443、婚姻之爱之所以是智慧的快乐，是因为唯独属灵人能享有这爱，并且属灵人处于智慧的状态。因此，他只欣然接受与属灵智慧相一致的快乐。可用房子作比来说明淫乱之爱的快感和婚姻之爱的快乐的性质。淫乱之爱的快感好比这样的房子：墙外发出类似贝壳的红光，或带有可见于云母，也叫冰长石中的那种假金色；而墙内的房间则塞满各种污秽和垃圾。然而，婚姻之爱的快乐则好比这样的房子：墙上闪耀着精金般的光芒，墙内的房间金碧辉煌，仿佛盛满各种各样的珍宝。
443、婚姻之爱是智慧的愉悦，因为只有精神性的人才会有那种爱。精神性的人是由智慧所领导的。因此这样的人只会有与精神的智慧一致的愉悦。
淫荡之爱与婚姻之爱的区别可以通过用房子的比喻来分清楚。淫荡之爱可以被比作一个外墙放着贝壳般的红光而内墙却满是灰尘和垃圾的房子。而婚姻之爱的快乐却好比是纯金的房子，内墙铺满宝贵的东西而发着光的房子。
443. The reason why the pleasures of conjugial love are the delights of wisdom is that only spiritual people can enjoy that love, and a spiritual person is in a state of wisdom. As a result he embraces only pleasures which agree with his spiritual wisdom. The nature of the pleasures of scortatory love and those of conjugial love can be illustrated by comparing them with houses. We may compare the pleasures of scortatory love with a house, the walls of which have a reddish glint outside like shells, or with the deceptive colour of gold seen in the mineral mica, also called selenite; but the rooms inside the walls are full of filth and rubbish of every kind. The pleasures of conjugial love, however, can be likened to a house the walls of which glisten with fine gold, and the rooms inside glow with the treasures of the highest value with which they are crammed.
443. The delights of conjugial love are delights of wisdom because only spiritual people are in the enjoyment of that love, and a spiritual person is governed by wisdom. Therefore he also embraces no other delights than ones which accord with spiritual wisdom.
The nature of the delights of licentious love and of those of conjugial love can be made clearer by comparing them to houses. The delights of licentious love may be compared to a house whose walls on the outside glow with a reddish hue like shellfish, or with a false hue of gold like specular stones 1called selenites 2, while the rooms inside within the walls contain piles of dirt and trash of every kind. In contrast, the delights of conjugial love may be likened to a house whose walls glisten as though of pure gold, and whose rooms within are sparkling, as though filled with treasure-troves of many precious things.
Footnotes:
1. A term formerly applied to stones of a transparent or semi-transparent substance, sometimes used as glass or for ornamental purposes, associated with species of mica, selenite and talc.
2. A term in the 17th and 18th centuries often used of stones described by travelers or existing in collections. Perhaps to be identified with the mineral now so called, a variety of gypsum occurring in transparent crystalline or foliated forms.
443. Married love's delights are the joys of wisdom because only spiritual people enjoy that love, and a spiritual person is in a state of wisdom, so he embraces only delights that harmonize with spiritual wisdom. A comparison with houses will clarify what illicit love's delights are like and what married love's delights are like. Illicit love's delights compare to a house with walls that glow red outside like seashells, or glow from the false gold color of reflecting stones called selenite, but in the rooms inside the walls there is in fact filth and rubbish of every kind. But the delights of married love can be compared to a house whose walls seem to sparkle with pure gold, and the rooms inside shine as if filled with many kinds of precious treasures.
443. That the enjoyments of conjugial love are delights of Wisdom is because spiritual men alone are in that love, and the spiritual man is in wisdom. Hence he embraces no other enjoyments than those which are concordant with spiritual wisdom. The nature of the enjoyments of scortatory love and of the enjoyments of conjugial love can be elucidated by a comparison with houses, the enjoyments of scortatory love being compared with a house whose walls are outwardly reddish like seashells or, from their spurious golden color, are like the mirror stones called selenites, while in the rooms within the walls, is filth and refuse of every kind. But the enjoyments of conjugial love can be likened to a house with walls shining as from pure gold, and the rooms Within resplendent as though filled with precious treasures of many kinds.
443. The delights of marital love are delights of wisdom because it is only spiritual men who are in that love, and the spiritual man is in. wisdom. Hence he embraces only such delights as agree with spiritual wisdom. The nature of the delights of scortatory love and of marital love respectively may be illustrated by a simile from houses. The delights of scortatory love may be compared to a house whose outside walls glitter, like a seashell, or like the stones called selenites with their spurious gold color, but within, in the rooms, are filth and rubbish of every sort. The delights of marital love, on the other hand, may be likened to a house the walls of which shine as though from pure gold, and the rooms within which are resplendent, heaped, as it were, with treasures of much costliness.
443. The delights of conjugial love are the delights (delitiae) of wisdom, because none others than spiritual men are in that love, and the spiritual man is in wisdom, and therefore, embraces no delights but such as accord with spiritual wisdom. Of what quality the delights of scortatory love are, and of what quality are those of conjugial love, may be illustrated by comparison with houses. The delights of scortatory love may be compared to a house whose walls have a reddish glow outwardly, like a sea shell, or like the specular stones of spurious golden color called selenites, while in the apartments within the walls are filth and rubbish of every kind. But the delights of conjugial love may be likened to a house whose walls are radiant as from pure gold, and the rooms within resplendent, filled as with jewel-boxes with many precious stones.
443. Quod jucunditates amoris conjugialis sint delitiae sapientiae, est quia non alii quam spirituales homines in illo amore sunt, et spiritualis homo in sapientia est; et inde non alias jucunditates amplectitur, quam quae cum spirituali sapientia concordant. Quales sunt jucunditates amoris scortatorii, et quales amoris conjugialis, elucidari potest per comparationem cum domibus; jucunditates amoris scortatorii cum domo, cujus parietes rutilant extrinsecus sicut conchilia, aut sicut ex spurio colore auri lapides speculares, selenites 1vocati; at vero in conclavibus intra parietes sunt sordes et quisquiliae omnis generis: sed jucunditates amoris conjugialis assimilari possunt domui, cujus parietes fulgent sicut ex obryzo auro, ac conclavia intus sicut cimeliis plurium pretiositatum referta splendent.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: selemnites,