Suppose that in two young people of a noble complexion, these being kindled in the heat and fervour of burning love the one to the other, there is such a fire as this: that if each could creep into the body and heart of the other, or if they could transmute themselves into one body, they would do it. 49. But this earthly love is only cold water, and is not true fire: A man cannot find any full similitude of it in this halfdead world. In all divine things that receive the true lovefire, the resurrection of the dead at the last day alone is a perfect similitude. 50. But the sweet quality doth thus love the heat because it generateth therein the lightspirit, which is the spirit of life. For life existeth in the heat, for if the heat were not, all would be a dark valley: Now so dear as the life is, so dear also is the heat to the sweet spirit, and the light in the heat. 51. And the bitter quality also loveth all the other fountainspirits. And first the sweet. For in the sweet water the bitter spirit is refreshed, and therein it quencheth its great thirst; and its bitterness is therein mitigated; also it obtaineth its lightlife therein: In the astringent it hath its body, wherein it triumpheth, cooleth and mitigateth itself; and in the heat it hath its power and strength, wherein its joy standeth. 52. And the hot quality also loveth all the other qualities; and the love is so great therein towards and in the others that it cannot be likened to anything, for it is generated from and out of the others. 53. The astringent and bitter qualities are the father of the heat, and the sweet fountainwater is its mother, which conceiveth, retaineth and generateth it: For the heat existeth through the astringent and bitter hard driving, which riseth up in the sweet quality, as in wood or fuel. 54. Wilt thou not believe this? Then open thy eyes, and go to a tree, look upon it, and bethink thyself; there you see first the whole tree, take a knife and cut a gash in it, and taste how it is; then you first taste the astringent, harsh, choky quality, which draweth thy tongue together, and that also draweth and holdeth together all the powers of the tree. 55. Then you taste the bitter quality, which maketh the tree moveable or stirring, so that it springeth and groweth green and flourisheth, and so getteth its branches, leaves and fruit. 56. After that you taste the sweet, which is very gentle and sharp; for it getteth the sharpness from the astringent and bitter qualities. 57. Now these three qualities would be dark and dead, if the heat were not therein: But as soon as the spring time cometh, that the sun with its beams reacheth and warmeth the earth, the spirit becometh living by the heat in the tree, and the spirits of the tree begin to grow green, flourish and blossom. 58. For the spirit riseth up in the heat, and all the spirits rejoice therein, and so there is a hearty love between them. 59. But the heat is generated through the power and impulse of the astringent and bitter qualities in the sweet water.
60. But they must use the heat of the sun to their kindling, because the qualities in this world are half dead, and are too weak; of which king Lucifer was the cause, which you will find, here following, concerning his fall, and concerning the creation of this world. Of the friendly Love, gracious, amiable Blessedness and Unity of the Five Qualifying or FountainSpirits of God. 61. Though it be impossible for the hands of men to describe this sufficiently, yet the enlightened spirit of man seeth it; for it riseth up just in such a form and birth as the light [doth] in the divine power, and also in [such a form and birth as] the qualities which are in God [rise up]. 62. Only this is to be lamented concerning man, that his qualities are corrupted, perished, and half dead; and therefore it is that man's spirit [in its] or his qualities [in their] rising or kindling in this world, can come or attain to no perfection. 63. On the other hand, it is highly to be rejoiced at, that man's spirit, in his necessity, becometh enlightened and kindled by the Holy Ghost: [just] as the sun kindleth the cold heat in a tree or herb, whereby the cold chilled heat becometh living. Now observe: 64. As the members of man's body love one another, so do the spirits also in the divine power; there is nothing else but a mere longing, desiring, and fulfilling, as also a triumphing and rejoicing the one in the other: For through these spirits come the understanding and distinction in God, in angels, in men, in beasts, in fowls and in
Suppose that in two young people of a noble complexion, these being kindled in the heat and fervour of burning love the one to the other, there is such a fire as this: that if each could creep into the body and heart of the other, or if they could transmute themselves into one body, they would do it. 49. But this earthly love is only cold water, and is not true fire: A man cannot find any full similitude of it in this halfdead world. In all divine things that receive the true lovefire, the resurrection of the dead at the last day alone is a perfect similitude. 50. But the sweet quality does thus love the heat because it generats therein the lightspirit, which is the spirit of life. For life exists in the heat, for if the heat were not, all would be a dark valley: Now so dear as the life is, so dear also is the heat to the sweet spirit, and the light in the heat. 51. And the bitter quality also loves all the other fountainspirits. And first the sweet. For in the sweet water the bitter spirit is refreshed, and therein it quenches its great thirst; and its bitterness is therein mitigated; also it obtains its lightlife therein: In the astringent it has its body, wherein it triumphs, cools and mitigats itself; and in the heat it has its power and strength, wherein its joy stands. 52. And the hot quality also loves all the other qualities; and the love is so great therein towards and in the others that it cannot be likened to anything, for it is generated from and out of the others. 53. The astringent and bitter qualities are the father of the heat, and the sweet fountainwater is its mother, which conceives, retains and generats it: For the heat exists through the astringent and bitter hard driving, which rises up in the sweet quality, as in wood or fuel. 54. Wilt you not believe this? Then open your eyes, and go to a tree, look upon it, and bethink yourself; there you see first the whole tree, take a knife and cut a gash in it, and taste how it is; then you first taste the astringent, harsh, choky quality, which draws your tongue together, and that also draws and holds together all the powers of the tree. 55. Then you taste the bitter quality, which makes the tree moveable or stirring, so that it springs and grows green and flourishes, and so getts its branches, leaves and fruit. 56. After that you taste the sweet, which is very gentle and sharp; for it getts the sharpness from the astringent and bitter qualities. 57. Now these three qualities would be dark and dead, if the heat were not therein: But as soon as the spring time comes, that the sun with its beams reaches and warms the earth, the spirit becomes living by the heat in the tree, and the spirits of the tree begin to grow green, flourish and blossom. 58. For the spirit rises up in the heat, and all the spirits rejoice therein, and so there is a hearty love between them. 59. But the heat is generated through the power and impulse of the astringent and bitter qualities in the sweet water.
60. But they must use the heat of the sun to their kindling, because the qualities in this world are half dead, and are too weak; of which king Lucifer was the cause, which you will find, here following, concerning his fall, and concerning the creation of this world. Of the friendly Love, gracious, amiable Blessedness and Unity of the Five Qualifying or FountainSpirits of God. 61. Though it be impossible for the hands of men to describe this sufficiently, yet the enlightened spirit of man sees it; for it rises up just in such a form and birth as the light [does] in the divine power, and also in [such a form and birth as] the qualities which are in God [rise up]. 62. Only this is to be lamented concerning man, that his qualities are corrupted, perished, and half dead; and therefore it is that man's spirit [in its] or his qualities [in their] rising or kindling in this world, can come or attain to no perfection. 63. On the other hand, it is highly to be rejoiced at, that man's spirit, in his necessity, becomes enlightened and kindled by the Holy Ghost: [just] as the sun kindls the cold heat in a tree or herb, whereby the cold chilled heat becomes living. Now observe: 64. As the members of man's body love one another, so do the spirits also in the divine power; there is nothing else but a mere longing, desiring, and fulfilling, as also a triumphing and rejoicing the one in the other: For through these spirits come the understanding and distinction in God, in angels, in men, in beasts, in fowls and in
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