76、记事二：
次日，天使又来找我，说：“要不要我为你引见白银时代的人，好从他们口中了解白银时代的婚姻？访问白银时代的人也需要主的指引。”当时我在灵里，和往常一样。天使向导就陪我前往。首先我们来到东南边界的一座小山。在山顶上，天使将一片非常广袤的地域指给我看。远处似乎是高耸入云的山脉，在高山和我们所站的小山之间是一段峡谷，上面是一个平原和一段缓坡。我们下山穿越山谷。山谷两边到处有木石雕刻的偶像，或是人物的形像，或是各样走兽、飞鸟、鱼类的形像。我问天使：“这些是什么？是偶像吗？”天使回答说：“不，不是偶像，而是象征各种美德和属灵真理的形像。白银时代的人通达对应学。每个人、每头兽、每只鸟、每条鱼皆对应某种品质，所以每个雕刻的形像都象征某个美德或真理的某个方面，组合起来，就像征某个美德或真理的全部。在埃及，这些东西被称为象形文字。”
我们继续穿越山谷，进入平原，看到有马有车。马配有各式各样的鞍和缰；车是各种不同的形状，有的像鹰，有的像鲸，有的像角鹿，有的像独角兽。尽头还有一些四轮马车，周围有一些马厩。可当我们走近时，马和车都不见了，只见成双成对的人正一起散步、交谈、讨论。天使告诉我：“从远处看到的仿佛马、车、马厩的形像乃是白银时代的人理性思维的象征。因为根据对应，马象征对真理的领悟，车象征相应的教义，马厩象征指教。你知道，灵界一切事物的显现都是基于对应。”
我们继续前行，走过一段长长的斜坡，终于看到一座城市。我们进城，走街串巷，在各街道和广场观察城里的房子。房子全是大理石建成的宫殿，殿前有雪白的石阶，石阶两侧有碧玉的圆柱。我们还看到一座圣殿，由天蓝色和青金色的宝石筑成。天使告诉我：“他们的房子都由石头砌成，因为石头象征属世的真理，宝石象征属灵的真理。白银时代的人明白属灵的真理，自然也明白属世的真理，他们由此获得智慧。白银具有同样的象征意义。”
我们漫步穿越城市，看到成双成对的夫妻四处漫步。我们期待有人邀请我们。想法尚在心头，当我们经过一户人家时，有两口子邀请我们作客。我们就拾阶而入。天使代为解释，我们到此天堂拜访，为要了解这天堂的古人婚姻状况如何。他们回答说：“我们来自亚细亚。我们那个年代是探索真理的年代，我们由此获得智慧。这是我们灵魂和精神的最大追求，而我们身体感官上的追求是制作各种形像来象征真理。对应学的研究将我们的身体感觉和心智的领悟结合起来，赋予我们智慧。”
听了他的话，天使请他给我们介绍他们的婚姻情况。丈夫说：“属灵的婚姻，即真与善的婚姻，与属世的婚姻，即男与女的婚姻，存在对应关系。我们研究过对应学，知道教会的真与善只能存在于彼此相爱的一夫一妻身上，因为善与真的结合就是人心里的教会。所以，我们这儿的人都说丈夫是真理，妻子是所属之善。善不能爱所属真理之外的真理，反之亦然。否则，构成教会的内在婚姻，即善与真的婚姻就会解体，成为仅仅外在的婚姻，与此相对应的，不是教会，而是偶像崇拜。因此，我们称一夫一妻的婚姻是神圣的，一夫多妻则为亵渎。”
说完这话，他将我们引到靠近卧室的一个厅堂，墙上有许多艺术品，还有仿佛铸银的小塑像。我问：“这些是什么？”他说：“都是一些象征婚姻之爱品质、特征、乐趣的图画和形像。这些象征灵魂合一，这些象征情投意合，这些象征心心相印，这些象征由此而来的快乐。”正观赏的时候，我们看到墙上现出一道三色彩虹，包括紫色、蓝色、白色，又看到紫色透过蓝色进入白色，给白色染上紫蓝色调，然后白色回流，经蓝色进入紫色，使紫色熠熠生辉。
丈夫问我：“你明白这是什么意思吗？”“愿闻其详。”我回答。于是，丈夫说：“根据对应，紫色象征妻子的爱，白色象征丈夫的智慧；蓝色象征丈夫开始感觉到妻子的爱慕，白色被染上紫蓝色象征此时丈夫生起对妻子的爱慕；白色回流，经蓝色进入紫色，使紫色熠熠生辉，象征丈夫的爱流回妻子，相互交融。每当我们默想心心相印、水乳交融、与日俱增的婚姻之爱，注视墙上现出的彩虹时，就有这样的景象出现。”对此我说：“这些事物在当今时代已属不可思议的奥秘，因为它们是象形符号，象征一夫一妻之间真爱的奥秘。”丈夫回答说：“是的，但是对我们这里的人来说，这些不是奥秘，也不神秘。”
说完这话，远处有一辆马车出现，由两匹白色马驹拉着。看到马车，天使说：“马车出现，表示我们得离开了。”下台阶的时候，主人送我们一串带藤叶的白葡萄。在我们手中，藤叶突然变成了白银。我们就带回来，留作拜访白银时代的纪念。
76、第二点是：
第二天同一个天使来见我说：“你想要我带你到银纪去吗，我们可以看看他们那时的婚姻是什么样？”天使说这些人也要有主的允许才能见得到。
我又处于精神状态中与向导一起去了。我们来到了东面和南面交界处的一个山上。在我们站在斜坡上时，天使指给我一片绵延很长的一片土地。我看到远方高处象是有一座山。在那座山和我们所站的山之间是一个山谷。山那边是一片平地，然后是渐渐高起的一片地。
我们走下山来到山谷中，两边都是一块一块用木头或石头刻成的人、兽、鸟、鱼。我问天使：“这些是什么？它是偶像吗？”
天使回答说：“不是，他们代表着不同的道德和真理，在那个世纪，这是一种象征性语言（对应）。因为个人、兽、鸟、鱼都有着一些品质，所以每个雕刻也都代表着一种品质或真理，好多雕像一起代表着一系列道德或真理。这就象是埃及人所用的象形文字。
我们继续走过山谷来到那片平地。突然间我看到马和战车。马戴着不同鞍子和缰绳，战车有不同的形状，有的刻成天使的样子，有些像鲸鱼，有些像有角的牤鹿、有些像独角兽。最后，我看到了一些四轮马车。但是当我们走近些时，马和战车都消失了，却见到一对对的人在一起走着，谈着，理论着。
天使对我说：“这些远处可见的马，战车和马棚是这个时代的人的理性水平的形象性表达。因为根据象征意义马代表着对真理的理解，战车代表着与真理相关的著作，马棚代表着指导的来源。你知道在这个时代所有事物都是以象征的形式而展现出来。”
我们继续走，经过一段上坡后，我们见到一个城市，于是走了进去。在那里的街上广场上我们见到了城中的房子，它们都是大理石建成的宫殿，前面有带花纺的石头台阶，两边有玉石的柱子。我们还看到用蓝宝石和天青石颜色的宝石建成的殿堂。
天使对我说：“他们的房子用不同的石头砌成，因为石头象征着自然的真理，宝石象征着精神的真理。这个时代的人都知道自然的真理和精神的真理，银纪名字中的银字也是一种象征意义。
再进一步观察这个城市时，我们见到夫妇们这一对，那一对。因为他们是夫妇，所以我们想是否他们会邀请我们。我们走过去后，有两个人叫我们到他们家去。于是我们走上台阶，进去了。然后天使代表我说明了我们的事由，我们到此来了解这个时代的婚姻。
他们回答说：“我们来自亚洲，我们这个时代的人注重追求真理，从真理中我们获取智慧。这个目的是我们身心和灵魂所追求的。在外在上我们注重用形象来展现真理。通过感官的形象，头脑的体会我们获得智慧。
听到这里，天使请他们讲一讲这里的婚姻。
于是丈夫说道：“在精神婚姻即善与真理的结合和自然的婚姻，即一个男人和一个女人的结合之间存在一种象征关系。因为我们研究象征意义，我们认为教会的善和真理只有在拥有一个妻子并且有真正的婚姻之爱的人中间才能存在，因为真理与善的结合就是教会在一个人身上的体现。
“因此，在这里我们说丈夫是真理的一种形式，妻子是善的一种形式。一种善只能爱它自己的真理，一种真理只能爱它自己的善。若爱别的真理或善，构成教会的内在的婚姻将破裂，婚姻就变成只是存在于外在上，这种婚姻是与偶像崇拜相对应的。所以，在我们这里称只有一个妻子的婚姻是神圣的，而有多个妻子是亵渎神性。
说到这里，他带我们到卧室外的一间屋子里，那里墙上有一些艺术品和用银子铸成的形象，我问这些是什么？
他们说：“这是象征着婚姻中的各种品质，愉悦的事物。这里这些象征着灵魂上的统一，那些象征着思想上的结合，那些象征心灵上的和谐，那些象征着这其中的快乐。”
我看到墙上有象彩虹一样的图形，由三种颜色紫、兰和白构成。并且看到紫色映着白色，使白色变得有一点兰紫色。白色映着紫色使得紫色变得非常明亮。
这时那个男人问我：“你明白这是什么吗？”
我说：“请讲一下。”
他说：“从象征上讲紫色象征着婚姻中妻子的爱；白光象征着丈夫的才智；兰光是在妻子的影响下丈夫对婚姻之爱的理解的开始。兰紫反射着白的是丈夫方面的婚姻之爱。后来的光映射兰色和紫色并使其更加明亮的象征着在丈夫方面的婚姻之爱流回到妻子方面。在我们思考婚姻之爱的时候，这些事物就展现在墙上，它是一种相互的，不断发展的同时结合。”
听到这里我说：“这种象征意义就象是个谜一样，完全是象征的形式，象征着一夫一妻婚姻之爱的秘密。”
他说：“是的，但对于这里的人来说不是这样，不是什么秘密，也不是什么谜。”
说话之时在远方出现一辆小马拉着的战车。看到这以后，天使说，是让我们离开的信号。
于是我们走下台阶，主人送给我们一串白葡萄，葡萄上还连着叶子。突然间叶子变成了银子的，我们将葡萄带回来做为到过银纪的纪念。
76. The second experience.
The next day the same angel as on the previous day came to me and said: 'Would you like me to take and accompany you to the people who lived in the era or age of silver, so that we can hear from them about marriage in their time?' He said that these too were not to be approached except under the Lord's guidance. I was in the spirit, as previously, and I went with my guide, first to a hill on the border between east and south. When we were on the slopes of that hill, he showed me a great expanse of territory. We saw far off a towering mountain, between which and the hill on which we stood there was a valley, and beyond it a plain with a slope rising gently from it.
We came down from the hill to cross the valley, and saw in places on either side pieces of wood and stone carved to resemble human beings and various animals, birds and fishes. 'What are they?' I asked the angel. 'Are they not idols?' 'Far from it,' he answered. 'They are shapes designed to depict various moral virtues and spiritual truths. The peoples of that age knew about correspondences; and since every person, animal, bird and fish corresponds to some quality, each carving depicts some aspect of a virtue or truth, and a number of them taken together depict the whole virtue or truth in its general full form. These carvings are what in Egypt are called hieroglyphics.'
[2] We crossed the valley and on entering the plain saw horses and chariots. The horses had various kinds of metal disks on their harness and halters; the chariots were of different types, some carved to represent eagles, some whales, some stags with antlers, some unicorns. Also finally we saw some waggons with stables at either side of them. But when we came near the horses and chariots both disappeared, and we saw in their place people walking in twos, conversing and reasoning. The angel told me: 'The kinds of horses, chariots and stables which can be seen at a distance are appearances of the rational intelligence of the people of that age. For a horse stands by correspondence for the understanding of truth, a chariot for its teaching, and stables for lessons. You know that in this world everything has an appearance in keeping with its correspondence.'
[3] Passing these by we climbed a long ascent and at length we saw the city, which we entered. As we walked through, we looked at their houses from the streets and squares. They were all palaces built of marble. In front they had steps of alabaster, and at the sides of the steps columns of jasper. We also saw temples of precious stones, sapphire and azure coloured. 'Their houses,' said the angel, 'are built of stones, because stones stand for natural truths, precious stones for spiritual truths. All the people who lived in the silver age were made intelligent by spiritual truths, and thus by natural truths. The meaning of silver is similar.
[4] As we toured the city, we saw here and there people in pairs, and since they were husbands and wives, we waited to be invited in somewhere. While we had this in mind, as we went past we were called back by two people and invited to their home. We went up and inside it. The angel spoke with them for me, explaining the reasons for my visit to this heaven. 'It is,' he told them, 'so that he can learn about marriage among the people of antiquity, of whom you here are representatives.'
'We came,' they replied, 'from the peoples of Asia. Our age was devoted to the study of truths, the means by which we acquired intelligence - this was the kind of thing that appealed to our souls and minds. But the thing that appealed to our bodily senses was devising forms to represent truths. Our knowledge of correspondences made a link between our bodily sensations and the perceptions of our minds, so giving us intelligence.'
[5] After hearing this the angel begged them to tell us something about marriage among them. 'There is,' said the husband, 'a correspondence between the spiritual marriage, that is, of truth with good, and the natural marriage, that is, of a man with one wife. Being students of correspondences, we saw that the church with its kinds of truth and good could not possibly exist except among those who live in truly conjugial love with one wife. For the marriage of good and truth makes the church in the individual. All of us, therefore, who are here now, assert that the husband is truth and the wife the truth's own good. Good cannot love any truth but its own, nor can truth return that love to any but its own good. In other circumstances the inner marriage which makes the church would be lost, and the marriage would become merely outward; and it is not the church, but idolatry, to which this corresponds. We therefore call marriage with one wife a sacrament; but if it happened in our community with more than one, we should call that a sacrilege.'
[6] Following this speech we were taken into an ante-chamber, where there were many devices on the walls and small pictures which looked as if cast in silver. 'What are these?' I asked.
'They are,' they said, ' paintings and forms which depict for us many qualities, attributes and pleasures belonging to conjugial love. One group depicts the unity of souls, another the linking of minds, another the harmony of hearts, another the delights which arise from these.'
As we gazed, we saw a kind of rainbow on the wall composed of three colours, purple, blue and white. We noted how the purple colour passed through the blue and turned the white dark blue; and this colour then flowed back through the blue into the purple, enhancing it so as to resemble a flaming ray.
[7] 'You understand that?' the husband said to me. 'Tell me,' I replied. 'The purple colour,' he said, 'because of its correspondence stands for the wife's conjugial love; the white colour stands for the husband's intelligence. The blue stands for the beginnings of conjugial love as perceived in the husband by the wife, and the dark blue, which tinged the white, stands for the conjugial love then present in the husband. This colour, flowing back through the blue into the purple and enhancing it so as to resemble a flaming ray, means the husband's conjugial love flowing back to the wife. We see such things depicted on our walls, when we think about conjugial love, its natural, successive and simultaneous union, and fix our gaze upon the rainbows depicted there.'
To this I said, 'These matters are more than mysterious to us today, since they are a way of picturing the secrets of the conjugial love of one man with one wife.' 'Yes, that is so,' he replied, 'but they are no secrets to us here, so not mysteries either.'
[8] When he had said this, a chariot was seen a long way off, pulled by white ponies. On seeing it the angel said, 'That chariot is a sign for us to leave.' Then when we came down the steps, our host gave us a bunch of white grapes with vine-leaves attached; these leaves suddenly turned silver. We took them away as a token of our conversation with the peoples of the silver age.
76. The second account:
The next day the same angel came to me and said, "Would you like me to take and accompany you to the peoples who lived in the silver age or period, so that we may hear from them about the marriages of their time?" He also said that these people, too, could not be approached except under the Lord's guidance.
I was in the spirit as before, and I went with my guide. And we came first to a hill in the border region between the east and the south. Then, as we stood upon its slope, he showed me a far extended stretch of land, and we saw in the distance an elevation like that of a mountain. Between it and the hill on which we stood was a valley, and beyond that a level area, and after that a gently rising incline.
We descended from the hill to cross the valley, and here and there on each side we saw blocks of wood and stone carved into the shapes of people and various kinds of animals, birds and fish. So I asked the angel, "What are these? Are they idols?"
And he answered, "Not at all. They are figures representative of various moral virtues and spiritual truths. Among the peoples of this age there was a knowledge of correspondences. Since every person, animal, bird and fish corresponds to some quality, therefore each carving represents some aspect of a virtue or truth, and a group of them taken together represents the whole virtue or truth in a general, extended form. They are what in Egypt were called hieroglyphics."
[2] We continued through the valley, and as we entered the level area, suddenly we saw horses and chariots - horses with variously decorated harnesses and halters, and chariots variously shaped, some carved out like eagles, some like whales, and some like stags with horns, or like unicorns. At the end we also saw some wagons, and stables around at the sides. But when we drew near, both the horses and the chariots disappeared, and instead of them we saw people in couples and pairs, walking, talking and reasoning together.
The angel then said to me, "The various horses, chariots and stables - as they seem at a distance - are appearances expressive of the rational intelligence of the people of this age. For by correspondence a horse symbolizes an understanding of truth; a chariot, its accompanying doctrine; and stables, sources of instruction. You know that in this world, all things take on appearances according to correspondences."
[3] We went on by these things, however, and we ascended by a long incline, until at last we saw a city, which we entered. As we wandered through it, from the streets and public squares we observed its houses. They were all palaces, built out of marble. In front they had steps of alabaster, with columns of jasper on each side of the steps. We also saw temples made of precious stone the color of sapphire and lapis lazuli.
The angel said to me, "They have houses made of different kinds of stone because stones symbolize natural truths, and precious stones symbolize spiritual truths. The people who lived in the silver age all had their intelligence from spiritual truths and so from natural truths. Silver also has a similar symbolism."
[4] As we surveyed the city, we saw married couples here and there in pairs; and since they were husbands and wives, we waited to see if we would be invited in somewhere. Even as we had this in mind, moreover, as we were passing by, two of them called us back into their house. So we went up the steps and went in. Then, speaking with them on my behalf, the angel explained the reason for our coming to that heaven, saying that we had come to be instructed concerning marriages among ancient peoples - "you here being some of them," he said.
They then replied, "We come from peoples in Asia, and the focus of our age was the pursuit of truths, by which we acquired intelligence. This pursuit was the focus of our soul and mind. But the focus of our physical senses was on representations of truths in forms, and a study of correspondences combined the sensory interests of our bodies with the perceptions of our minds, gaining for us intelligence."
[5] Hearing this, the angel asked them to tell us something about marriages among them.
So the husband said, "There is a correspondence between the spiritual marriage, which is a marriage of truth with good, and natural marriage, which is the marriage of a man with one wife. And because we have studied correspondences, we see that the church with its truths and goods can by no means exist except in people who live with one wife in a state of truly conjugial love. For a marriage of good and truth in a person is the church in him.
"Consequently, we who are here all say that a husband is a form of truth, and his wife a form of good, and that good cannot love any other truth than its own truth, nor can truth love any other good in return than its own good. If it were to love another, the inner marriage that forms the church would die, and the marriage would become merely external - the kind of marriage that idolatry corresponds to, not the church. Therefore we call marriage with one wife a sacred union, but if it were contracted with more than one among us, we would call it a sacrilege."
[6] Saying this, he showed us into an anteroom outside the bedroom, which had a number of works of art on the walls and little images apparently cast out of silver. I then asked what they were.
They said, "They are pictures and forms representing the many qualities, attributes and delights which have to do with conjugial love. These ones here represent the unity of souls; these other ones, the conjunction of minds; the ones there, the harmony of hearts; those over there, the delights arising as a result."
While we were looking, we saw on the wall a kind of rainbow, consisting of three colors, purple, blue, and bright white. And we saw how the purple color passed through the blue and tinted the white with a purplish blue hue, and that the latter color flowed back through the blue into the purple and raised it into a kind of flaming radiance.
[7] Then the husband said to me, "Do you understand it?"
And I said, "Instruct me."
So he said, "The purple by its correspondence symbolizes the conjugial love of the wife; the bright white, the intelligence of the husband; the blue, the beginning of conjugial love in the husband's perception from the wife; and the purplish blue, which tinted the white, conjugial love then in the husband. This latter color's flowing back through the blue into the purple and raising it into a kind of flaming radiance symbolizes the conjugial love of the husband flowing back to the wife. Things like these are represented on these walls whenever we reflect on conjugial love, its mutual, progressive and simultaneous union, and then look closely at the rainbows exhibited there."
At this I said, "Things like this today are more than mysteries, for they are of a representational type, representing the secrets of the conjugial love of one man with one wife."
He replied, "So they are, but to us here they are not secrets, and therefore not mysteries."
[8] When he said this, a chariot appeared in the distance drawn by white ponies, and seeing it, the angel said, "That chariot is a signal for us to depart."
Then as we were going down the steps, our host gave us a cluster of white grapes with leaves from the vine still attached, and suddenly the leaves turned silver. And we took them away with us as a memento that we had spoken with people of the silver age.
76. The second story: The next day the same angel came to me and said, "Do you want me to guide and accompany you to the people who lived in the Silver Age or era, to hear from them about the marriages of their time?" And he said that they cannot be approached, either, except by the Lord's authority.
It was a spiritual experience, as before, and my guide accompanied me. First we came to a hill where east and south meet, and while we were on its slope he showed me a great expanse of land spread out, and we saw a mountain rising in the distance. Between it and the hill where we stood was a valley, and beyond the valley a plain and a slope gently rising from it. We went down the hill to cross the valley, and here and there to the sides we saw wood and stone carved in the form of people and different animals, birds, and fish.
I asked the angel, "What are they? Are they idols?"
He said, "Absolutely not. They are forms to represent different moral virtues and spiritual truths. The people of that age knew about correspondences, and because every man, animal, bird, and fish corresponds to some quality, each sculpture represents an aspect of some virtue or truth, and a group of several represents the general extended form of the virtue or truth. They are what were called hieroglyphics in Egypt."
We pushed on through the valley, and when we reached the plain, we saw horses and chariots! The horses were equipped and harnessed in various ways, and the chariots had different forms - some carved like eagles, others like whales, others like stags with horns, others like unicorns - and finally we saw some wagons, and stables around to the sides. But when we came closer the horses and chariots disappeared, and instead of them we saw people walking along, two by two, talking and discussing things.
The angel told me, "What looked like horses, chariots, and stables from a distance are images of the rational wisdom of the people from that era. Because of their correspondence, a horse stands for understanding truth, a chariot stands for truth's principles, and stables stand for teachings. You know that everything in this world looks like what it corresponds to."
But we passed by them and went up a long slope and finally saw a city, which we entered. Walking through it we observed its houses from the avenues and squares. They were all palaces made of marble. There were alabaster steps in front of them and columns of jasper beside the steps. We also saw temples of precious stone the color of sapphire and lapis lazuli.
The angel said to me, "Their houses are stone because stones stand for worldly truths, and precious stones stand for spiritual truths. Everyone who lived in the Silver Age acquired his intelligence from spiritual truths and in this way from worldly truths.
Silver stands for the same thing."
In our wanderings through the city we saw couples here and there, pair by pair. They were husbands and wives, so we were on the lookout for an invitation somewhere. As we went along in this frame of mind, two of them did call us back into their house.
We went up and entered, and the angel, speaking for me, explained to them the reason we came into this heaven. "It's to learn about marriages among ancient people. You are an ancient people."
"We were among the people in Asia," they answered, "and the concern of our era was the study of truths - which gave us intelligence. This concern was the endeavor of our mind and soul.
But the concern of our bodily senses was representations of truths in forms. Knowledge of correspondences joined the sensory aspects of our bodies with the perceptive aspects of our minds and gave us intelligence."
Hearing this the angel asked them to tell us something about the marriages in their culture.
The husband said, "There is a correspondence between a spiritual marriage, of truth with good, and a worldly marriage, of a man with one wife. And we studied correspondences, so we saw that religion with its true and good things could only be possible among people who live in real married love with one wife. For the marriage of good and truth is the church among men, so all of us who are here say that a husband is truth and a wife is his good and that good cannot love a truth other than its own nor a truth love any good but its own in return. If it does, the inner marriage that makes the church perishes, and it becomes just an outward marriage. Idolatry corresponds to this, but the church does not. So we call marriage with one wife a sacrament.
And, if marriage with more than one occurred in our culture, we'd call it a sacrilege."
After he said this he led us to an outer room, where there were many works of art on the walls and small sculptures that seemed to be cast in silver. I asked what they were.
They said, "They are pictures and sculptures representing the many qualities, attributes, and delights having to do with the love in marriage. These represent unity of souls, these the joining of minds, these the concord in your hearts, and those the joys that spring from it."
While watching we saw something like a rainbow on the wall, composed of three colors - crimson, blue, and white. And we saw how the crimson shaded off into the blue and tinted the white with dark blue. This color flowed back through the blue into the crimson and made it shine out in a flaming brightness.
The husband said to me, "You do understand this?"
I answered, "Explain it to me."
He said, "From its correspondence the crimson stands for a wife's married love, the white a husband's intelligence. The blue is the beginning of married love, in a husband's insight from his wife, and then the dark blue that tinted the white is married love in the husband. This color seeping back from the blue into the crimson and making it shine out in a flaming brightness stands for the husband's married love flowing back to the wife. Things like this are displayed on the walls while we fasten our eyes on the rainbows pictured here, thinking over the love in marriage, its mutual, ongoing, simultaneous union."
To this I said, "These things are more than secret today, because they're sights that represent unknown things about the married love of one man with one wife."
"They are," he replied. "But they aren't unknown to us here, so they aren't secret."
When he said this a chariot appeared in the distance drawn by white ponies. When the angel saw it he said, "That chariot is a signal to us to go."
Then, as we went down the steps, our host gave us a cluster of white grapes with the vine leaves attached. And the leaves turned to silver! We brought it away as a souvenir that we had talked with people of the Silver Age.
76. The Second Memorable Relation:
The next day, the same angel came to me and said, "You wish me to guide and accompany you to the peoples who lived in the SILVER AGE or period, that from them we may hear about the marriages of their time;" and he added, "These also may not be approached save under the Lord's auspices."
Being in the spirit as before, I accompanied my guide. We came first to a hill on the border between the east and the south. And when we were on its summit, he showed me a widely extended stretch of country. In the far distance we saw a height resembling a mountain, between which and the hill on which we stood, was a valley, and beyond that, a plain from which rose a gentle acclivity.
We descended the hill to cross the valley, and here and there on either side we saw images of men and of various beasts, birds, and fishes carved in wood and stone, and I asked the angel, "What are these? Are they idols?" He replied: "No, indeed. They are figures representative of various moral virtues and spiritual truths. Among the peoples of this age flourished the science of correspondences; and as every man, beast, bird, and fish corresponds to some quality, therefore each sculptured form represents some particular aspect of a virtue or truth, and many together represent the virtue or truth itself in a general extended form. They are what in Egypt were called hieroglyphics."
[2] We pursued our way through the valley, and when we entered the plain, lo, we saw horses and chariots--horses variously harnessed and caparisoned, and chariots of different forms, some carved like eagles, some like whales, some like stags with horns, some like unicorns; and also, at the farther end, some wagons, and round about at the sides, stables. As we drew near, however, both horses and chariots disappeared and in their stead we saw men in couples, walking, talking with each other, and discussing. The angel then said to me: "Seen at a distance, the different kinds of horses, chariots, and stables are appearances of the rational intelligence of the men of this Age; for, from its correspondence, a horse signifies the understanding of truth, a chariot the teaching thereof, and stables the places of instruction. You know that in this world all things appear according to correspondences."
[3] Passing these by, we went up a long ascent and at last saw a city. This we entered, and walking through its streets and public places, we examined its houses which were so many palaces built of marble. In front of them were steps of alabaster, and at the sides of the steps, columns of jasper. We also saw temples built of precious stone of the color of sapphire and lapis lazuli. The angel then told me: "Their houses are of stone because stones signify natural truths, and precious stones spiritual truths, and all those who lived in the Silver Age had intelligence from spiritual truths and thence from natural. Silver also has a like signification."
[4] As we wandered through the city, we saw here and there consorts walking in pairs; and as they were husbands and wives, we hoped that we might be invited in somewhere. As we were walking along with this in mind, one couple called us back into their house, and we mounted the steps and entered. Speaking for me, the angel then explained to them the reason why we had come to this heaven, that it was "for the sake of information respecting marriages among the ancients from whom you in this heaven are."
They answered: "We were from a people in Asia; and the study of our Age was the study of truths, by which we had intelligence. This study was the study of our souls and minds. While the study of our bodily senses was the representation of truths in forms; and the science of correspondences conjoined the sensations of our bodies with the perceptions of our minds and gave us intelligence."
[5] On hearing this, the angel requested that they would tell us something about marriages among them. The husband then said: "There is a correspondence between spiritual marriage, which is that of truth with good, and natural marriage which is that of a man with one wife. Having studied correspondences, we have seen that the Church with its truths and goods can by no means exist save with those who live with one wife in love truly conjugial; for the marriage of good and truth is the Church with man. Therefore, we who are here, all say that the husband is truth and the wife the good thereof, and that good cannot love any other truth than its own, nor, in return, can truth love any other good than its own. If any other were loved, the internal marriage which makes the Church would vanish. Marriage would then become merely external, and to this corresponds, not the Church, but idolatry. For this reason, we call marriage with one wife a sacrament, but were it to take place among us with more than one, we would call it a sacrilege."
[6] After he had thus spoken, we were introduced into a room adjoining the bed-chamber. Here, on the walls, were many works of art and some small images as though cast in silver; and I asked "What are these?" He said: "They are pictures and forms representative of the many qualities, attributes, and delights which belong to conjugial love. Some represent the unity of souls, some the conjunction of minds, some the concord of hearts, and some the delights arising therefrom."
While examining these representations, we saw upon the wall a rainbow, as it were, composed of three colors, crimson, hyacinthine, and white; and we saw how that the crimson passed through the hyacinthine and tinged the white with dark blue, while the white flowed back through the hyacinthine into the crimson and raised it to a flamy beam, as it were.
[7] The husband then asked me, "Do you understand this?" I answered, "Instruct me;" whereupon he said: "From its correspondence, the crimson signifies the conjugial love of the wife, the white the intelligence of the husband, the hyacinthine the beginning of conjugial love in the husband's perception from the wife, and the dark blue with which the white was tinged, conjugial love then in the husband. The flowing back of this color through the hyacinthine into the crimson and the raising of the latter to a flamy beam, as it were, signifies the conjugial love of the husband flowing back to the wife. Such things are represented on these walls whenever, from meditation on conjugial love and its mutual, successive, and simultaneous union, we look with intent gaze at the rainbows there pictured."
To this I said: "At the present day, such things are more than mystical for they are representative appearances of the arcana of the conjugial love of one man with one wife." He replied: "They are; but to us here they are not arcane and therefore are not mystical."
[8] When he had thus spoken, there appeared at some distance a chariot drawn by small white horses. Seeing this, the angel said, "That chariot is a sign for us to depart." Then, as we descended the steps, our host gave us a cluster of white grapes with the vine leaves attached; and lo [in our hands], 1the leaves became silver; and we brought them away as a sign that we had spoken with people of the Silver Age.
Footnotes:
1. See CORONIS, 44, where this Relation is repeated.
76. 1II
The next day the same angel came to me and said, "Would you like me to guide and escort you to the people who lived in the Silver Age or epoch, to hear from them about the marriages of their time?" He added that neither can these be approached save under the Lord's auspices.
I was in the spirit as before. I accompanied my guide, first to a hill in the southeast. When we had gained its gently sloping height, he showed me a wide stretch of land; far away we beheld a mountainlike eminence, between which and the hill where we stood was a valley and beyond it a plain from which the high ground rose gently.
Descending the hill to cross the valley, we saw here and there on either side wood and stone carved in the likeness of men and of various beasts, birds and fishes. I asked the angel, "What are these? Are they idols?"
"Not at all," he replied. "They are figures representing different moral virtues and spiritual truths. The peoples of this epoch had a knowledge of correspondences; and as every man, beast, bird or fish corresponds to some quality, therefore each piece of sculpture represents an aspect of a virtue or truth, and several together the virtue or truth itself as a whole. They are what in Egypt were called hieroglyphics."
[2] We passed through the valley, and entering the plain beheld horses and chariots - horses variously caparisoned and harnessed, and chariots of different form; some carved like eagles, others like whales, others like stags with horns, others like unicorns; and at the farther end also some wagons and stables around at the sides. But as we approached, both horses and chariots disappeared. In their stead we saw men, walking in pairs, conversing and reasoning. And the angel said to me, "Semblances of horses, chariots and stables, seen at a distance, are appearances of the rational intelligence of the men of this epoch. For by correspondence a horse signifies the understanding of truth; a chariot, doctrine about truth; and stables, instruction. In this world, you know, all things appear according to correspondences."
[3] But we proceeded past these and went up a long ascent, and at last saw a city, which we entered. As we walked along, we surveyed the houses from street and square. They were so many palaces built of marble, with steps of alabaster in front, and pillars of jasper at the sides of the steps. We also saw temples of precious stone of the color of sapphire and lapis lazuli.
And the angel told me, "Their houses are of stone because stones signify natural truths, and precious stones spiritual truths; and all those who lived in the Silver Age had intelligence from spiritual truths and from natural truths thence. Silver has a like significance."
[4] As we traversed the city we saw consorts here and there in pairs; and because they were husbands and wives, we hoped to be asked in somewhere. As we were going by in that expectation, we were called back by two to their house; and we ascended and entered. Speaking for me, the angel explained to them our reason in coming to this heaven, that it was "for instruction about marriages among the ancients from among whom you in this heaven are."
"We were from peoples in Asia," they answered. "The study of our age was truths, by which we had intelligence. This was the study of our soul and mind. But the study of our bodily senses was the representation of truths by forms. The knowledge of correspondences united what was of the bodily senses with the perceptions of our minds, and so integrated our intelligence."
[5] Hearing this the angel asked them to tell us something about marriages among them.
"There is a correspondence," said the husband, "between spiritual marriage, which is of truth with good, and natural marriage, which is that of a man with one wife. As we have applied ourselves to correspondences, we have seen that the Church with its truths and goods cannot exist at all except with those who live in true marital love with one wife. For the marriage of good and truth is the Church in man. Therefore all of us here say that the husband is truth and the wife is its good; and that good cannot love any other truth than its own, nor can truth in return love any other good than its own. If any other were loved, the inward marriage which makes the Church would perish, and a merely external relationship would take its place, to which idolatry and not the Church corresponds. For this reason we call marriage with one wife sacrimony,' but were it contracted among us with more than one, we should call it sacrilege."
[6] After this speech, we were admitted into an antechamber where were many designs on the walls, and small statues as if cast of silver. I asked, "What are these?" He said, "They are pictures and figures representing many of the qualities, attributes and delights of marital love. These represent the unity of the souls; these the conjunction of minds; these the concord of heart; and those, delights springing from them."
While we were examining the designs and statues, we beheld on the wall what seemed to be a rainbow, composed of three colors, purple, blue and white. We saw the purple cross the blue and tinge the white with dark blue, and saw this color flow back through the blue into the purple, intensifying it to a dazzling radiance.
"Do you understand these things?" the husband asked.
I answered, "Instruct me."
[7] He replied, "By correspondence the purple signifies the wife's marital love; the white, the husband's intelligence; the blue, the incipience of marital love from the wife in the husband's perception; and the dark blue tingeing the white, marital love then in the husband. The fact that the color flowed back through the blue into the purple, intensifying it to a dazzling radiance, signifies the marital love of the husband flowing back to the wife. Such things are represented on the walls when, in meditation on marital love and its mutual, successive and simultaneous union, we watch intently the rainbows painted there."
To this I said, "These figurative things are more than mystical today, for they are representations of arcana in the marital love of one man with one wife."
"They are," he said, "but to us here they are not arcana and therefore not mystical either."
[8] When he had spoken, a chariot appeared in the distance drawn by two small white horses. At sight of it, the angel said, "That chariot is a sign we must go."
As we descended the steps, our host gave us a cluster of white grapes with leaves from the vine attached; and lo! the leaves turned silver. We brought them away as a token that we had spoken with people of the Silver Age.
Footnotes:
1. These Memorabilia are repeated with some variations in Coronis,37.
76. The Second Relation:
The next day the same angel came to me and said, 'Would you like me to conduct you and go with you to the people who lived in the Silver Age or Period, that we may hear from them about the marriages of their time?' And he added that neither can they be approached except under the Lord's auspices. I was as before in the spirit and was accompanied by my guide. We came first to a hill on the border between the east and the south. And while we were on its sloping height he showed me a very extended region of country, and far away an eminence as if mountainous, between which and the hill on which we stood was a valley, and beyond that a plain and an acclivity gently rising from it.
We descended the hill to cross the valley and saw here and there on either side wood and stone carved in images of men, and of various beasts, birds, and fishes; and I asked the angel, 'What are these? Are they idols?'
He replied, 'Not at all. They are figures representative of various moral virtues and spiritual truths. With the peoples of this age there was a knowledge of correspondences; and as every man, beast, bird, and fish corresponds to some quality, therefore, each sculptured form represents some aspect of a virtue or truth, and several together the virtue or truth itself in a general extended form. These in Egypt were called hieroglyphics.'
We passed on through the valley, and as we entered upon the plain, lo! we saw horses and chariots, horses variously caparisoned and harnessed, and chariots of different forms; some carved like eagles, others like whales, others like stags with horns, others like unicorns; and finally some wagons also and stables around at the sides. But as we came near both horses and chariots disappeared and we saw in their stead men, by twos and twos, walking, conversing, and reasoning together. And the angel said to me, 'The figures of horses, chariots, and stables, seen from a distance, were appearances of the rational intelligence of the men of that age. For horses by correspondence signify the understanding of truth; a chariot, its doctrine; and stables, instructions. You know that in this world all things appear according to correspondences.'
But we passed by these and went up a long ascent, and at last saw a city which we entered. And in going through, we from the streets and public places took note of its houses. They were as many palaces built of marble. In front of them were steps of alabaster and at the sides of the steps columns of jasper. We also saw a temple of precious stone of the color of sapphire and lapis lazuli.
And the angel told me, 'Their houses are of stone, because stones signify natural truths, and the precious stones spiritual truths; and all those that lived in the Silver Age had intelligence from spiritual truths and thence from natural truths. Silver has also a like signification.'
As we wandered through the city we saw consorts here and there, pairs and pairs; and as they were husbands and wives we expected that we should be invited somewhere. While this was in mind, as we were passing along we were called back by two to their house; and we ascended and entered. And the angel speaking for me explained to them the reason of our coming to this heaven, that it was 'for instruction respecting marriages among the ancients from whom you in this heaven are.'
He answered, 'We were from the peoples in Asia; and the pursuit of our age was the pursuit of truths, by which we had intelligence. This was the pursuit of our soul and mind. But the pursuit of our bodily senses was the representations of truths in forms; and the knowledge of correspondences connected the sensuals of our bodies with the perceptions of our minds and gained us intelligence.'
Hearing this the angel requested that they would tell us something about marriages among them.
The husband said, 'There is a correspondence between spiritual marriage which is of truth with good, and natural marriage which is that of a man with one wife. And as we have studied correspondences we have seen that the church with its truths and goods cannot exist at all except with those who live in love truly conjugial with one wife. For the marriage of good and truth is the church in man. Therefore all of us who are here say that the husband is truth and the wife is its good; and that good cannot love other truth than its own, nor truth love in return other good than its own. If other were loved internal marriage which makes the church would vanish, and the marriage would become merely external, to which idolatry and not the church corresponds. For this reason we call marriage with one wife a sacrament, and if it should take place among us with more than one we should call it sacrilege.'
When he had said this, we were introduced into an antechamber where were many works of art upon the walls, and small statues as if cast of silver; and I asked, 'What are these?' He said, 'They are pictures and forms representative of many of the qualities, attributes, and delights which come of conjugial love. These represent the oneness of souls; these the conjunction of minds; these the concord of hearts; and those the delights springing from them.'
While we were examining them we saw as it were a rainbow upon the wall, composed of three colors, crimson (purple), 1blue (hyacinthinum), and white; and we saw how the crimson passed over into the blue and tinged the white with dark blue, and that this color flowed back through the blue into the crimson and raised it as it were to a splendor of flaming red. And the husband said to me:
'Do you understand these things?' I answered, 'Instruct me.'
He replied, 'The crimson, from its correspondence, signifies the conjugial love of the wife; the white, the intelligence of the husband; the blue, the beginning of conjugial love in the husband's perception from the wife; and the dark blue with which the white was tinged, conjugial love then in the husband. That this color flowed back through the blue into the crimson and raised this as if to a splendor of flaming red, signifies the conjugial love of the husband flowing back to the wife. Such things are represented on these walls when from meditation on conjugial love - its mutual, successive, and simultaneous union,-we look with intent eyes at the rainbows pictured there.'
To this I said, 'These things are more than mystical at the present day; for they are appearances representative of the secrets of the conjugial love of one man with one wife.'
He replied, 'They are so. But to us here they are not secrets and therefore, are not mystical.'
When he said this a chariot appeared a long way off drawn by two small white horses; seeing which the angel said, 'That chariot is a signal to us that we should depart.'
Then as we descended the steps, our host gave us a cluster of white grapes with leaves from the vine attached; and lo! the leaves became silver. And we brought them away as a token that we had conversed with the peoples of the Silver Age.'
Footnotes:
1. Purple with Swedenborg always means the royal or red purple of the ancients; to avoid confusion it is here rendered crimson. The blue in our text is in the Latin hyacinthinum, a blue slightly tinged with red, while the term rendered dark blue is in Latin cyaneus.
76. Secundum Memorabile. Postridie venit ad me Angelus prior, et dixit, "vis ut ducam et comiter te ad Populos, qui in Aevo seu Saeculo Argenteo vixerant, ut ex illis audiamus de illorum temporis Conjugiis;" ac inquiit, quod nec hi adeantur nisi ex auspicio Domini: eram sicut prius in spiritu, ac comitatus sum ductorem meum; et primum ad Collem in confinio inter Orientem et Meridiem; et dum super illius clivo eramus, ostendit mihi magnam extensionem tractus terrae; ac vidimus procul eminentiam sicut montanam, inter quam et collem, super quo stetimus, erat vallis, et post hanc planities, et ab hac acclivitas lente surgens: descendimus e Colle transituri vallem, et vidimus a lateribus hic illic ligna et saxa in figuras hominum, et variarum bestiarum, avium, et piscium, sculpta; et quaesivi Angelum, "quid illa, suntne Idola;" et respondit, "prorsus non; sunt configurationes repraesentativae variarum virtutum moralium, et veritatum spiritualium; fuerat apud Populos illius aetatis Scientia Correspondentiarum; et quia omnis homo, bestia, avis et piscis correspondet alicui qualitati, ideo unumquodvis sculptile repraesentat aliquod partiale virtutis aut veritatis, et plura simul ipsam Virtutem aut Veritatem in communi extensa forma; sunt illa quae in Aegypto vocata sunt Hieroglyphica."
[2] Perreximus per Vallem, et dum intravimus Planitiem, ecce vidimus Equos et Currus, Equos varie phaleratos et capistratos, ac Currus diversiformes, quosdam exsculptos sicut Aquilas, quosdam sicut Balaenas, et quosdam sicut Cervos cum cornibus, et sicut Monocerotes, et quoque in fine aliqua Plaustra, et circum ad latera Stabula; at cum appropinquavimus, tam Equi quam Currus disparati sunt, et pro illis vidimus Homines, paria et paria, ambulantes, colloquentes, et ratiocinantes; et dixit mihi Angelus, "species Equorum, Curruum, et Stabulorum e longinquo visae, sunt apparentiae rationalis intelligentiae hominum illius Aevi; Equus enim ex correspondentia significat intellectum veri, Currus doctrinam ejus, ac Stabula instructiones; nosti quod in hoc Mundo omnia secundum Correspondentias appareant."
[3] Sed praeterivimus haec, et per longum acclivum ascendimus, et tandem vidimus Urbem, quam intravimus; et in pervadendo, e plateis et foris lustravimus ejus domos; erant totidem Palatia, structa ex marmore; ante illa erant gradus ex alabastro, et ad latera graduum columnae ex jaspide: vidimus etiam Templa ex pretioso lapide coloris Sapphirini et Lazurei: et dixit mihi Angelus, "Domus illis ex Lapidibus sunt, quia Lapides significant veritates naturales, et Lapides pretiosi veritates spirituales; et omnibus illis, qui in Argenteo Aevo vixerunt, fuit intelligentia ex veritatibus spiritualibus et inde naturalibus; simile etiam significat Argentum."
[4] In perlustrando urbem, vidimus hic et ibi Consortes, paria et paria, et quia erant mariti et uxores, exspectavimus, ut alicubi invitaremur; et cum hoc in animo erat, in transeundo revocabamur a duobus in domum, ac ascendimus, et intravimus; et Angelus pro me loquutus cum illis aperuit causam adventus in hoc Coelum, quod esset "propter instructionem de Conjugiis apud Antiquos, e quibus vos estis hic;" et responderunt, "nos fuimus ex Populis in Asia, ac studium nostrae aetatis fuit studium veritatum, per quas nobis fuit intelligentia; hoc studium fuerat animae et mentis nostrae studium; sed studium sensuum corporum nostrorum fuerant Repraesentationes veritatum in formis, ac scientia Correspondentiarum conjunxit sensualia corporum nostrorum cum perceptionibus mentium nostrarum, et conciliavit nobis intelligentiam."
[5] His auditis, rogavit Angelus, ut aliquid de Conjugiis apud illos referrent; et dixit Maritus, "est Correspondentia inter Conjugium Spirituale, quod est veri cum bono, et inter Conjugium naturale, quod est viri cum una uxore; et quia studuimus correspondentiis, vidimus quod Ecclesia cum suis veris et bonis, nequaquam dari possit apud alios, quam qui in amore vere conjugiali cum una uxore vivunt; est enim Conjugium boni et veri Ecclesia apud hominem, quare omnes nos qui hic sumus, dicimus, quod Maritus sit Verum, et Uxor ejus Bonum, et quod bonum non possit amare aliud verum quam suum, nec verum redamare aliud bonum quam suum; si aliud, periret Conjugium internum, quod facit Ecclesiam, et fieret Conjugium modo externum, cui idololatria, et non Ecclesia correspondet; idcirco Conjugium cum una uxore, vocamus Sacrimonium, at si fieret cum pluribus apud nos, vocaremus illud Sacrilegium."
[6] His dictis, introducti sumus in Antithalamum, ubi plura Technica super parietibus, et imagines parvae sicut fusae ex argento erant; et quaesivi, quid illa; dixerunt, "sunt picturae et formae repraesentativae plurium qualitatum, praedicationum, et jucunditatum, quae amoris conjugialis sunt; hae repraesentant unitatem animarum, hae conjunctionem mentium, hae concordiam pectorum, illae delitias inde oriundas." In lustrando vidimus sicut Iridem super pariete, ex tribus coloribus constantem, Purpureo, Hyacinthino, et Candido; et vidimus quomodo color purpureus transiret hyacinthinum, et tingeret candidum colore cyaneo, et quod hic color reflueret per hyacinthinum in purpureum, et hunc elevaret sicut in jubar flammeum;
[7] et dixit Maritus ad me, "intelligis illa;" et respondi, "instrue;" et inquiit, "Color purpureus ex sua correspondentia significat Amorem Conjugialem uxoris, Color candidus Intelligentiam mariti, Color hyacinthinus inchoamentum amoris conjugialis in perceptione mariti ab uxore, et Color cyaneus, quo tinctus erat Candor, Amorem conjugialem tunc in Marito; quod hic Color per hyacinthinum reflueret in purpureum, et hunc elevaret sicut in jubar flammeum, significat amorem conjugialem mariti refluentem ad uxorem; talia repraesentantur in parietibus illis, dum ex meditatione de Amore conjugiali, ejus mutua, successiva et simultanea unione, pictas ibi irides intensis oculis intuemur;" ad haec dixi, "haec plus quam mystica hodie sunt, sunt enim species repraesentativae arcanorum amoris conjugialis unius viri cum una uxore;" et respondit, "sunt ita, at illa nobis hic non arcana sunt, et inde nec mystica."
[8] His dictis, apparuit e longinquo Currus tractus a mannis albis, quo viso, dixit Angelus, "ille currus est nobis signum ut abeamus:" tunc cum descendimus per gradus, dedit hospes nobis Botrum ex uvis candidis adhaerentem foliis ex vite, et ecce Folia facta sunt argentea, et deportavimus illa in signum, quod cum Populis Saeculi Argentei loquuti simus.