Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
62. Thus we find now that the three from eternity are an unbeginning and indissoluble band ; attracting, viz. * longing, willing, and desiring ; and the one always generateth the other, and if one were not, then the other also would not be, of which none know what it is ; for it is in itself nothing but a spirit, which is in itself in the darkness ; and yet there is no darkness, but a nothing, neither darkness nor light. Now then the * longing is an hunger [seeking], or an infecting of the desiring, and the will is a retention in the desiring ; and now if the [desiring] must retain the will, then it must be comprehensible, and there must not be one [only] thing alone in the will, but two ; now then seeing they are the two, therefore the attracting must be the third, which draweth that [which is] comprehensible into the will. Now this being thus from eternity, therefore it is found of itself, that from eternity there is a springing and moving ; for that [which is] comprehended must spring and be somewhat, that the will may comprehend somewhat; and seeing that it is somewhat, therefore it must be sour and attractive, that it [may] come to be somewhat. And then seeing it is sour and attractive, therefore the attracting maketh the comprehensibility, that so the will [may] havep. 287 somewhat to comprehend and to hold ; and then it being thus comprehensible, therefore it is thicker
[grosser or darker] than the will, and it shadoweth the will, and covereth xthat [which is attracted] » which is and the will is in l that, and the longing maketh them both ; and seeing now that the will is in that [which is] comprehensible, therefore that
[which is] comprehensible is the darkness of the will ; for it hath with its comprehensibility enclosed the will; now the will not being 2out of that 2 gotten out
[which is] comprehensible, it longeth continually after the light, that it might be delivered from the darkness, which yet itself maketh with the longing and attracting.
63. From whence now cometh the anxiety, because the will is shut up in the darkness ; and the attracting of the will maketh the mobility; and that [which is] movable maketh the will's rising up out of the darkness. Now therefore the rising up is the first 3 essence ; for it generateth 3 itself in the attracting, and is itself the attracting. And yet now the will cannot endure the attracting either, for it maketh that dark with the attracted essence [being or substance], which the will comprehendeth, and resisteth it, and the resisting is the stirring, and the stirring maketh a parting or breaking in that [which is] attracted, for it severeth [it] ; and this also the sourness in the attracting cannot endure, and the anguish in the will is [thereby] the greater, and the attracting to hold
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the stirring [is] also the greater. So when the stirring is thus very hard knit together, and held by the sour attracting, then it eateth [gnaweth, presseth, or nippeth] itself, and becometh prickly, and stingeth in the sour anguish. And when the sourness attracteth the more vehemently [or strongly] to it, then the ppickle becometh so very great in anxiety, that the will springeth up horribly, and setteth its purpose to fly away out of the darkness.
64. And here the eternal mind hath its original,
1 property, or in that the will will [go] out of that l source, into
2 flowing or another 2 source of meekness, and from thence the working. eternal l source in the anguish hath also its original, and it is the eternal worm which generateth and eateth itself, and in its own fierceness in itself liveth in the darkness which itself maketh ; and there also the eternal infection [or mixture] hath its original, back from which there is no further to be searched into, for there is nothing
3 Than the deeper, or 3 sooner ; the same always maketh itself eternal pro- ., . 111 i perty of hell, from eternity, and hath no maker or creator. And
4 grim stem- it is not God, but God's original * fierceness [or ness. • , r \ • • i -i wrath], an anxiety, [or aching anguish], generating in itself, and gnawing [eating or devouring] in it, and yet consuming nothing, neither multiplying nor lessening.
62. Thus we find now that the three from eternity are an unbeginning and indissoluble band ; attracting, viz. * longing, willing, and desiring ; and the one always generats the other, and if one were not, then the other also would not be, of which none know what it is ; for it is in itself nothing but a spirit, which is in itself in the darkness ; and yet there is no darkness, but a nothing, neither darkness nor light. Now then the * longing is an hunger [seeking], or an infecting of the desiring, and the will is a retention in the desiring ; and now if the [desiring] must retain the will, then it must be comprehensible, and there must not be one [only] thing alone in the will, but two ; now then seeing they are the two, therefore the attracting must be the third, which draws that [which is] comprehensible into the will. Now this being thus from eternity, therefore it is found of itself, that from eternity there is a springing and moving ; for that [which is] comprehended must spring and be somewhat, that the will may comprehend somewhat; and seeing that it is somewhat, therefore it must be sour and attractive, that it [may] come to be somewhat. And then seeing it is sour and attractive, therefore the attracting makes the comprehensibility, that so the will [may] have
Cll. 14] BIRTH AND PROPAGATION OF MAN 287 somewhat to comprehend and to hold ; and then it being thus comprehensible, therefore it is thicker
[grosser or darker] than the will, and it shadows the will, and covers xthat [which is attracted] » which is and the will is in l that, and the longing makes them both ; and seeing now that the will is in that [which is] comprehensible, therefore that
[which is] comprehensible is the darkness of the will ; for it has with its comprehensibility enclosed the will; now the will not being 2out of that 2 gotten out
[which is] comprehensible, it longs continually after the light, that it might be delivered from the darkness, which yet itself makes with the longing and attracting.
63. From whence now comes the anxiety, because the will is shut up in the darkness ; and the attracting of the will makes the mobility; and that [which is] movable makes the will's rising up out of the darkness. Now therefore the rising up is the first 3 essence ; for it generats 3 itself in the attracting, and is itself the attracting. And yet now the will cannot endure the attracting either, for it makes that dark with the attracted essence [being or substance], which the will comprehends, and resists it, and the resisting is the stirring, and the stirring makes a parting or breaking in that [which is] attracted, for it severs [it] ; and this also the sourness in the attracting cannot endure, and the anguish in the will is [thereby] the greater, and the attracting to hold
288 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 14 the stirring [is] also the greater. So when the stirring is thus very hard knit together, and held by the sour attracting, then it eats [gnaws, presses, or nipps] itself, and becomes prickly, and stings in the sour anguish. And when the sourness attracts the more vehemently [or strongly] to it, then the ppickle becomes so very great in anxiety, that the will springs up horribly, and setts its purpose to fly away out of the darkness.
64. And here the eternal mind has its original,
1 property, or in that the will will [go] out of that l source, into
2 flowing or another 2 source of meekness, and from thence the working. eternal l source in the anguish has also its original, and it is the eternal worm which generats and eats itself, and in its own fierceness in itself lives in the darkness which itself makes ; and there also the eternal infection [or mixture] has its original, back from which there is no further to be searched into, for there is nothing
3 Than the deeper, or 3 sooner ; the same always makes itself eternal pro- ., . 111 i perty of hell, from eternity, and has no maker or creator. And
4 grim stem- it is not God, but God's original * fierceness [or ness. • , r \ • • i -i wrath], an anxiety, [or aching anguish], generating in itself, and gnawing [eating or devouring] in it, and yet consuming nothing, neither multiplying nor lessening.