805.荷兰人居住的城市以特有的方式受到保护。所有街道都有屋顶，还有通向各街道的大门，防止有人从周围的岩石和小山上窥探他们。这出于他们天生的谨慎，以隐瞒自己的建议，保守自己的意图。因为在灵界，这类事能通过观察得知。若有人进来，意图考查他们的状况，当这人想要离开时，就被带进紧闭的街道大门，然后被带出来，再被带进另一扇大门，如此反复直到他大为恼火，最后被放出去。这样做是为了防止他回来。
想要控制丈夫的妻子住在城市的一个角落，只有受到邀请时才能与丈夫见面。然后丈夫们将这些妻子带到彼此没有控制的夫妻所住的房子，向她们展示这些房屋的美丽与整洁，以及他们幸福的生活，并告知她们，所有这一切都出自夫妻之间的相互恩爱。这些妻子看到这些事物，被它们所感染，就不再试图控制，与自己的丈夫共同生活。这时，他们在更靠近城中心的地方被赐予居所，并被称为天人。这是因为真正的婚姻之爱是没有控制的天堂之爱。
805. 荷兰人居住的城市以特有的方式受到保护。 所有街道都有屋顶, 还有通向各街道的大门, 防止有人从周围的岩石和小山上窥探他们。 这出于他们天生的谨慎, 以隐瞒自己的建议, 保守自己的意图。 因为在灵界, 这类事能通过观察得知。 若有人进来, 意图考查他们的状况, 当这人想要离开时, 就被带进紧闭的街道大门, 然后被带出来, 再被带进另一扇大门, 如此反复直到他大为恼火, 最后被放出去。 这样做是为了防止他回来。
想要控制丈夫的妻子住在城市的一个角落, 只有受到邀请时才能与丈夫见面。 然后丈夫们将这些妻子带到彼此没有控制的夫妻所住的房子, 向她们展示这些房屋的美丽与整洁, 以及他们幸福的生活, 并告知她们, 所有这一切都出自夫妻之间的相互恩爱。 这些妻子看到这些事物, 被它们所感染, 就不再试图控制, 与自己的丈夫共同生活。 这时, 他们在更靠近城中心的地方被赐予居所, 并被称为天人。 这是因为真正的婚姻之爱是没有控制的天堂之爱。
805. The cities where the Dutch live are protected in an unusual way. All the streets are covered, and the ends of the streets have doors, so that the people cannot be seen from the surrounding rocks and hills. This comes about because of a deep-seated prudent desire they have to hide their plans and not divulge their intentions. (In the spiritual world people can see such things in you just by looking.)
Curious visitors sometimes come there in order to find out what life is like in those cities. When it is time for such people to leave, they are taken to the locked doors at the ends of the streets, then taken back to another locked door somewhere else, then to many others here and there, to the point where the visitors feel highly annoyed. Then they are finally released. This is to ensure that those visitors never come back.
[2] [Recently arrived] wives there who want complete control over their husbands live on one side of the city and are allowed to meet up with their husbands only when the husbands have invited them to do so; these invitations are polite and formal in nature. The wives are then also taken to homes where married partners live together without either partner dominating the other. The wives are shown how well decorated and clean these couples' homes are and how much fun they have in their lives. The wives also see that these conditions are the result of these couples' mutual marriage love for each other. The wives who pay attention to this and take it to heart give up the thought of control. They are then allowed to move in with their husbands. The couples are then given a home closer to the center of town and are called angels. The reason for this is that true marriage love is a love that is heavenly in nature; it does not wish for control.
805. 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 from coming back.
[2] Wives 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 true love of married couples is a heavenly love, and it is untouched by a desire to dominate.
805. The cities in which the Dutch dwell are guarded in a peculiar manner. All the streets are roofed and have gates in them, in order that no one may see into them from the rocks and hills round about. This arises from their innate prudence in not disclosing their counsels or divulging their intentions; for in the spiritual world such things are drawn out by investigation. When anyone comes with the intention of examining into their state, he is led, when he withdraws, to the closed gates of the streets, and then led back and led to other gates until he becomes greatly annoyed, and then he is let out. This is to prevent his return. Wives who desire to rule over their husbands dwell at one side of the city and meet their husbands only when they are invited, and that is done in a civil manner. The husbands then take them to houses where marriage partners live who do not exercise authority one over the other, and show them how beautiful and clean the houses of such are, and how happy their lives, and that all this comes from mutual and marriage love. Those wives who give attention to these things and are influenced by them leave off exercising authority and live with their husbands; and they then have dwellings given them nearer to the center of the city, and are called angels. This is because true marriage love is heavenly love which is without dominion.
805. The cities in which the Dutch live are protected in a peculiar manner. All their streets are provided with gates and roofed over to prevent them from being seen from the neighboring rocks and hills. This arises from their inherent prudence in concealing their designs and not divulging their intentions; for in the spiritual world such things are brought to view by inspection. When any one visits them for the purpose of looking into their state of life, on his departure he is led to the closed gates of the streets, and conducted from one gate to another till he is thoroughly annoyed, and then he is let out; this is done that he may not return. Wives who domineer over their husbands live on one side of the city, and meet their husbands only when invited, which is done in a courteous manner. The husbands then take them to homes where the married partners live without domineering over one another, and show them how well furnished and pleasant their houses are, and how happy are their lives, pointing out that this is owing to their mutual and conjugial 1 love. Wives who attend to these warnings and duly respond, cease to domineer, and live together with their husbands. They now obtain a dwelling nearer the centre of the city, and are called angels; for love truly conjugial 2 is a heavenly love, into which enters no thought of rule.
Footnotes:
1. Original edition has "... ex mutuo et conlugali amore." Clowes has "mutual and conjugal love."
2. Original edition has "amor vere conjugalis." Clowes has "true conjugal love."
805. Urbes, in quibus Hollandi habitant, sunt singulari modo custoditae; omnes Plateae in illis sunt tectae, et in plateis sunt Portae, propter causam, ne spectentur e petris et collibus circum; hoc fit illis propter insitam prudentiam occultandi sua consilia, et non divulgandi suas intentiones; nam talia in Mundo spirituali per inspectiones protrahuntur. Cum aliquis animo explorandi statum illorum 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.
[2] UXORES, quae imperium super Maritos affectant, habitant ad unum latus Urbis, nec saepius cum Maritis 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 illis ex mutuo et conjugiali 1 amore: illae, quae ad haec attendunt, et afficiuntur, desistunt a dominio, et una vivunt; et tunc nanciscuntur habitationem proprius ad Medium, et vocantur Angeli: causa est, quia Amor vere conjugialis 2 est Amor Coelestis, qui est absque imperio.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: conjugali (Vide Continuatione de Mundo Spirituali 51 ubi conjugiali).
2. Prima editio: conjugalis (Vide Continuatione de Mundo Spirituali 51 ubi conjugialis).