51、荷兰人所住的城镇以一种独特的方式受到保护。他们所有的街道都有顶盖和大门，以防止有人从周围的岩石和山冈上偷窥他们。这是由于他们与生俱来的谨慎，就是隐藏自己的筹划，不泄露自己的意图；因为在灵界，观察者只需看看你，就能明白你的计划。如果有人来到他们这里，想要调查他们的生活状态，那么当他想出去时，荷兰人就把他带到被锁上的街道大门，然后通过其它路线把他带到更多被锁上的大门，直到他极度厌倦、恼火；这时他最终被放出去。这样做是为了防止他回来。
旨在掌控丈夫的妻子住在城市的一边，只有在受到丈夫的正式邀请时才可以与丈夫见面。然后，丈夫把她们领到彼此没有掌控的已婚夫妇所住的房屋，向她们展示他们的房屋装饰得多么好，多么整洁而漂亮，并且他们过着多么愉快的生活；她们被告知，这是夫妻相爱的结果。注意到这一点，并且印象深刻的妻子就不再试图掌控自己的丈夫，而是与他们一起生活。然后，这些夫妇被赐予靠近中心的住处，并被称为天使。这是因为婚姻之爱是一种天堂之爱，它与掌控欲毫不相干。
51. The cities where the Dutch live are protected in a unique way. All their streets are covered and gated to prevent the Dutch from being seen by anyone on the surrounding cliffs and hills. They structure things in this way because of their deep-seated concern to keep their negotiations confidential and not make their intentions public, since in the spiritual world observers can see your plans just by looking at you.
Curious visitors sometimes come there to find out what life is like in those cities. When they are about to leave the Dutch take them to gateways [at the ends] of their streets that are locked, then take them by other routes to more gateways that are locked, until the visitors become thoroughly frustrated, at which point they are finally released. This is done to ensure that they never come back.
[2] 1Wives who seek to control their husbands live on one side of the city and are allowed to get together [with their husbands] only when the husbands have sent them an invitation, which is done with some formality. Then those couples are taken to homes occupied by married partners, neither of whom is trying to dominate the other. They are shown how well-decorated and clean these homes are and how enjoyable their lives are, and they see that this is because mutual love is part of the couple’s marriage. The wives who are attentive to this, and are moved by it, stop trying to control their husbands and instead share life together with them. These couples are then given homes nearer to the center and are called angels. This is because marriage love is a heavenly love; it has nothing to do with domineering.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBS note] The section numbering in the first edition goes from 51 to 53, skipping 52.
51. The towns where the Dutch live are protected in a peculiar manner. All their streets are roofed over, and there are doors to the streets, to prevent them being spied on from the surrounding rocks and hills. This is because of their inborn anxiety to conceal their designs and to keep their intentions to themselves. For in the spiritual world such things are brought to light by looking at them. If anyone comes to them with the idea of investigating their condition, when he wishes to leave, he is brought to closed street-doors and then brought back and taken to several more; and this continues until he is extremely annoyed, when he is finally let out. This is done to prevent him coming back.
1Wives who aim to keep their husbands under their control live at one side of the town, and do not meet their husbands except when they are invited, which invitations are civilly given. Then these wives are taken to houses where married couples live without one dominating the other. They are shown how well furnished and smart their houses are, and how pleasant a life they lead, being told that this is the result of the mutual love of a married couple. The women who pay attention to this and are impressed stop trying to dominate, and they live together. Then they are given a dwelling nearer the centre, and are called angels. The reason is that the love of married couples is a heavenly love, and it is untouched by a desire to dominate.
Footnotes:
1. Previous English editions have added here the number 52, which is missing from the numerical sequence in the first edition.
51. The cities in which the Dutch dwell, are guarded in a peculiar manner, all the streets in them are covered, and in the streets are gates, in order that they may not be viewed from the surrounding rocks and hills. This they do from their inherent prudence in concealing their designs, and not divulging their intentions; for these things in the spiritual world are brought forth by inspection. When anyone enters a city with the purpose of exploring their state, when he is about to depart, he is led to the closed gates of the streets, back and forth to many, and this to extreme weariness, and he is then let out; this is done to the end that he may not return. Wives who claim dominion over their husbands, dwell on one side of the city, and only meet them by invitation, given formally; and the husbands then lead them to houses, where married pairs are living, without there being any dominion of the one over the other, and show them how neat and clean their houses are, and how delightful their life is, and that these are the results of mutual and conjugial love. Those who attend to, and are affected with these things, desist from dominion, and they live together, and they then obtain a dwelling nearer to the middle, and are called angels. The reason is, that conjugial love is a celestial love, which is without dominion.
51. Urbes in quibus Hollandi habitant, sunt singulari modo custoditae; omnes plateae in illis sunt tectae, et ii, plateis sunt portae, propter causam ne spectentur e petris et collibus circum; hoc fit illis propter insitam illis prudentiam occultandi sua consilia, et non divulgandi suas intentiones; nam talia in mundo spirituali per inspectiones protrahuntur. Cum aliquis animo explorandi statum illorum in urbem venit, ille dum exiturus est, ducitur ad portas platearum clausas, et sic reducitur et ducitur ad plures, et hoc usque ad summam molestiam, et tunc emittitur; hoc ob finem ne redeat. Uxores, quae imperium super maritos affectant, habitant ad unum latus urbis, nec saepius conveniunt, quam cum invitantur, quod fit civili modo; et tunc illas etiam deducunt ad domos, ubi conjuges absque imperio unius super alterum vivunt, et ostendunt quam ornatae et mundae illorum domus sunt, et quam jucundum vitae illis est, et quod haec sint ex mutuo et conjugiali amore. Illae, quae ad haec attendunt et afficiuntur, desistunt a dominio, et una vivunt, et tunc nanciscuntur habitationem propius ad medium, et vocantur angeli. Causa est, quia amor conjugialis est amor caelestis, qui est absque imperio.