2231. About the effect of singing on spirits
Again I was allowed to find out what effect singing has on spirits, and indeed, a still deeper effect than before [2090, 2108]. For this time it was not their bodies that were soothed, but their mental imagery, as I was allowed to see by a spiritual mental image. For the sweetness of the singing joined in with their mental imagery in a wonderful way. This was the case even with those of the spirits who were trying to resist, displeased at first, but eventually giving in to the effect of the singing as it diffused itself throughout their mental imagery and so into their thoughts. As a result they were softened to such a point, that they almost fell into ecstasy, for as a restful silence came over them, they said they had never felt such pleasantness and had not believed it existed. They seemed to me to have fallen into a deep sleep from which they had not yet awakened. Some, on awakening, said that they had experienced heavenly bliss, like those awakening from the sweetest dream. Such is the effect of singing, when the Lord grants that it be imparted to spirits.
2231. CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF SINGING [cantus] ON SPIRITS.
It was again granted to know what effect singing has upon spirits, and indeed it was still more interior than before, for their bodies were not soothed [mulciebantur for mulcebantur, I think], but their ideas; this was given me to see in spiritual idea, for the sweetness of the singing was wonderfully joined into their ideas, and also into the ideas of such as desired to resist, being at first indignant, but yet they submitted [succumbebant], so that it diffused itself through their ideas consequently into their thoughts, hence they were softened [molliebantur] to such a degree that they glided, as it were, into a trance [ecstasis], for silence and quiet ensued. They said, at first, that they had never perceived such sweetness, and that they had not believed such was granted. They seemed to me to have glided into a sweet sleep [sopor], from which they have not yet awakened. Some who had wakened said that they had been in celestial joy, like those who [have awakened] from a very sweet dream. Such is the effect of singing when the Lord allows it to be infused into spirits.
2231. De Effectu cantus in spiritus
Iterum dabatur scire, quem effectum 1
cantus haberet in spiritus, et quidem adhuc interiorem quam prius [2090, 2108], nam non eorum corpora mulcebantur 2
, sed ideae eorum, quod idea spirituali videre mihi dabatur, nam dulcedo cantus injungebatur mirabiliter ideis eorum, et quoque eorum, qui volebant resistere, indignati prius, sed usque succumbebant, sic ut se diffunderet per eorum ideas, proinde in eorum cogitationes, inde in tantum molliebantur, ut quasi in exstasin laberentur, nam silentium et quies facta, dicentes prius, quod nusquam talem dulcedinem perceperint, et quod non crediderint talem dari; videbantur mihi in soporem dulcem lapsi, a quo adhuc non expergefacti, quidam expergefacti dicebant, quod in gaudio coelesti fuerint, sicut qui e dulcissimo somnio, talis est effectus cantus, quum a Domino conceditur infundi spiritibus.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has effectus
2. The Manuscript has mulciebantur