2611. On the inward delights of certain spirits who are content with few things, and on the dislocated nerve of Jacob's thigh [Gen. 32:25]
At night while I was sleeping quietly, I seemed to be where there were only three or four trees planted in a kind of tub, one of which was tall, the second smaller, and two or three little ones. I saw no one, only those trees planted in the tub. And afterwards I was at rest in my soul, and in such a pleasant restfulness that I am unable to describe it.
This was in fact on account of the second, smaller tree, which I did not seem able to reach, and indeed, because of the pleasantness; for it was as if it were guarded. Every time I looked at it, a pleasantness penetrated even to my marrows. This happened several times, twice I think. The second tree was guarded in such a way that if I only looked toward where it was planted, a pleasantness I cannot possibly describe penetrated my mind.
Now it is clear to me that the second tree symbolized marriage love, while the large tree was that of the husband, and the smaller was that of his wife, and the little ones were the children.
2611. CONCERNING THE INTERIOR DELIGHTS OF CERTAIN SPIRITS WHO ARE CONTENTED WITH A FEW THINGS, AND CONCERNING THE LUXATED SINEW [nervo] OF JACOB'S THIGH.
(When I was sleeping quietly at night I seemed to be where there were only three or four trees planted in a kind of tun [tonna], one of which was tall, another of less height, and two or three were small. I saw no one, but only the trees planted in the tun; and afterwards I was in a quiet of mind and in so delightful a quiet that I cannot describe it, and indeed [it was] on account of another smaller [minorem] tree which I did not seem able to reach, and indeed on account of the delights; for it was, as it were, guarded as often as I saw it. The delight penetrated even to the marrows; and this [occurred] several times, twice I think. The other tree was so guarded that I could only behold where it was planted: the delight, which can never be described, penetrated my mind [mentem]: it is now evident to me that the other tree signified conjugial love, since the tall [magna] tree represented [esset] the husband, and the lesser one the wife, and the small ones the children.
2611. De delitiis interioribus quorundam 1
spirituum qui contenti sunt paucis, deque luxato nervo femoris Jacobi [Gen. XXXII: 25]
Nocte cum dormirem quiete, videbar esse, ubi solum tres aut quatuor arbores, in quadam tonna plantatae, quarum una erat procera, altera minor, et binae aut tres parvae, nullum videbam, modo arbores istas plantatas in tonna; et postea eram in quiete anima, et in tam amaena 2
quiete, ut illam describere nequeam, et quidem ob alteram minorem arborem, quam attingere non posse videbar, et quidem ob amaenitatem 3
, nam erat sicut custodita, quoties eam videbam, amaenitas usque ad medullas penetrabat; et hoc aliquibus vicibus, binis reor, ita altera arbor erat custodita, ut [si] modo intuerer ubi illa erat plantata, amaenitas, quae nusquam describi potest, penetrabat mentem meam, nunc constat mihi, quod altera arbor significaret amorem conjugialem, cum magna arbor esset mariti, et minor esset uxoris ejus, et parvae essent liberi.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has quorundum
2. The Manuscript has amana
3. The Manuscript has amaenitate ut apparet