4175. On the beauty of marriage love
A beauty was presented before my eyes, to a very slight degree, veiled over by a certain cloud-like appearance lest I should see, and at the same time I was given to perceive that it was the beauty of marriage love. It was such, when it was granted me to see it with feeling, that it could scarcely be called anything but beauty itself, because marriage love is so fashioned, to the point that it is marriage love itself that is beauty, touching the onlooker to the innermosts. All beauty is derived therefrom. I saw also how it is portrayed, namely as rainbows in shades of sky blue, as well as golden showers. 1749, 19 Mar. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of the sun, meaning Sunday.
4175. CONCERNING THE BEAUTY OF CONJUGIAL LOVE.
There was seen presented to my sight, but in a very small degree, and veiled from full view, as it were, by a kind of cloud, an exquisite beauty, accompanied with a perception that it was the beauty of conjugial love. It was perceived to be such by virtue of a certain affection imparted, and scarcely anything else can be said of it than that it was beauty itself; for conjugial love, that is to say, the very essential principle of this love, gives itself the form of this superlative beauty affecting the mind to its deepest recesses; indeed all beauty is from this source. I beheld also the quality of its representations, which were various cerulean rainbows and golden showers. - 1749. March 19
4175. De amoris conjugialis pulchritudine
Mihi est pulchritudo oblata, quoad exiguissimum, velata quadam quasi nube, ne viderem, et simul perceptio data, quod sit pulchritudo amoris conjugialis, erat talis, ex affectione percipere data, ut vix aliud dici possit, quam ipsa pulchritudo, quia ita amor conjugialis formatus, adeo ut sit ipse amor conjugialis, qui pulchritudo, aspiciens ad intima; inde omnis pulchritudo. Visum etiam quales ejus repraesentationes, quod irides coeruleae variae, tum pluviae aureae. 1749, 19 Mart.