18、说话间，一个仆人匆匆跑来宣称，按照君主的吩咐，八位智者已经来了，他们请求进来。听到这话，天使赶忙出去迎接，将他们领进来。例行的寒暄和引见过后，智者首先向他们讲了智慧的开启和发展阶段，言谈间还加入了对智慧发展的各种评论，并说，对天使而言，智慧永不会结束和停止，而是会继续增长，直到永远。听到这里，负责该小组的天使对智者说：“在筵席上，我们的君主跟他们谈了智慧的居所，并说智慧就在服务中。还请你们再谈谈这个话题。”他们说：“人最初被造时就被赋予智慧和对它的爱，不是为他自己，而是为了他能与别人分享它。所以，智者的智慧上刻着这样的警告：人不能单单为了自己保有智慧，或唯独为自己而活，同时也要和他人分享它。这是社群的起源，否则社群无法存在。为他人而活就是提供服务。服务是将社群联结起来的纽带，提供服务的途径和行善的途径一样多，服务的种类不计其数。有属灵的服务，它们涉及爱神爱邻；有道德和政治的服务，它们涉及热爱人所生活的社区和国家，及其同事和同胞；有属世的服务，它们涉及热爱尘世及其必需品；还有身体的服务，它们涉及照料自己，以便能提供更优质的服务。
“所有这些服务都被烙在人身上，依次相随，一个接着一个。当它们同在时，一个就包含在另一个里面。致力于第一类服务，即属灵的服务者，也会致力于接下来的服务，这些人是明智的。然而，不致力于第一类服务，而是致力于第二类及接下来的服务者，就不那么明智了，仅仅由于外在表现得文明道德而看似明智。不致力于第一和第二类服务，而是致力于第三和第四类服务者，则一点也不明智，因为他们是撒旦，只热爱尘世，并由于尘世而热爱他们自己。仅致力于第四类服务者最不明智，因为他们是魔鬼，只为自己而活，即便为他人，也完全是为自己的缘故。
“此外，每种爱都有自己的快乐，赋予爱生命的是快乐。对服务之爱的快乐就是天堂的快乐，它依次进入后续的快乐，照着一个接一个的次序提升它们，使其成为永恒。”然后，他们列举了由对服务之爱产生的天堂快乐，并说，它们有数千万种，凡进入天堂者就进入它们。剩下的时间他们一直和智者谈论对服务之爱，直到晚上。
18、（1）谈话间，一个侍从跑进来报告说，王子派来的八个智者到了，正在等着进来，天使出去将他们带进来。互相问候后，来的人首先同他们讲智慧天使及发展的过程。他们说，天使的智慧没有尽头，会永不停息的发展。
天使们对他们说，“午饭时，王子将会讲到有意义的工作——智慧的居所。若可能的话，同他们讲讲这些。”
于是他们说，“在创世之初，人们都有智慧，都有对智慧的爱，不是为了自己，而是为了与他人分享。所以，众所周知，智慧不能为自己所用，而是要同时有益于他人。这就是社会的起源，没有这点，社会就不会存在。为他人而存在就是要做有意义的工作。有意义的工作是社会的纽带，社会中存在着许多纽带，就像有许多有意义的工作一样，有意义的工作是无限的。
“当有意义的工作与神及他人有关时，它就是高尚的。当它与社会或一个人所在的国家有关时，就是道德的。它与对同事、同胞的爱相联。当它与世事相联时，它就是世俗的。当它与个人的财富相联时，它就是自私的。
（2）有意义的工作的所有性质都存在于人的精神之中。它们是依次有先后的。当它们结合在一起时，就会彼此融洽在一起。
“那些想着第一种有意义的工作，同时又考虑到其它有意义的工作的人是明智的。那些不顾及第一种，而只考虑其后的各种工作的人不是很明智，他们只是出于外在的道德及对公德的意识而行为。
“不考虑前两者，而只顾及其后的几种工作的人，一点也不明智。他们是沙丹的追随者，他们只有世俗的对尘世及自己的爱，那些只考虑第四种的人，更谈不上明智了。他们是恶魔，他们活着只为了自己，即使他们为别人做任何事，那也是出于他们自己的利益而这样做。
（3）另外，每一种爱都有其喜悦之所在，因为爱存在于喜悦之中，存在于对有意义的服务的爱中的喜悦是天国的喜悦。它依次流入到其它的喜悦之中，使它们变得高尚，使得它们永恒。
之后，这些男士们谈到了来自于对有意义的工作的爱的快乐。他们说，有许多这样的快乐，进入到这样的爱中的人也就进入了天堂之中。又谈到了对有意义的工作的爱。他们抽出一整天的时间，一直谈到傍晚。
18. While they were speaking a servant hastened up and announced that eight wise men had arrived on the prince's orders, and desired to be admitted. On hearing this the angel went out to receive them, and brought them inside. Then after the usual politenesses and introductions, the wise men started by speaking to them about the way wisdom begins and increases; and they included among these remarks a variety of comments on its development, saying that in the case of the angels wisdom has no limit and never comes to an end, but goes on growing for ever.
When the angel in charge of the group heard this, he said to them: 'At table our prince talked with them about where wisdom resides and said that it was in service. Would you too please talk to them about this?' 'At man's first creation,' they said, 'he was endowed with wisdom and the love of wisdom, not for his own sake, but so that he might share it with others. So there is a warning attached to the wisdom of the wise, that no one is to keep his wisdom to himself alone, or live for himself alone, but is at the same time to share it with others. That is the origin of society, which could not otherwise exist. To live for others is to perform services. Services are what hold society together, and there are as many ways of doing this as there are ways of doing good, and services are beyond counting. There are spiritual services, which have to do with love to God and love towards the neighbour. There are moral and political services, which have to do with the love of the community and country in which a person lives, and with his colleagues and fellow-citizens. There are natural services, which have to do with the love of the world and its demands. And there are bodily services, which have to do with looking after oneself, so as to be able to perform higher services.
[2] 'All these services are imprinted on a person, and they follow in their proper order, one after the other; when they are present together, then one is contained within another. Those who are devoted to the first set of services, the spiritual ones, are also devoted to those that follow, and these people are wise. Those, however, who are not devoted to the first set, but still are to the second and following ones, are not so wise, but only appear so as the result of an outward show of morality and civility. Those who are not devoted to the first and second sets, but only the third and fourth, are far from being wise, for they are satans, loving only the world and themselves for the world's sake. But those who are devoted only to the fourth set are the least wise of all, for they are devils who live exclusively for themselves, and what they do for others is entirely for their own sakes.
[3] 'Moreover, every love has its own pleasure, for this is what gives it life; and the pleasure of the love of service is a heavenly pleasure, which enters into the pleasures that follow in turn, and in accordance with the order in which one follows the other it uplifts them and makes them everlasting.' After this they listed the heavenly delights arising from the love of service, saying that there were tens of millions, and that those who went to heaven entered into them. So continuing with their wise talk about the love of service they spent the rest of the day with them until evening.
18. While they were speaking, a servant ran up and announced that eight men of wisdom were there by order of the prince and were waiting to enter. Hearing this, the angel went out and welcomed them and brought them in. Then after a brief exchange of the customary courtesies of greeting, the men of wisdom first spoke with them about the initial and developmental stages of wisdom, including various remarks on the way it progresses, saying that wisdom in the case of angels never comes to an end and stops, but grows and increases to eternity.
Listening to the discussion, the angel with the company said to the men, "At luncheon our prince talked to them about the abode of wisdom, saying that it lies in useful service. Speak to them, if you please, about this as well."
So they said, "When human beings were first created, they were imbued with wisdom and a love of wisdom, not for their own sake, but for the sake of their having it to share with others. Therefore it was engraved on the wisdom of the wise that no one should be wise and live for himself alone, unless he was wise and lived at the same time for others. This was the origin of society, which otherwise would not exist. To live for others is to perform useful services. Useful services are the bonds of society, there being as many bonds as there are good and useful services, and useful services are unlimited in number.
"Useful services are spiritual when they have to do with love toward God and love for the neighbor. They are moral and civic services when they have to do with love for the society or civil state in which a person resides, and with love of the companions and fellow citizens with whom he is associated. Useful services are natural when they have to do with love of the world and its necessities. And they are corporeal when they have to do with the love of self-preservation for the sake of higher uses.
[2] "All these capacities for being useful are engraved on the human spirit, and they follow in sequence, one after another, and when they are combined, one exists within another.
"People who concern themselves with the first useful services, which are spiritual, also concern themselves with the ones that follow, and these people are wise. People who do not concern themselves with the first useful services, however, and yet concern themselves with the second kind and those that follow after, are not so wise, but only appear as if they were on account of their outward morality and civic-mindedness.
"People who are not concerned with the first and second types of useful service, but with the third and fourth kinds, are hardly wise at all, for they are followers of Satan, in that they love only the world, and themselves for worldly ends; while people who concern themselves only with useful services of the fourth kind are the least wise of all, being devils, because they live for themselves alone, and if they do anything for others, it is merely for the sake of themselves.
[3] "Furthermore, every love has its own delight, for love lives through delight, and the delight of the love of performing useful services is heavenly delight, which descends into the succeeding delights in turn and in the order of its descent ennobles them and makes them eternal."
Afterwards the men recounted some of the heavenly delights resulting from the love of being useful, saying that there are millions of them and that people enter into those delights who enter into heaven. And speaking further about the love of being useful, they drew out the day with them with wise discussions until evening.
18. During the conversation an attendant hurried up and announced that by the prince's order eight wise men were there and wanted to come in. When the angel heard this he went out, welcomed them, and led them in. And after the customary formalities and proprieties of introduction, the wise men were soon talking with them, first about the beginnings of wisdom and how it increases, adding various things about its progress. "With angels," they said, "wisdom never comes to an end and stops, but it grows and increases forever."
When the angel of the group heard this, he said to the wise men, "At lunch our prince spoke to these people about the seat of wisdom, saying that it is in usefulness. Would you speak to them about this, too?"
They said, "At first, people were created saturated with wisdom and its love, not for one's own sake but to communicate it from oneself to others, so it is attributed to the wisdom of the wise that no one is wise, or lives, for himself alone, but for others at the same time. This condition promoted society, which would not exist otherwise. To live for others is to perform uses. Uses are the bonds of society, and there are as many bonds as good uses, which is an infinite number. There are spiritual uses associated with love to God and love toward your neighbor. There are moral and civil uses associated with love for society and the community where the person is and for the companions and countrymen whom he is with. There are mundane uses having to do with love of the world and its necessities. And there are bodily uses associated with a love for keeping your body fit for the higher uses.
"All these uses are inscribed on the person and follow step-by-step, one after the other, and when two are together, one is within the other. People engaged in primary, or spiritual, uses are also engaged in the whole string of uses, and these people are wise. But those who are not engaged in the primary but the secondary ones, and therefore in the ones that follow, are not wise but only seem wise from outward morality and civility. Those not engaged in the primary or secondary, but in the third and fourth level, are nothing less than they are wise. In fact, they are satans, for they only love the world, and themselves because of the world.
And those engaged only in the fourth level are the least wise of all. In fact, they are devils, for they live only for themselves, and if for others it is strictly for their own sakes.
"Furthermore, every love has its own delight, because love lives by delight, and the delight of loving usefulness is a heavenly delight. It goes into the lower delights in their order and exalts them according to their place on the scale, and makes them eternal."
Then they listed some heavenly delights that emerge from a love of usefulness and said, "There are thousands and thousands of them, and people who enter heaven enter them."
And they spent the day with them until evening in more wise conversations about the love of usefulness.
18. While they were thus conversing, an attendant came and announced that, by command of the prince, eight wise men were present and desired to enter. Hearing this, the angel went out and, receiving them, brought them in. Then, after the customary social formalities and proprieties, the wise men talked with them. They spoke first about the beginnings and increments of wisdom, intermingling various matters relating to its progress, saying that, with angels, wisdom never comes to an end and stops, but grows and is augmented to eternity.
On hearing this, the angel of the company said to the wise men: "At the table our prince spoke with these men concerning the seat of wisdom, that it is in uses; will you also be so kind and speak to them on this subject."
They then said: "As first created, man was imbued with wisdom and the love thereof, not for himself but that from himself he might communicate it to others. Hence, it is inscribed on the wisdom of the wise, that none is wise and none lives for himself alone unless at the same time for others. From this comes society; otherwise society would not exist. To live for others is to perform uses. Uses are the bonds of society, which are as many as there are good uses; and uses are infinite in number. There are spiritual uses, which pertain to love to God and to love towards the neighbor; there are moral and civil uses, which pertain to love of the society and state in which a man resides, and of his companions and fellow citizens among whom he lives; there are natural uses, which pertain to love of the world and of its necessities; and there are uses of the body, which pertain to the love of its preservation for the sake of the higher uses.
[2] All these uses are inscribed on man and follow in order one after the other; and when they exist together, the one is within the other. Those who are in the first uses, which are spiritual, are also in the uses which follow; and such men are wise. But those who are not in the first and yet are in the second and from these in the following, are not wise in the same way but only appear to be so from their outer morality and affability. Those who are not in the first and second, but are in the third and fourth, are anything but wise, for they are satans, loving only the world and themselves from the world; and those who are only in the fourth are the least wise of all; for they are devils, living for themselves alone, and if for others, it is only for the sake of themselves.
[3] Every love, moreover, has its own delight, it being by delight that love lives; and the delight of the love of uses is a heavenly delight which enters into the delights that follow in order, exalting them according to the order of their succession, and making them eternal."
They then enumerated the heavenly delights proceeding from the love of use, saying that there are myriads and myriads of them, and that those enter into them, who enter into heaven. And in further wise discourse concerning the love of use, they spent the day with them until the evening.
18. In the midst of the conversation a servant came and announced that by command of the prince eight wise men were present and wished to come in. The angel, hearing it, went out, welcomed them, and brought them in. After the usual formalities of introduction, the wise men talked with them, first about the beginnings and growth of wisdom, adding to this some talk of its progress, and said that wisdom has no limit or end with the angels, but grows and increases to eternity.
On hearing this the angel of the company said to them, "At table the prince spoke with these men about the residence of wisdom in use. Will you also speak to them on this subject, please?" They said: "As first created, man was imbued with wisdom and a love of it, not for his own sake, but that he might communicate it from himself to others. It is inscribed on the wisdom of the wise, therefore, that no one is wise and none lives for himself alone, but at the same time for others. So society arises, which otherwise would not be. To live for others is to do uses. Uses are the bonds of society, which are as numerous as good uses, and these are infinite in number. There are spiritual uses, pertaining to love of God and love of the neighbor. There are moral and civil uses, belonging to love of the society or the community in which a man lives, and to love for his companions and fellow-citizens. There are natural uses, pertaining to love of the world and of the necessities of life. And there are uses of the body, belonging to the love of self-preservation in the interest of the higher uses.
[2] All these uses are inscribed on the human being and follow in order one after the other; when they occur together, one is within the other. Men who are in the first or spiritual uses are also in those which follow, and are wise men. Those not in the first uses, and yet in the second and in the rest, are not so wise, but only appear to be so, because of their outward morality and civility. Those not in the first and second uses, but in the third and fourth, are not at all wise; in fact, loving only themselves and doing so for the world's sake, they are satans. Those in the fourth use only are least wise of all; living for themselves alone, and if for others only for the sake of themselves, they are devils.
[3] Every love, moreover, has its delight, in which it finds its life. The delight of the love of use is a heavenly delight which enters the succeeding delights in turn, exalting them and making them eternal."
Then they enumerated heavenly delights issuing from the love of use, saying, "There are tens of thousands of them, and into them those enter who are in heaven." They spent the day with them until evening, in further wise discourse about the love of use.
18. In the midst of this conversation an attendant came, and announced that by command of the prince eight wise men were present and desired to enter. Hearing this the angel went out, received them and brought them in. And then after the customary social formalities and proprieties the wise men conversed with them, first about the beginnings and the growths of wisdom, to which they joined various matters relating to its progress, saying, that with the angels, wisdom has no limit nor end, but grows and is increased to eternity.
On hearing this the angel of the company said to the wise men, 'Our prince at table spoke to these men about the seat of wisdom, that it is in use. Speak also to them, if you please, on this subject.' And they said:
'As first created man was imbued with wisdom and its love, not for himself, but that he might communicate it from himself to others. Hence it is inscribed in the wisdom of the wise that no one is wise and none lives for himself alone, but at the same time for others. From this comes society, which would not otherwise exist. To live for others is to perform uses. Uses are the bonds of society; which are as many as there are good uses, and uses are infinite in number. There are spiritual uses, which are of love to God and of love towards the neighbor; there are moral and civil uses, which are of the love of the society and the community in which a man resides, and of his companions and fellow-citizens among whom he dwells; there are natural uses, which belong to the love of the world and its necessaries; and there are uses of the body, which belong to the love of its conservation for the sake of the higher uses. All these uses are inscribed on man, and follow in order one after the other; and when they exist together one is within the other. They who are in the first uses, which are spiritual, are also in those that follow; and these are wise men. But those that are not in the first, and yet are in the second and thence in the following, are not so wise but only appear to be so from their outward morality and civility. They that are not in the first and second, but are in the third and fourth, are not at all wise; they in fact are satans because they love only the world, and themselves on account of the world. And they that are only in the fourth are the least wise of all; for they are devils, because they live for themselves alone, and if for others it is only for the sake of themselves. Every love, moreover, has its own delight, for love lives by this; and the delight of the love of uses is a heavenly delight which enters into the delights that follow in order, and in the order of succession exalts them and makes them eternal.'
Then they enumerated some heavenly delights proceeding from the love of use, and said, 'They are myriads of myriads, and they who enter heaven enter into them.'
And in further discourses of wisdom respecting the love of use they passed the day with them until evening.
18. Inter loquendum famulus accurrit et nuntiavit, quod octo Sapientes ex jussu Principis adsint, et velint intrare; quo audito Angelus exivit, et excepit illos, et introduxit; et mox Sapientes post consociationis solennia et decora, primum loquebantur cum illis de sapientiae initiis et incrementis, quibus immiscuerunt varia de ejus successu, et quod sapientia apud angelos nusquam finem habeat et desinat, sed quod crescat et augeatur in aeternum. His auditis Angelus cohortis dixit illis, "Princeps noster ad mensam loquutus est cum illis de sapientiae sede, quod sit in usu; loquamini, si placet, cum illis etiam de eo:" et dixerunt, "homo primum creatus, imbutus est sapientia et ejus amore, non propter se, sed propter communicationem ejus cum aliis a se; inde sapientiae sapientum inscriptum est, ut non quisquam sibi soli sapiat et vivat nisi simul aliis; inde Societas, quae alioquin non foret; vivere aliis est usus facere; usus sunt vincula ejus, quae totidem sunt quot usus boni, ac usus sunt numero infiniti; sunt usus spirituales qui sunt amoris in Deum, et amoris erga proximum; sunt usus morales et civiles, qui sunt amoris societatis et civitatis in quo homo est, ac sociorum et civium cum quibus est; sunt usus naturales, qui sunt amoris mundi et ejus necessitatum; et sunt usus corporei, qui sunt amoris conservationis sui propter superiores usus.
[2] Omnes hi usus inscripti sunt homini, et sequuntur in ordine, unus post alterum, et cum simul sunt, unus est in altero: illi qui in primis usibus sunt, qui sunt spirituales, etiam in sequentibus sunt, et hi sunt sapientes; illi autem qui non in primis, et usque in secundis et inde sequentibus sunt, non ita sapientes sunt, sed solum ex moralitate et civilitate externa apparent sicut sint; illi qui non in primis et secundis sunt, sed in tertiis et quartis, nihil minus quam sapientes sunt, nam sunt satanae, amant enim solum mundum, et se ex mundo; at illi qui modo in quartis sunt, omnium minime sapientes sunt, sunt enim diaboli, quia sibi solis vivunt, et si aliis, est unice propter se.
[3] Praeterea cuivis amori est suum jucundum, vivit enim amor per hoc, ac jucundum amoris usuum est jucundum coeleste, quod sequentia jucunda ordine intrat, et secundum ordinem successionis exaltat illa, ac aeternat illa:" post haec enumeraverunt Delitias coelestes procedentes ex amore usus, et dixerunt quod sint myriades myriadum, et quod in illas intrent qui in Coelum: et porro de amore usus per sermones sapientiae protraxerunt 1diem cum illis usque ad vesperam.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: protaxerunt