the united council [lit. judge] in its [the council's] centre, or in the midst of the body, as a word, in the heart; for the heart is the fountainspring of all powers, whence the word itself taketh its rise [or ariseth]. * In this par. a new translation has been substituted for Sparrow's original rendering. 15. * Then the word standeth in the heart as a selfsubsisting person, compacted from all the powers [combined]; it is a word and representeth or denoteth God the Son. Then [also] it riseth up from the heart into the mouth and upon the tongue, which [latter] is the sharpness, and sharpeneth the word, so that it soundeth, and differentiateth it according to the five senses. 16. From what quality soever the word taketh its original, in that quality it is thrust forth upon the tongue, and the power of the distinction or difference goeth forth from the tongue; and that signifieth the Holy Ghost. 17. For as the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and distinguished and sharpeneth all, and effecteth or produceth that which the Father speaketh through the Word: 18. So also the tongue sharpeneth, articulateth and distinguisheth all that which the five senses in the head bring through the heart on to the tongue; and the spirit goeth forth from the tongue through the Mercurius or tone in that place, as it was decreed or concluded by the council of the five senses, and executeth it all. Of the Mouth. 19. The mouth signifieth that thou art an unalmighty son of thy Father, whether thou art an angel or a man. For through the mouth thou must draw into thee the power of thy Father, if thou wilt live. 20. An angel must do so, as well as a man, though indeed he needs not to use the element of air in that manner as a man doth; yet he must attract into himself, through the mouth, the spirit from which the air in this world existeth. 21. For in heaven there is no such air, but the qualities are very meek and joyful, like a pleasant cheering breath of wind, and the Holy Ghost is among all the qualities in the Salitter and Mercurius. 22. This the angel also must make use of, or else he cannot be a moveable creature, for he must also eat of the heavenly fruit through the mouth. 23. Thou must not understand this in an earthly manner; for an angel hath no guts, neither flesh nor bones, but is constituted or composed by the divine power in the shape, form and manner of a man, and hath all members like man, except the members of generation, and the fundament or going out of the draff, neither hath an angel need of them. 24. For man first gat his members of generation and fundament in his doleful and lamentable fall. An angel sendeth forth nothing but the divine power, which he taketh in at his mouth, wherewith he kindleth his heart, and the heart kindleth all the members, and that he sendeth forth from himself again at the mouth, when he speaketh and praiseth God. 25. But the heavenly fruits which he eateth are not earthly; and though they are in such a form and shape as the earthly, yet they are mere divine power, and have such a pleasant lovely taste and smell that I cannot liken it to anything in this world; for they taste and smell of the Holy Trinity. 26. Thou must not think that they are there only as it were a type or shadow of things; no; for the spirit sheweth plainly that in the heavenly pomp, in the heavenly Salitter and Mercurius, grow divine trees, plants, flowers, and all sorts of whatever is in this world but as a type and resemblance: As the angels are, so are the vegetation and fruits, all from the divine power. 27. These heavenly sprouts and springings thou must not wholly liken to this world: For there are two qualities in this world, a good and an evil; and many things grow through the power of the evil quality, which doth not so in heaven. 28. For heaven hath but one form or manner: nothing groweth there which is not good. Lord Lucifer alone hath deformed and dressed this world in that manner: Therefore was mother Eve ashamed, when she had eaten of that which was dressed by the evil quality; in like manner also she was ashamed of her members of generation, which she had caused by the biting of this apple. 29. The angelical and heavenly fruit hath not such [an evil quality or] substance: Indeed it is most certain and true that there are all manner of fruits in heaven, and not types and shadows merely: Also that the angels pluck them with their hands, and eat them, as we that are men do, but they need not any teeth to do it withal, neither have they any, for the fruit is of a divine power. 30. Now all this, whatsoever an angel maketh use of, which is externally without him, for the
the united council [lit. judge] in its [the council's] centre, or in the midst of the body, as a word, in the heart; for the heart is the fountainspring of all powers, whence the word itself takes its rise [or arises]. * In this par. a new translation has been substituted for Sparrow's original rendering. 15. * Then the word stands in the heart as a selfsubsisting person, compacted from all the powers [combined]; it is a word and represents or denots God the Son. Then [also] it rises up from the heart into the mouth and upon the tongue, which [latter] is the sharpness, and sharpens the word, so that it sounds, and differentiats it according to the five senses. 16. From what quality soever the word takes its original, in that quality it is thrust forth upon the tongue, and the power of the distinction or difference goes forth from the tongue; and that signifies the Holy Ghost. 17. For as the Holy Ghost goes forth from the Father and the Son, and distinguished and sharpens all, and effects or produces that which the Father speaks through the Word: 18. So also the tongue sharpens, articulats and distinguishes all that which the five senses in the head bring through the heart on to the tongue; and the spirit goes forth from the tongue through the Mercurius or tone in that place, as it was decreed or concluded by the council of the five senses, and executs it all. Of the Mouth. 19. The mouth signifies that you are an unalmighty son of your Father, whether you are an angel or a man. For through the mouth you must draw into you the power of your Father, if you will live. 20. An angel must do so, as well as a man, though indeed he needs not to use the element of air in that manner as a man does; yet he must attract into himself, through the mouth, the spirit from which the air in this world exists. 21. For in heaven there is no such air, but the qualities are very meek and joyful, like a pleasant cheering breath of wind, and the Holy Ghost is among all the qualities in the Salitter and Mercurius. 22. This the angel also must make use of, or else he cannot be a moveable creature, for he must also eat of the heavenly fruit through the mouth. 23. You must not understand this in an earthly manner; for an angel has no guts, neither flesh nor bones, but is constituted or composed by the divine power in the shape, form and manner of a man, and has all members like man, except the members of generation, and the fundament or going out of the draff, neither has an angel need of them. 24. For man first gat his members of generation and fundament in his doleful and lamentable fall. An angel sends forth nothing but the divine power, which he takes in at his mouth, wherewith he kindls his heart, and the heart kindls all the members, and that he sends forth from himself again at the mouth, when he speaks and praises God. 25. But the heavenly fruits which he eats are not earthly; and though they are in such a form and shape as the earthly, yet they are mere divine power, and have such a pleasant lovely taste and smell that I cannot liken it to anything in this world; for they taste and smell of the Holy Trinity. 26. You must not think that they are there only as it were a type or shadow of things; no; for the spirit shows plainly that in the heavenly pomp, in the heavenly Salitter and Mercurius, grow divine trees, plants, flowers, and all sorts of whatever is in this world but as a type and resemblance: As the angels are, so are the vegetation and fruits, all from the divine power. 27. These heavenly sprouts and springings you must not wholly liken to this world: For there are two qualities in this world, a good and an evil; and many things grow through the power of the evil quality, which does not so in heaven. 28. For heaven has but one form or manner: nothing grows there which is not good. Lord Lucifer alone has deformed and dressed this world in that manner: Therefore was mother Eve ashamed, when she had eaten of that which was dressed by the evil quality; in like manner also she was ashamed of her members of generation, which she had caused by the biting of this apple. 29. The angelical and heavenly fruit has not such [an evil quality or] substance: Indeed it is most certain and true that there are all manner of fruits in heaven, and not types and shadows merely: Also that the angels pluck them with their hands, and eat them, as we that are men do, but they need not any teeth to do it withal, neither have they any, for the fruit is of a divine power. 30. Now all this, whatsoever an angel makes use of, which is externally without him, for the
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