Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
23. In such a manner as this the sun rose up in the Fiat, and out of the sun (in its first kindling) [arose] the other planets, viz. upwards, out of the raging bitterness, Mars [arose], which the splendourCh. 8] OF THE CREATION OF THE CREATURES 117 of the sun stayed [or upheld] when it discovered 1 it : And out of the virtue of the sun, which raised l Mars. itself higher [arose] Jupiter, imprisoned in the centre of the Fiat : And out of the chamber of anguish [arose] Saturnus : And downwards, Venus [arose] from the soft mildness, when the harshness was overcome, and was soft, sweet, and sinking down like water. And when the light kindled, then out of the sour harsh wrath came love and humility to be, running downwards : And out of the overcome virtue in the sour harshness [arose Mercurius], wherein standeth the knowledge of what was in the original before the light : But when the light made the virtue in the place of the sun material, as it were in an earthly manner [arose] the moon.
24. This the world comprehendeth not, but scorneth it, therefore I will here no further cast the . Pearl before the swine, for there belongeth another light to this knowledge ; therefore I will pass that by, and go on.
25. Out of the anguish of darkness (when God spake the [Word] Fiat therein) came forth all things : The anguish hath its original in the Fiat, and the Fiat [hath its original] in the will, and the will is eternal without original ; for it is (in God) the matrix of the genetrix.
26. God is invisible, and the will also is invisible, and the matrix also is invisible, and yet they are in substance, and are from eternity, and continuep. 118 in eternity. And the Word is the virtue of the will ; and the virtue [or power] maketh the Fiat, and the Fiat maketh the kingdom, and it is all alike eternal in one only substance : The will hath generated the Word from eternity ; and the Word the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, and in the spirit is the light, and in the light is the power, understanding, and knowledge ; otherwise it were altogether nothing.
27. That light hath wrought in the knowledge, and in the understanding, and generated a similitude of its substance ; and the substance which wrought was the Fiat, and the Fiat formed the similitude which was generated out of the will, and made it visible ; and the similitude was generated out of the darkness, out of the eternal nothing ; and yet somewhat was there, viz. the originalness of the
\ Or taketh anguish, out of which the eternal will l generateth its 6ttrii3l original. itself from eternity.
28. Now the similitude also hath received such a will out of the Fiat, as the eternal will is ; and it hath generated the virtue [or power], and the virtue is the heaven ; and the light which is become shining in the virtue, is the sun, and that worketh in the virtue, so that there is understanding and knowledge : or else all in this world would be an immovable substance, and all would lie still, and so neither herb nor grass would grow.
29. Therefore in the Fiat is arisen out of the anguish the sim ilitude of the knowledge and underCh. 8]p. 119
standing, and that is the constellation ; and it is the fifth form of the birth in the Fiat, and the Fiat hath severed the forms in the birth, so that every essence is several ; as hard, soft, thick, thin, hot, cold, bitter, tart, sour, sweet, and so forth, as we see : And the spirit continued in the matrix of the heaven, which goeth out from thence (viz. the air), and the spirit receiveth the understanding from the constellation ; for it is a member of the other in one only mother.
30. Now the matrix (viz. the created heaven) in the Fiat, together with the stars, is the similitude of all that was from eternity, though not visible ; and the Fiat is in the similitude ; and the paradise, wherein the angels dwell, is hidden in the matrix ; and God is shining in the paradise, and yet incomprehensible ; as the glance [or lustre] of the sun cannot be comprehended.
23. In such a manner as this the sun rose up in the Fiat, and out of the sun (in its first kindling) [arose] the other planets, viz. upwards, out of the raging bitterness, Mars [arose], which the splendour
Ch. 8] OF THE CREATION OF THE CREATURES 117 of the sun stayed [or upheld] when it discovered 1 it : And out of the virtue of the sun, which raised l Mars. itself higher [arose] Jupiter, imprisoned in the centre of the Fiat : And out of the chamber of anguish [arose] Saturnus : And downwards, Venus [arose] from the soft mildness, when the harshness was overcome, and was soft, sweet, and sinking down like water. And when the light kindled, then out of the sour harsh wrath came love and humility to be, running downwards : And out of the overcome virtue in the sour harshness [arose Mercurius], wherein stands the knowledge of what was in the original before the light : But when the light made the virtue in the place of the sun material, as it were in an earthly manner [arose] the moon.
24. This the world comprehends not, but scorns it, therefore I will here no further cast the . Pearl before the swine, for there belongs another light to this knowledge ; therefore I will pass that by, and go on.
25. Out of the anguish of darkness (when God spake the [Word] Fiat therein) came forth all things : The anguish has its original in the Fiat, and the Fiat [has its original] in the will, and the will is eternal without original ; for it is (in God) the matrix of the genetrix.
26. God is invisible, and the will also is invisible, and the matrix also is invisible, and yet they are in substance, and are from eternity, and continue
118 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 8 in eternity. And the Word is the virtue of the will ; and the virtue [or power] makes the Fiat, and the Fiat makes the kingdom, and it is all alike eternal in one only substance : The will has generated the Word from eternity ; and the Word the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, and in the spirit is the light, and in the light is the power, understanding, and knowledge ; otherwise it were altogether nothing.
27. That light has wrought in the knowledge, and in the understanding, and generated a similitude of its substance ; and the substance which wrought was the Fiat, and the Fiat formed the similitude which was generated out of the will, and made it visible ; and the similitude was generated out of the darkness, out of the eternal nothing ; and yet somewhat was there, viz. the originalness of the
\ Or takes anguish, out of which the eternal will l generats its 6ttrii3l original. itself from eternity.
28. Now the similitude also has received such a will out of the Fiat, as the eternal will is ; and it has generated the virtue [or power], and the virtue is the heaven ; and the light which is become shining in the virtue, is the sun, and that works in the virtue, so that there is understanding and knowledge : or else all in this world would be an immovable substance, and all would lie still, and so neither herb nor grass would grow.
29. Therefore in the Fiat is arisen out of the anguish the sim ilitude of the knowledge and underCh. 8] OF THE CREATION OF THE CREATURES 119 standing, and that is the constellation ; and it is the fifth form of the birth in the Fiat, and the Fiat has severed the forms in the birth, so that every essence is several ; as hard, soft, thick, thin, hot, cold, bitter, tart, sour, sweet, and so forth, as we see : And the spirit continued in the matrix of the heaven, which goes out from thence (viz. the air), and the spirit receives the understanding from the constellation ; for it is a member of the other in one only mother.
30. Now the matrix (viz. the created heaven) in the Fiat, together with the stars, is the similitude of all that was from eternity, though not visible ; and the Fiat is in the similitude ; and the paradise, wherein the angels dwell, is hidden in the matrix ; and God is shining in the paradise, and yet incomprehensible ; as the glance [or lustre] of the sun cannot be comprehended.