious.
Therefore, when married partners' souls and minds are united and it is a real love of marriage that unites them, the result is that the loving union pours into their breasts and through their breasts into their bodies and causes an effort to join together. And all the more, because married love projects this drive to its outer parts, wanting to complete its happy pleasures. And since the breast is at the crossroads, it is easy to see why married love finds the seat of its delightful sensation there.
179. XX. THAT, REGARDED IN ITSELF, LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL IS A UNION OF SOULS, A CONJUNCTION OF MINDS, AND AN EFFORT TO CONJUNCTION IN BREASTS AND THENCE IN THE BODY. That it is a union of souls and a conjunction of minds may be seen above (no. 158). That it is an effort to conjunction in the breast is because the breast is a place of assembly and a royal court, as it were, with the body as a populous city around it. That the breast is as a place of assembly is because everything determined from the soul and mind into the body flows first into the breast. That it is a royal court, as it were, is because the breast is the seat of dominion over all things of the body; for there, are the heart and lungs, and these reign everywhere, the heart by the blood, and the lungs by the respiration. That the body is as a populous city round about, is apparent. When, therefore, the souls and minds of partners are united--and it is love truly conjugial that unites them--it follows that this loving union flows into their breasts and through these into their bodies and causes a striving to conjunction, and this the more, because, for the fulfillment of its blissful pleasures, conjugial love determines this striving to its ultimates; and since the breast is the place where the two ways meet, it is clear whence it is that conjugial love has there found the seat of its delicate sense.
179. (xx) Regarded in itself true marital love is union of the souls, conjunction of the minds, and an endeavor toward conjunction in bosom and so in the body. See above (158) that there is a union of souls and conjunction of minds. There is an endeavor towards conjunction in bosom because the bosom is like a meeting-place, and also like a king's court, with the body resembling the populous city round about. The bosom is like a meeting-place because all things directed by soul and mind into the body flow first into the bosom. It is like a king's court because the dominion over all bodily things is there, for there are the heart and lungs, the heart ruling through the blood, and the lungs everywhere by respiration. That the body is like a populous city round about, is obvious. When therefore the souls and minds of partners are united - and true marital love unites them - it follows that this lovely union flows into their bosoms, and through these into their bodies, and causes an endeavor towards conjunction, the more so, because marital love directs its effort towards its ultimates, to fulfil its happy delights. As the bosom is midway, it is evident why marital love has found in it the seat of its delicate sense.
179. (20) That love truly conjugial viewed in itself is a union of souls, a conjunction of minds, and an effort to conjunction in bosoms and hence in the body. That it is a union of souls and conjunction of minds may be seen above at n.158. That it is an endeavor towards conjunction in bosoms is because the bosom is the place of assembly and as a royal court, and the body as a populous city round about. The bosom is as a place of assembly, in that all things that are determined from the soul and mind into the body flow first into the bosom. It is as a royal court, because there is the dominion over all things of the body; for the heart and lungs are there, and the heart reigns by the blood, and the lungs by the respiration, everywhere. That the body is as a populous city round about is apparent. When therefore, the souls and minds of married partners are united, and love truly conjugial unites them, it follows that this lovely union flows into their bosoms, and through these into their bodies, and causes an endeavor toward conjunction. And this the more because conjugial love determines the urging to its ultimates, to the fulfilment of its happy pleasantnesses. And as the bosom is where the two ways meet, it is clear whence it is that conjugial love has there found the seat of its delightful sense.
179. XX: Quod Amor vere conjugialis in se spectatus, sit unio animarum, conjunctio mentium, nisus ad conjunctionem 1in pectoribus, et inde in corpore. Quod sit unio animarum, et conjunctio mentium, videatur supra 158. Quod sit nisus ad conjunctionem in pectoribus, est quia Pectus est [sicut] Forum conventus, et sicut Curia regia, et Corpus sicut urbs populosa circum illud: quod Pectus sit sicut Forum conventus, est quia omnia quae ab anima et mente determinantur in corpus, primum in Pectus influunt: quod sit sicut Curia regia, est quia ibi est dominium super omnia corporis, sunt enim ibi Cor et Pulmo, et Cor regnat per sanguinem, et Pulmo per respirationem ubivis; quod Corpus sit sicut Urbs populosa circum illa, patet. Cum itaque Animae et Mentes conjugum unitae sunt, et amor vere conjugialis unit illas, sequitur quod amabilis illa unio influat in illorum pectora, et per haec in illorum corpora, et causetur nisum ad conjunctionem; et eo plus quia amor conjugialis determinat nisum ad ultima sua, ad complendum faustas amaenitates suas; et quia pectus est in bivio, patet unde est, quod amor conjugialis sedem sensus delicati sui ibi nactus sit.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: conjunctionen