77、当我在灵界与非洲人交谈时，他们穿着亚麻条纹衣。他们告诉我，这些衣服与他们相对应，他们的女人则穿着丝制条纹衣。关于他们的小孩子，他们说，孩子们经常向他们的保姆要食物，说他们饿了；然而，当食物端到他们面前时，他们就检查一下，尝一尝，以查看它是否适合他们，然后只吃一点点。由此明显可知，是属灵的饥饿，就是对认识纯正真理的渴望，产生了这种效果；因为这是一种对应。在灵界，当非洲人想知道他们在对真理的情感和感知方面的状态时，他们就拔出剑来；如果这些剑闪闪发光，他们就知道自己处于纯正的真理，其程度取决于剑的亮度；这也是出于对应。关于婚姻，他们说，他们的确可以合法拥有数个妻子，但他们仍只娶一个，因为真正的婚姻之爱是不可分割的；如果它被分割，那么它那属天堂的本质就会消亡，它就会变得外在，因而变成纯粹的淫欲。不久以后，随着它的效力减弱，这爱变得廉价；一旦它的效力完全丧失，这爱最终变得令人厌烦。然而，真正的婚姻之爱是内在的，不从淫欲取得任何东西。它持续到永远，并且在效力和快乐的同等程度上逐渐增长。
77. The African men I have talked with in the spiritual world wore garments of striped linen. They told me that these clothes were correspondential, and that the women wore garments of striped silk.
They said of their children that they often ask the women who are their teachers for something to eat, saying that they are hungry, and yet when they are given some food they look at it, taste it to see whether it agrees with them, and eat only a little. Clearly then, the cause is a spiritual hunger, which is a longing for knowing genuine truths. This is an actual correspondence.
When the Africans in the spiritual world are unsure whether something they are perceiving and enjoying is the truth, they draw a sword. If the sword gleams, they know that the truths they are engaged with are genuine; they also know this from the way the sword gleams. This too is caused by a correspondence.
On the subject of marriage, they said that by law they were actually allowed to have more than one wife, but that they still had only one because true marriage love cannot be divided. If it is divided, its essence, which is heavenly, perishes. It becomes superficial and therefore merely lustful. Before long, as its potency dwindles, that love becomes cheapened; and once its potency is completely lost, that love becomes tiresome. True marriage love, on the other hand, which is inward, derives nothing from lust. It lasts forever and grows in potency, and proportionally, in delight.
77. When I talked with Africans in the spiritual world, they appeared dressed in striped linen, saying that such clothing suited them, and that their womenfolk wore garments of striped silk. They told me that their children often ask their nurses for food, saying they are hungry, and when food is set before them they taste it to see whether it is suitable and eat a little. From this it is clear that it is spiritual hunger, the desire to know real truths, which causes this, for it is a correspondence. When the Africans want to know how they stand as regards affection for and perception of truth, they draw their swords; if they shine, they know they have real truths, and the more they have the brighter they shine; this too is due to correspondence. On the subject of marriage they said that although their law allows them to marry more than one wife, they do not take more than one, because true marriage love is indivisible. If it is divided, its essence, which is heavenly, is lost; it becomes external and lewd, quickly fading as their virility declines and turning to loathing when it goes completely. But true marriage love is internal and untouched by lewdness, so it lasts for ever, growing equally in strength and delight.
77. When I spoke with the Africans in the spiritual world, they appeared in striped garments of linen: they said that such garments correspond to them, and that their women have striped garments of silk. Of their little children, they related, that they frequently ask their nurses for food, saying that they are hungry, and when food is set before them, they examine and taste whether it agrees with them, and eat but little; whence it is evident, that spiritual hunger, which is a desire of knowing genuine truths, produces this effect; for it is a correspondence. When the Africans wish to know their state as to the affection and perception of truth, they draw their swords; and if these shine, they know that they are in genuine truths, in a degree according to the shining; this, too, is from correspondence. Of marriage they said, that it is indeed allowed them by law to have several wives, but that still they take but one, because love truly conjugial is not divided; and that if it is divided, its essence which is heavenly perishes, and it becomes external and thence lascivious, and in a short time grows vile, as its potency diminishes, and at length is loathed when the potency is lost; but love truly conjugial, which is internal, and derives nothing from lasciviousness, remains to eternity, and increases in potency, and in the same degree in delight.
77. Cum locutus sum cum Africanis in mundo spirituali, apparuerunt in vestibus striatis ex lino: dicebant quod tales vestes illis correspondeant, et quod mulieribus illorum vestes striatae ex serico. Narrabant de infantibus illorum, quod frequenter ab educatricibus quaerant cibum, dicentes se esurire, et cum apponuntur cibi, inspectant et gustant num concordent, et parum edunt; ex quibus patet, quod esuritio spiritualis, quae est desiderium sciendi genuina vera, hoc operetur; est enim correspondentia. Cum volunt scire in quo statu quoad affectionem et perceptionem veri sunt, extrahunt enses, qui si nitent, sciunt quod in genuinis veris sint, et hoc secundum nitorem ejus; est quoque hoc ex correspondentia. De conjugio dixerunt, quod illis quidem liceat ex lege sua plures uxores ducere, sed quod usque ducant unam, quia amor vere conjugialis non est dividuus; si dividitur, perit essentia ejus, quae est caelestis; et fit externus et inde lascivus, qui brevi secundum diminutionem potentiae vilescit, et demum cum jactura ejus fastiditur; amor autem vere conjugialis, qui est internus; et nihil trahit ex lascivia, manet in aeternum, ac crescit potentia, et in simili gradu delicio.