concerning the fire of life) we know for certain, that in its original, before the kindling of the fire, it consists only in two forms, and hath but one mother, which is harsh [astringent or attractive], and draweth to her; and yet there is nothing in herself but a willing of the eternal Father in the eternal nature which he hath appointed in himself to reveal, and to declare his wonders.
24. Now that will is eternal, and is not stirred up by anything but by itself; and if that were not, all were nothing, neither darkness nor light: therefore seeing there is somewhat, it must needs be the eternal will, and that is astringent, and desirous of the wonders of the creation. Therefore seeing there is a desire, the desire attracteth to itself, and that which is attracted in the desire maketh the will full, so that the desire is fulfilled;
for the will is as thin [or empty] as a nothing [vacuum], and that which is attracted into the will maketh the will thick [or gross and full] and that is its darkness: and the eternal desire standeth in the darkness.
25. Now when the will in the desire doth attract, that attracting is a sting [ puncture or goad, pricking or spurring to motion] of the stirring; for the will is thin as a nothing, and is quiet and still, as [if it were] nothing: but the will being an eternal desiring, therefore it attracteth to itself eternally; and having nothing to attract it attracteth itself, and impregnateth [or filleth]
itself, and so the nothing cometh to be a darkness;
and the attracting maketh the sting of the first essences [spur to the beginning of the being of a thing], so that there is a stirring and original of mobility.
26. Now the will cannot endure the attracting and impregnation, for it would be free, and yet cannot, because it is desirous; and seeing it cannot be free, it entereth with the attracting into itself, and taketh [or conceiveth] in itself another will, which is, to go out from the darkness into itself, and that other conceived will is the eternal mind, and entereth into itself as a sudden flash [of lightning] and dissipateth the darkness, and goeth forth into itself, and dwelleth in itself, and maketh to itself another [or second] Principle of another quality [source or condition], for the sting of the stirring remaineth in the darkness.
27. Therefore now we should speak of the forms of the sour [or astringent] dark nature. For we understand that the darkness hath a longing after the light, which eternally standeth before it, but in another Principle.
28. For the two forms, the sour and the bitter stinging, are the original of all things; and the eternal will is the mother [or matrix] wherein they are generated: and we are to know that the sourness [astringency or attraction] always attracteth with the conception of the will, and that attracting is the stinging of the stirring, which the sourness [harshness] cannot well endure:
for the attracting sourness desireth the sour strong shutting up in death, and the stinging bitterness is the opener, and yet it were a nothing in itself without the will.
29. Now when the sourness attracteth so strongly, it cannot endure the stinging, viz. the sourness's own attracting, but stirreth much more; and the sourness may not endure the stirring either, for it desireth the still death. And thus it is a Chain and Band, which ever maketh itself, and hath no [other] maker.
30. Now these entering into one another so swiftly, like a sudden thought, the sting would fain get out from the sourness, but cannot, for the sourness generateth and maintaineth it; and not being able to get the upper hand [or get loose] it turneth round like a wheel, and so breaketh asunder the attracted sourness, and maketh a continual [or stirring up and down] hurlyburly and mixture, in which the breaking [corrupting] or woe, doth consist; yet there is no feeling here, but
[they are] only forms of nature: for it is no material [materia], but [it is] the original of the spirit or eternal nature in the eternal will.
31. For the sour desiring attracteth and maketh penetration, and the bitterness breaketh it asunder in the turning wheel, and so there ariseth multiplicity of essences, and it is as it were a furiousness, or as I may say in a similitude, a confusion of the eternal mobility, a cause of the essences: And this
concerning the fire of life) we know for certain, that in its original, before the kindling of the fire, it consists only in two forms, and has but one mother, which is harsh [astringent or attractive], and draws to her; and yet there is nothing in herself but a willing of the eternal Father in the eternal nature which he has appointed in himself to reveal, and to declare his wonders.
24. Now that will is eternal, and is not stirred up by anything but by itself; and if that were not, all were nothing, neither darkness nor light: therefore seeing there is somewhat, it must needs be the eternal will, and that is astringent, and desirous of the wonders of the creation. Therefore seeing there is a desire, the desire attracts to itself, and that which is attracted in the desire makes the will full, so that the desire is fulfilled;
for the will is as thin [or empty] as a nothing [vacuum], and that which is attracted into the will makes the will thick [or gross and full] and that is its darkness: and the eternal desire stands in the darkness.
25. Now when the will in the desire does attract, that attracting is a sting [ puncture or goad, pricking or spurring to motion] of the stirring; for the will is thin as a nothing, and is quiet and still, as [if it were] nothing: but the will being an eternal desiring, therefore it attracts to itself eternally; and having nothing to attract it attracts itself, and impregnats [or fills]
itself, and so the nothing comes to be a darkness;
and the attracting makes the sting of the first essences [spur to the beginning of the being of a thing], so that there is a stirring and original of mobility.
26. Now the will cannot endure the attracting and impregnation, for it would be free, and yet cannot, because it is desirous; and seeing it cannot be free, it enters with the attracting into itself, and takes [or conceives] in itself another will, which is, to go out from the darkness into itself, and that other conceived will is the eternal mind, and enters into itself as a sudden flash [of lightning] and dissipats the darkness, and goes forth into itself, and dwells in itself, and makes to itself another [or second] Principle of another quality [source or condition], for the sting of the stirring remains in the darkness.
27. Therefore now we should speak of the forms of the sour [or astringent] dark nature. For we understand that the darkness has a longing after the light, which eternally stands before it, but in another Principle.
28. For the two forms, the sour and the bitter stinging, are the original of all things; and the eternal will is the mother [or matrix] wherein they are generated: and we are to know that the sourness [astringency or attraction] always attracts with the conception of the will, and that attracting is the stinging of the stirring, which the sourness [harshness] cannot well endure:
for the attracting sourness desires the sour strong shutting up in death, and the stinging bitterness is the opener, and yet it were a nothing in itself without the will.
29. Now when the sourness attracts so strongly, it cannot endure the stinging, viz. the sourness's own attracting, but stirrs much more; and the sourness may not endure the stirring either, for it desires the still death. And thus it is a Chain and Band, which ever makes itself, and has no [other] maker.
30. Now these entering into one another so swiftly, like a sudden thought, the sting would fain get out from the sourness, but cannot, for the sourness generats and maintains it; and not being able to get the upper hand [or get loose] it turns round like a wheel, and so breaks asunder the attracted sourness, and makes a continual [or stirring up and down] hurlyburly and mixture, in which the breaking [corrupting] or woe, does consist; yet there is no feeling here, but
[they are] only forms of nature: for it is no material [materia], but [it is] the original of the spirit or eternal nature in the eternal will.
31. For the sour desiring attracts and makes penetration, and the bitterness breaks it asunder in the turning wheel, and so there arises multiplicity of essences, and it is as it were a furiousness, or as I may say in a similitude, a confusion of the eternal mobility, a cause of the essences: And this
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