CL 184. What is meant by states of life and their changes is well known to the learned and wise, but is unknown to the unlearned and simple. Something concerning them must therefore be premised. The state of a man's life is its quality; and because in every man there are two faculties which make his life, being the faculties called understanding and will, the state of a man's life is its quality as to understanding and will. It is clear from this that by changes of the state of life are meant changes in respect to the things which belong to the understanding, and to those which belong to the will. That every man is continually changing in respect to these two, but with a difference in the varieties of the changes before marriage and after marriage, will be taken up for demonstration in the present chapter. This shall be done in the following order:

1. That the state of man's life from infancy to the end of life, and afterwards to eternity, is continually changing.

2. So likewise the internal form which is that of his spirit.

3. That these changes are of one kind with men and of another kind with women, because, by creation, men are forms of science, intelligence, and wisdom, and women, forms of the love of these with men.

4. That with men there is elevation of the mind into superior light, and with women elevation of the mind into superior heat; and that woman feels the delights of her heat in the light of the man.

5. That the states of life with men and women are of one kind before marriage and of another after marriage.

6. That with married partners, the states of life after marriage are changed, and follow one after the other according to the conjunctions of their minds by conjugial love.

7. That marriages also induce new forms upon the souls and minds of the partners.

8. That the woman is formed into the man's wife actually according to the description in the Book of Creation.

9. That this formation is effected by the wife in secret ways; and that this is what is meant by the woman being created while the man slept.

10. That this formation by the wife is effected by the conjunction of her will with the internal will of the man.

11. To the end that the will of both may become one will, and thus the two, one man.

12. That this formation by the wife is effected by the appropriation of the affections of the husband.

13. That this formation is effected by the wife by the reception of the propagations of the soul of the husband with the delight arising from this, that she wills to be the love of her husband's wisdom.

14. That thus a virgin is formed into a wife, and a young man into a husband.

15. That in the marriage of one man with one wife between whom there is love truly conjugial, the wife becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more and more a husband.

16. That thus their forms also are successively perfected from within, and ennobled.

17. That offspring born of two who are in love truly conjugial derive from their parents the conjugial of good and truth, from which they have an inclination and faculty, if a son, for perceiving the things which are of wisdom, and if a daughter, for loving the things which wisdom teaches.

18. That this comes to pass because the soul of the offspring is from the father, and its clothing from the mother.

CL 185. I. That the state of man's life from infancy to the end of life, and afterwards to eternity, is continually changing. The general states of man's life are called infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. It is well known that every man whose life continues in the world passes successively from the one state to the other, thus from the first state to the last. The transitions into these ages are apparent only by intervals of time, but reason sees that they are progressive from moment to moment, thus continually. It is the same with man as with a tree; from the time the seed is cast into the earth, this grows and increases every moment, even the least. These momentary progressions are also changes of state; for the subsequent adds something to the antecedent, and this perfects the state.

[2] The changes which take place in man's internals are more perfectly continuous than those which occur in his externals, and this because man's internals, by which are meant the things of his mind or spirit, are in a higher degree, being elevated above his externals; and in things which are in a higher degree, a thousand changes take place in the same moment that a single one occurs in things external. The changes which take place in man's internals are changes of state of the will as to affections, and changes of state of the understanding as to thoughts. It is the successive changes of state of the latter and the former that are especially meant in the proposition.

[3] The reason why the changes of state of these two lives or faculties are perpetual with man from infancy to the end of his life and afterwards to eternity, is because there is no end to knowledge, still less to intelligence, and least of all to wisdom; for in their wide extent is infinity and eternity, and this from the Infinite and Eternal from whom they are. Hence the philosophical doctrine of the ancients, that everything is divisible to infinity; to which should be added, that it is likewise multiplicable. Angels assert that they are perfected in wisdom by the Lord to eternity, which means also to infinity, eternity being the infinity of time.

CL 186. II. So likewise the internal form which is that of his spirit. That this is continually changing, as the state of the man's life is changing, is because there is nothing whatever that is not in a form; and state induces form. Wherefore it is the same thing whether it be said that the state of man's life is changed or that his form is changed. All man's affections and thoughts are in forms and hence from forms, forms being their subjects. Were affections and thoughts not in subjects which are formed, they might exist even in skulls devoid of brains. This would be the same as sight without an eye, hearing without an ear, and taste without a tongue. That these organs are the subjects of those senses, and that they are forms, is well known.

[2] That with man, the state of life and consequently the form is continually changing, is because there is no such thing as the sameness or absolute identity of two things, still less of many-- a truth which the wise have taught and still teach. For example, no two human faces are the same, still less many faces. It is the same in things successive, there being no such thing as the identity of a subsequent state of life with a past state. From this it follows that there is a perpetual change of the state of life with man, especially of his internal states, and consequently a perpetual change of form also. But since these considerations do not teach anything respecting marriages but only prepare the way to knowledges concerning them; and since they are only philosophical matters examined into from the understanding, and to some these are difficult of perception, therefore, with these few words, they are passed by.

CL 187. III. That these changes are of one kind with men and of another kind with women, because, by creation men are forms of science, intelligence, and wisdom, and women, forms of the love of these with men. That men were created forms of the understanding, and women, forms of the love of the understanding of men, has been explained above (n. 90); and from this it follows that with them, the changes of state which follow one after the other, from the age of infancy to maturity, are for the perfecting of their forms--the intellectual form with men, and the voluntary with women. From this it is evident that the changes are of one kind with men and of another with women. With both, however, the external form, which is that of the body, is perfected in accordance with the perfecting of the internal form which is that of the mind; for the mind acts upon the body, and not the reverse. This is the reason why, in heaven, infants become men of stature and comeliness according to their growth in intelligence. Not so infants on earth, for they, like animals, are invested with material bodies. They agree, however, in this, that they grow in their inclination first to things which are pleasing to their bodily senses, then step by step to things which affect the internal cogitative sense, and by degrees to things which imbue the will with affection. Then, at the age when maturity and immaturity meet, comes the conjugial inclination, which is that of a virgin to a young man, and of a young man to a virgin. And because, in the heavens equally as on earth, virgins from innate prudence conceal their inclinations to marriage, the young men there know no other than that they affect virgins with love. Moreover, it so appears to them by reason of their masculine ardour; but even this is theirs from the influx of love from the fair sex--an influx which will be expressly spoken of in another place; (n. 223). From this, the truth of the proposition is manifest, that changes of state are of one kind with men and of another with women, because, by creation, men are forms of science, intelligence, and wisdom, and women, forms of the love of these with men.

CL 188. IV. That with men there is elevation of the mind into superior light, and with women elevation of the mind into superior heat; and that woman feels the delights of her heat in the light of the man. By the light into which men are elevated is meant intelligence and wisdom; for spiritual light, which proceeds from the sun of the spiritual world and which in its essence is wisdom, plays an equal part with these two, that is, acts as one with them. And by the heat into which women are elevated is meant conjugial love; for in its essence spiritual heat which proceeds from the sun of that world is love, and with women it is love conjoining itself with the intelligence and wisdom with men. In its complex, this love is called conjugial love and by determination it becomes that love.

[2] It is said elevation into superior light and superior heat because the elevation is into the light and heat in which are the angels of the higher heavens. Moreover, it is an actual elevation, as from a mist into the air, and from a lower region of the latter into a higher, and from this into the ether. Therefore, with men, elevation into superior light is elevation into superior intelligence, and from this into wisdom, there being also an ever higher elevation into the latter. But the elevation into superior heat with women is elevation into a more chaste and purer conjugial love, and ever upwards towards that conjugial which from creation is latent in their inmost being.

[3] Regarded in themselves, these elevations are openings of the mind; for the human mind is distinguished into regions just as the world is distinguished into regions in respect to its atmospheres, the lowest of which is aqueous, the higher, aerial, and the still higher, ethereal, above which, moreover, is the highest. Into like regions is the human mind elevated as that mind is opened--with men by wisdom and with women by love truly conjugial.

CL 189. It is said that woman feels the delights of her heat in the light of the man; but this is to be understood thus: woman feels the delights of her love in the man's wisdom because this is its receptacle, and where love finds this receptacle corresponding to itself, it is in its joys and delights. This does not mean that heat is delighted with its light outside forms, but within them; and within these forms, spiritual heat is the more delighted with spiritual light as the forms are living from wisdom and love, and so are receptive. This can be illustrated in some measure by the sports, so called, of heat with light in vegetable forms. Outside these forms there is but the simple conjunction of heat and light, but within them, heat and light are as though sporting with each other; for there they are in forms or receptacles, passing through them by marvellous windings; and in the inmost forms they breathe the fruits of use. Moreover, they breathe out their pleasures into the air round about, which they fill with fragrance. Far more living is the delectation of spiritual heat with spiritual light in human forms, wherein the heat is conjugial love and the light wisdom.

CL 190. V. That the states of life with men and women are of one kind before marriage and of another after marriage. With both men and women there are two states before marriage, one before the inclination to marriage, the other after it. The changes of both these states, and the consequent formations of minds, go on in successive order in accordance with their continual increase. But here time does not allow of any description of these, for they vary and are diverse in different subjects. Prior to marriage, the inclinations thereto in the mind are merely imaginative, and in the body they become more and more sensitive; but after marriage the states are states of conjunction and also of prolification. That these differ from the former, as realizations from intentions, is evident.

CL 191. VI. That with married partners, the states of life after marriage are changed, and follow one after the other according to the conjunctions of their minds by conjugial love. That with both man and wife the changes and successions of state after marriage are according to the conjugial love with them, and so are either conjunctive of their minds or disjunctive, is because, with married partners, conjugial love is not only varied but is also diverse. It is varied with those who inwardly love each other, for with these it has its alternate intermissions, though inwardly it remains continually in its heat. But the love is diverse with those partners who love each other only outwardly. With them, the alternations do not come from the same causes but from alternate cold and heat.

[2] The reason of these differences is because, with the latter, the body plays the chief part and its ardour spreads around and forces the lower parts of the mind into communion with itself; but with the former who love each other inwardly, the mind plays the chief part and draws the body into communion with itself. It appears as though love ascends from the body into the soul; for as soon as the body seizes upon allurements, these enter through the eyes as doors into the mind, and so through sight as a court into the thoughts, and straightway into the love. Nevertheless, it descends from the mind and acts upon the parts below according to their disposition. Therefore, a lascivious mind acts lasciviously, and a chaste mind chastely; and the latter disposes the body, while the former is at the disposal of the body.

CL 192. VII. That marriages also induce new forms upon the souls and minds (of the partners). That marriages induce new forms upon souls and minds cannot be observed in the natural world because there, souls and minds are encompassed with a material body, and the mind rarely shows itself. Moreover, the men of this age, more than the ancients, learn from infancy to put expressions on their face whereby they deeply conceal the affections of their mind. This is the reason why the forms of the mind as they are before marriage and as they are after marriage are not distinguished the one from the other. Yet that the forms of souls and minds are different after marriage from what they had been before, is manifestly apparent from these same minds in the spiritual world; for then they are spirits and angels, and these are no other than minds and souls in human form, stripped of the coverings which were composed of elements found in waters or earths, and of exhalations diffused therefrom. When these are cast off, the forms of men's minds are seen, such as they had been inwardly in their bodies, and then it is clearly seen that they are of one kind with those who are living in marriage, and of another with those who are not. In general, married partners have an interior comeliness of face, the man taking from his wife the charming glow of her love, and the wife from the man the lustre of his wisdom; for there, two partners are united as to their souls, and a human fullness is apparent in each. This is in heaven, for nowhere else are there marriages. Below heaven are only connubial ties which are made and broken.

CL 193. VIII. That the woman is formed into (the man's) wife actually according to the description in the book of creation. It is said in that Book, that the woman was created out of the rib of the man, and that when she was brought to him, the man said, "This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; and she shall be called Ishah (woman), because she was taken out of Ish (man)". (Gen. 2:22, 23). In the Word in its spiritual sense, by a rib of the breast nothing else is signified than natural truth. This is signified by the ribs which the bear carried between his teeth (Daniel 7:5), by bears, being signified those who read the Word in its natural sense and see truths therein without understanding. By the breast of a man is signified that essential and characteristic thing which is distinct from the breast of a woman. This is wisdom, as may be seen above (n. 187); for truth supports wisdom as a rib supports the breast. These are the significations because the breast is the region in which everything belonging to the man is present as in its centre.

[2] From the above it is evident, that woman was created out of man by the transcription of his proprial wisdom, which is wisdom from natural truth; and that the love of this wisdom was transferred from man into woman that it might become conjugial love; also that this was done, to the end that in the man there may be, not self love but love of his wife, and she from her innate disposition cannot do otherwise than convert the self love with the man into his love to her. Moreover, I have heard that this is effected by the wife's love, neither the man nor the wife being conscious of it. Hence it is that no man can ever truly love his partner conjugially if he is in the pride of self-intelligence from love of self.

[3] When this arcanum of the creation of woman out of man is understood, it can be seen that in marriage woman is likewise created, as it were, that is, is formed from man; and that this is effected by the wife, or rather through the wife, by the Lord, it being the Lord who infuses into women the inclination so to act; for the wife receives the man's image into herself by appropriating to herself his affections (n. 183); also by conjoining the man's internal will to her own will, of which hereafter; and, moreover, by appropriating to herself the propagations of his soul, of which likewise hereafter. From this it is evident, that in accordance with the description in the Book of Creation interiorly understood, a woman is formed into a wife by means of such things as she takes from her husband and from his breast and inscribes on herself.

CL 194. IX. That this formation is effected by the wife in secret ways; and that this is what is meant by the woman being created while the man slept. We read in the Book of Creation that Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, that he might fall asleep, and then took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (Gen. 2:21, 22). That by the man's sleep and by his falling asleep is signified his entire ignorance that a wife is being formed and, as it were, created from him, is evident from what was shown in the preceding and also in the present chapter, concerning the innate prudence and circumspection of wives in not divulging anything whatever about their love or about their assumption of the affections of the man's life and so about the transcription of his wisdom into themselves. That this is effected by the wife in secret ways, the husband all unaware and as though sleeping, is clear from what has been explained above (n. 166-168). There it was also explained that for reasons which are necessities, the prudence to accomplish this is implanted in women from creation and hence from birth, to the end that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence may be established, and so the blessedness of cohabitation and the happiness of life. That this may be rightly done, it was therefore enjoined on the man that he should leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4, 5).

[2] In the spiritual sense, by the father and mother whom the man is to leave is meant the proprium of his will and the proprium of his understanding, the proprium of man's will being to love himself, and the proprium of his understanding to love his own wisdom; and by cleaving is signified devoting himself to the love of his wife. That these two propriums are evils deadly to man if they remain with him, and that the love of the two is changed into conjugial love so far as the man cleaves to his wife, that is, receives her love, may be seen just above (n. 193) and in other passages. That by sleeping is signified being in ignorance or unconcern; that by father and mother are signified the two propriums of man, that of his will and that of his understanding; and that by cleaving is signified devoting one's self to the love of some one, can be abundantly confirmed by passages from other parts of the Word, but this is not the place.

CL 195. X. That this formation by the wife is effected by the conjunction of her will with the internal will of the man. That with the man are rational wisdom and moral wisdom, and that the wife conjoins herself with those things with the man which pertain to his moral wisdom, has been shown above (n. 163-165). All things pertaining to rational wisdom make his understanding, and all things pertaining to moral wisdom make his will. It is with these latter, being those which form the man's will, that the wife conjoins herself. It is the same whether it be said that the wife conjoins herself or that she conjoins her will to the man's will; for a wife is born voluntary and hence does what she does from the will. It is said with the man's internal will because man's will has its seat in his intellect, and the intellectual of man is the inmost of woman, according to what was said above (n. 32) and frequently thereafter respecting the formation of woman from man. Men have also an external will, but this often partakes of simulation and dissimulation. A wife sees this will clearly but does not conjoin herself with it except in pretence or playfully.

CL 196. XI. To the end that the will of both may become one will, and thus the two, one man, for he who conjoins to himself the will of anyone, conjoins to himself his understanding also, the understanding regarded in itself being merely the minister and servant of the will. That this is the case is apparent from the affection of love, in that it moves the understanding to think at its bid. Every affection of love is a property of the will, for what a man loves, that he also wills. From this it follows that he who conjoins to himself a man's will, conjoins to himself the whole man. Hence it is, that it is implanted in a wife's love to unite her husband's will with her own, for in this way the wife becomes the husband's and the husband the wife's; thus the two become one man.

CL 197. XII. That this formation is effected by the appropriation of the affections of the husband. Since affections pertain to the will, this makes one with the two preceding articles; for affections, which are nothing else than derivations of the love, form the will and make and compose it. But with men, these affections are in the understanding, while with women they are in the will.

CL 198. XIII. That this formation is effected by the wife by the reception of the propagations of the soul of the husband, with the delight arising from this, that she wills to be the love of her husband's wisdom. This coincides with what was explained above (n. 172, 173), therefore further explanation is omitted. With wives conjugial delights spring from no other source than their will to be one with their husband, just as good is one with truth in the spiritual marriage; and that it is from this marriage that conjugial love descends has been shown in detail in its own chapter (n. 84). From this it can be seen as in effigy, that the wife conjoins the man to herself as good conjoins truth to itself, and that the man reciprocally conjoins himself to his wife according to the reception of her love into himself, as truth reciprocally conjoins itself to good according to the reception of good into itself; also that thus the wife's love forms itself by the man's wisdom, as good forms itself by truth, truth being the form of good. From this it is also evident, that with the wife, conjugial delights are principally from this, that she wills to be one with her husband, consequently, that she wills to be the love of her husband's wisdom; for, as explained in article IV, (n. 188), she then feels the delights of her heat in the man's light.

CL 199. XIV. That thus a virgin is formed into a wife, and a young man into a husband. This follows as a consequence from what has previously been said in the present and the preceding chapter on the conjunction of married partners into one flesh. That a virgin becomes or is made a wife is because, in a wife are things taken from the husband and thus acquired, which were not in her before as a virgin. That a young man becomes or is made a husband is because, in a husband are things taken from the wife which were not in him before as a young man, and in him these exalt his capability of receiving love and wisdom. This, however, is the case with those who are in love truly conjugial. That these are among those who feel themselves to be a united man and as one flesh, can be seen in the preceding chapter (n. 178). It is clear from this, that with women the virginal is changed into the wifely, and with men, the youthful into the marital.

[2] That such is the case, of this I had confirmation from the following experience in the spiritual world: Certain men said that conjunction with a female before marriage is the same as conjunction with a wife after marriage. On hearing this, the wives were exceedingly indignant and said, "There is no similarity whatsoever; the difference between them is like the difference between the fatuous and the real," to which the men retorted, "Are you not females as before?" At this the wives replied in a louder voice, "We are not females but wives. You are in fatuous love, not in real; therefore you talk foolishly." The men then said, "If not females, you are yet married women." They replied, "In the first days of marriage we were married women, but now we are wives."

CL 200. XV. That in the marriage of one man with one wife between whom there is love truly conjugial, the wife becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more and more a husband. That love truly conjugial conjoins two more and more into one man may be seen above (n. 178, 179); and because the wife becomes a wife from conjunction with her husband and according to it, likewise the husband from conjunction with his wife; and because love truly conjugial endures to eternity, it follows that the wife becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more and more a husband. The reason is, because in a marriage of love truly conjugial, each becomes an ever more interior man; for that love opens the interiors of their minds, and as these are opened man becomes more and more a man. To become more a man is, on the part of the wife, to become more a wife, and on the part of the husband, to become more a husband. I have heard from angels, that a wife becomes more and more a wife as her husband becomes more and more a husband, but not the reverse, for rarely if ever is it lacking that a chaste wife loves her husband. What is lacking is love in return on the part of the husband; and this is lacking on account of there being no elevation of wisdom, which alone receives a wife's love. Respecting this wisdom, see (n. 130, 163-165). This, however, is said of marriages on earth.

CL 201. XVI. That thus their forms also are successively perfected from within, and ennobled. The most perfect and noblest human form is that which exists when by marriage two forms become one single form, thus when two fleshes become one flesh in accordance with creation. That the mind of the man is then elevated into superior light, and the mind of the wife into superior heat; and that they then bud and blossom and bear fruit, as do trees in the time of spring; this the reader may see above (n. 188, 189). That from the ennobling of this form, noble fruits are born, spiritual in the heavens, natural on earth, will be seen in the article which now follows.

CL 202. XVII. That offspring born of two who are in love truly conjugial derive from their parents the conjugial of good and truth, from which they have an inclination and faculty, if a son, for perceiving the things which are of wisdom, and if a daughter, for loving the things which wisdom teaches. That offspring derive from their parents inclinations to such things as were of the parent's love and life is a matter of common knowledge based in general on history and specifically on experience. That they do not derive or inherit from them their actual affections and thence their lives, but only inclinations thereto and also faculties, was proved by the wise men in the spiritual world spoken of in two Memorable Relations adduced above (n. 156e, 182).

[2] Moreover, that from their innate inclinations, if these are not broken, descendants are led into affections, thoughts, speech, and lives similar to those of their parents, is clearly manifest from the Jewish race, in that at this day it is like its fathers in Egypt, in the desert, in the land of Canaan, and at the time of the Lord, being like them, not only in their minds but also in their faces. Who does not know a Jew from his looks? It is the same with other progenies, and from this it can be concluded, and this not fallaciously, that inclinations to things like those of their parents are connate. That the actual thoughts and deeds of their parents may not follow, it is of Divine Providence that depraved inclinations can be corrected, and that the faculty for this has been implanted, from which comes the efficacy of the correction of their morals by parents and masters, and later, when they come to act from their own judgment, by themselves.

CL 203. It is said that offspring derive from their parents the conjugial of good and truth because this is imparted to the soul of everyone from its creation, it being this that inflows from the Lord into man and makes his human life. But from the soul this conjugial passes into the parts that follow, even to the ultimates of the body; and in the latter and the former, it is changed by the man himself in many ways, and sometimes into the opposite which is called the conjugal or connubial of evil and falsity. When this takes place, the mind is closed from below, and sometimes is contorted like a spiral in the opposite direction. With some, however, it is not closed but remains half open above, and with some wholly open. It is from the latter and the former conjugial that offspring derive inclinations from their parents, a son in one way, a daughter in another. That it is from the conjugial, is because, as shown above (n. 65), conjugial love is the fundamental of all loves.

CL 204. That offspring born of those who are in love truly conjugial derive inclinations and faculties, if a son, for perceiving the things which are of wisdom, and if a daughter, for loving the things which wisdom teaches, is because the conjugial of good and truth is implanted by creation in the soul of everyone, and also in all that follows after the soul. That this conjugial fills the universe from first things to last and from man to worm, was shown above (n. 92). It has also been pointed out that the faculty for opening the lower regions of the mind, even to conjunction with its higher regions which are in the light and heat of heaven, is imparted to every man by creation. From this it is evident that the ability to conjoin good with truth and truth with good, and thus to become wise, and this with facility, is inherited from birth by those above others who are born of such a marriage; consequently, a facility in imbibing things which are of heaven and the Church; and that conjugial love is conjoined with such things, has many times been made manifest. From the above, the end for which marriages of love truly conjugial have been provided by the Lord the Creator, and are still being provided, is clearly exposed before the reason.

CL 205. I have heard from angels, that those who lived in most ancient times are at this day living in heaven, house by house, family by family, nation by nation, in like manner as they had lived on earth, with scarcely anyone missing from a household; and, furthermore, that the reason is because with them was love truly conjugial. As a consequence, their offspring inherited inclinations to the conjugial of good and truth, and through education by their parents, were easily initiated into it more and more interiorly, and later, when they came to act of their own judgment, were introduced into it by the Lord as of themselves.

CL 206. XVIII. That this comes to pass because the soul of the offspring is from the father, and its clothing from the mother. That the soul is from the father is not called into question by any wise man. Moreover, in the case of posterities descended in a legitimate series from fathers of families, it is clearly seen from their dispositions, and also from their faces, the face being a type of the disposition; for the father returns as in effigy, if not in his sons, yet in his grandsons and great-grand-sons. This is because the soul makes the inmost of a man; and though this may be covered over by the proximate offspring, it yet comes out and reveals itself in a later progeny. That the soul is from the father and its clothing from the mother, can be illustrated by analogous things in the vegetable kingdom. In this kingdom, the earth or ground is the common mother; this receives seeds into itself as into a womb and clothes them, yea, as it were, conceives them, carries them, brings them forth, and educates them, as a mother her offspring from the father.

CL 207. To the above, I will add two Memorable Relations. First:

Some time after (the second visit to Parnassus (n. 182)), I looked towards the city Athens, of which something was said in a former Relation (n. 156a), and heard thence an unusual clamour. There was something of laughter in it, in this something of indignation, and in this something of sadness; yet the clamour was not therefore dissonant but harmonious, because the one sound was not simultaneous with the other but the one was within the other. In the spiritual world, the variety and commingling of affections in sound are distinctly perceived.

While still at some distance, I asked what it meant, and received the answer: "A messenger has come from the place where new-comers from the Christian world first appear, saying that he had heard from three new-comers there, that in the world whence they came, they with others had believed that after death the blessed and happy would have entire rest from labours; and since administrations, offices, and employments are labours, that they would have rest from these. Clamour was made because the three have now been conducted hither by our emissary and are standing at the gate waiting. It has been decreed in council that for the purpose of disclosing their news from the Christian world, they were to be introduced, not into the Palladium on Parnassus like the previous new-comers, but into the great auditorium there; and some delegates have been sent to introduce them formally."

[2] Because I was in the spirit, and with spirits distances are according to the states of their affections; and because my affection was then moved to see and hear these new-comers, I seemed to myself to be present in the auditorium. There I saw the new-comers introduced and heard them speak. The seniors or wiser men were seated at the sides, the rest being in the middle. In front of the latter was a raised platform. Thither, in formal procession through the middle of the auditorium, the three new-comers and the herald were conducted by some younger men; and when silence had been obtained and they had been greeted by one of the elders, the new-comers, being asked, "What news from earth?" answered, "There is much news, but tell us, pray, on what subject?" When the elder replied,"What is the news from earth respecting our world and respecting heaven", they answered: "On first coming into this world, we heard that here and in heaven there were administrations, ministries, employments, businesses, studies in all kinds of learning, and wonderful handicrafts; and yet we had thought that after removal or transition from the natural world to this spiritual world, we should come into eternal rest from labours; and what are employments but labours?"

[3] To this the elder replied: "By eternal rest from labours, did you mean eternal idleness in which you would be continually sitting and lying down, inhaling delights into your breasts and drinking in joys with your mouth?" Smiling blandly, the three new-comers said that they had supposed something of the kind.

Answer was then given them: "What have joys and delights and the happiness therefrom in common with idleness? By idleness the mind becomes, not expanded, but collapsed, that is, a man is not enlivened but deadened. Picture a man sitting in complete idleness, hands hanging down, eyes withdrawn; and suppose that at the same time he is surrounded by an aura of gladness; would not drowsiness take possession of his head and body? Would not the living expansion of his face fall away? and at last, with fibres relaxed, would he not nod again and again until he fell to the ground? What keeps the whole bodily system expanded and tense but intentness of mind? and whence comes intentness of mind but from administrations and occupations when done from delight? Let me, therefore, tell you something new from heaven: There are administrations and ministries there, and courts of justice, higher and lower, and also mechanical arts and handicrafts."

[4] When the three new-comers heard that there were higher and lower courts of justice in heaven, they said: "Why these; are not all in heaven inspired and led of God, and so, do they not know what is just and right? What need then of judges?"

The presiding elder replied: "In this world we are taught what is good and true and what is just and equitable, and we learn this just as in the natural world, learning it, not immediately from God, but mediately through others. Every angel, like every man, thinks truth and does good as of himself; and this good is not pure but mixed, according to the state of the angel. Moreover, among angels there are the simple and the wise; and when, from simplicity and ignorance, the simple are in doubt as to what is just, or when they swerve from it, the wise must give judgment. But since you have newly come into this world, follow me into our city, if that is your pleasure, and we will show you everything."

[5] They then left the auditorium, some of the elders accompanying them. They went first into a large library which was divided into smaller libraries according to the sciences. The three new-comers were amazed at seeing so many books, and said, "Are there also books in this world? Where do the parchment and paper come from? and the pens and ink?"

To this the elders replied: "We perceive that in the former world you thought that this world was empty because spiritual; and that you so thought because the idea you entertained concerning the spiritual world was an idea abstracted from what is material, and to you, what is abstracted from the material appeared as nothing and thus as a vacuum. Yet in this world is a plenitude of all things. Here all things are SUBSTANTIAL not material; and material things derive their origin from things substantial. We who are here are spiritual men because substantial and not material. Hence all things which are found in the natural world are here in their perfection, even books and writings and much else.

When the three new-comers heard them called SUBSTANTIAL, they thought that they were substantial, and this both because they saw the written books and because they heard the statement that matter originated from substances. That they might be still further confirmed, they were taken to the dwellings of scribes who were making copies of the writings of the wise men of the city; and they inspected the writings and admired their neatness and elegance.

[6] After this they were conducted to museums, gymnasiums and colleges, and to places where literary sports were being held. Some of these were called sports of the Heliconians, some sports of the Parnassians, some sports of the Athenians, and some sports of the Virgins of the Fountain. They were told that these latter were so called because virgins signify affections for the sciences, and everyone has intelligence according to his affection for the sciences. The so-called sports were spiritual exercises and trials of skill. They were then taken around the city to its rulers and administrators and their subordinate officials; and by the latter they were shown the marvellous productions wrought by artisans in a spiritual manner.

[7] After they had seen all this, the presiding elder, again addressing them on the subject of the eternal rest from labour into which the blessed and happy come after death, said: "Eternal rest is not idleness, for from idleness come languor, torpidity, stupor and drowsiness of the mind and so of the whole body. These are death not life, still less the eternal life in which are the angels of heaven. Eternal rest, therefore, is a rest which dispels them and makes a man live. Such rest can be nothing else than something which elevates the mind, and therefore some study and work whereby the mind is aroused, vivified and delighted, being thus affected according to the use from which, in which, and for which the work is done. Hence it is that the whole of heaven is regarded by the Lord as a containant of uses, and every angel is an angel according to his use. The delight of use carries him along as a favouring current carries a ship, and causes him to be in eternal peace and in the rest that belongs to peace. This is what is meant by eternal rest from labours. That an angel is living, according to the devotion of his mind (to use) from use, is clearly manifest from the fact that every angel has conjugial love, with its virtue, its potency, and its delights, according to his devotion to the genuine use in which he is."

[8] When the three new-comers had been convinced that eternal rest is not idleness but the delight of some work which is of use, there came some virgins with pieces of embroidery and netting, the work of their own hands. These they gave them; and when the novitiates were leaving, these virgins sang an ode wherein, in an angelic melody, they expressed the affection for works of use together with the pleasantness thereof.

CL 208. The second Memorable Relation:

When I was in meditation on the arcana of conjugial love stored up with wives, the GOLDEN SHOWER described above (n. 156e) was again seen, and I remembered that it was falling upon a hall in the east where lived three conjugial loves, that is, three consorts who tenderly loved each other. Seeing the shower, I hastened thither as though invited by the sweetness of the meditation on that love. As I drew near, the shower, from being. golden became purple, then scarlet, and when I was close by, it was opalescent like dew. I then knocked at the door, and when it was opened, I said to the attendant, "Announce to the husbands that one who previously came here with an angel is again here and begs that he be allowed to enter and talk with them." On his return, the attendant, on behalf of the husbands, gave his assent and I went in.

The three husbands with their wives were together in an open court and returned my greeting with good-will. I then asked the wives whether the white dove had appeared at the window later. They said, "(Yes, and) also today. Moreover, it spread out its wings, and from this we surmised your presence and your solicitation for the disclosure of yet one more arcanum respecting conjugial love."

[2] When I asked, "Why do you say one, when yet I have come hither to learn many?" they answered: "There are (many) arcana, and some so far surpass your wisdom that the understanding of your thought cannot apprehend them. You men glory over us on account of your wisdom, but we do not glory over you on account of ours; and yet ours excels yours because it enters into your inclinations and affections and sees, perceives, and feels them. You know nothing whatever about the inclinations and affections of your love, though it is these from which and according to which your understanding thinks: consequently, from which and according to which you are wise. Yet wives know them in their husbands so well that they see them in their face and hear them in the tones of the speech of their mouth, yea, feel them by touch on their breasts, arms, and cheeks; but from the zeal of love for your happiness, and at the same time for our own, we feign not to know them. Yet we moderate them so prudently that, by permission and sufferance, we acquiesce in everything that pertains to the desire, pleasure, and will of our husbands, merely bending it when possible but never forcing."

[3] I asked, " Whence do you have that wisdom?" They answered: "It is implanted in us from creation and thence from birth. Our husbands liken it to instinct, but we say it is of Divine Providence, in order that men may be made happy by their wives. We have heard from our husbands that the Lord wills that the male man shall act from freedom according to reason, and that his freedom which has regard to his inclinations and affections is therefore moderated from within by the Lord Himself, and from without by means of his wife; also that in this way the Lord forms the man with his wife into an angel of heaven. Moreover, if forced, the love changes its essence and does not become conjugial love. But let us speak of this more openly. We are moved to this, that is, to prudence in so moderating the inclinations and affections of our husbands that they appear to themselves to act from freedom according to their reason, because we are in delight from their love and love nothing more than that they shall be in delight from our delights; and if these become cheap to them, they also become dulled with us."

[4] After these words, one of the wives went into her bed-chamber, and on returning said, "My dove still flutters its wings, which is a sign that we may disclose more." They then added: "We have observed various changes in the inclinations and affections of men; as, for instance, that husbands grow cold to their wives when they think vain thoughts against the Lord and the Church; that they are cold when in the pride of their own intelligence; that they are cold when they look upon other women from concupiscence; that they are cold when urged by their wives in respect to love, besides on many other occasions; also that they are cold with varying coldness. We observe this from the withdrawal of sensation from their eyes, ears, and body at the presence of our senses. From these few examples you can see that we know better than the men whether it is well with them or ill. If they are cold towards their wives, it is ill with them, and if they are warm towards their wives it is well with them. Therefore, in their minds wives are continually reflecting on the means whereby their men shall be warm towards them and not cold; and they reflect on them with a penetration inscrutable to men."

[5] When they had thus spoken, a sound was heard as though the dove were moaning. The wives then said, "That is a sign to us that though we are eager to divulge deeper arcana, it is not allowed us. Perhaps you will disclose to men what you have heard." I answered, "I intend to do so; what harm can come from that?"

After speaking about this among themselves, the wives said: "Disclose them if you will. The power of persuasion that wives possess is not hidden from us; for they will say to their husbands, `The man is fooling you. These are fables. He is jesting from appearances and from the silly fancies common to men. Do not believe him; believe us. We know that you are loves and we obediences.' Disclose them, then, if you will, but husbands will not put any dependence on your mouth, but on the mouths of their wives which they kiss."