111. An eighth time a piece of paper was drawn, and the angel read from it the following opinion:

"We fellow countrymen in our meeting did not find the actual origin of conjugial love, because it lies inmostly hidden away in the sacred repositories of the mind. The most consummate wisdom cannot with any ray of understanding even touch that love in its origin. We formed a number of theories, but after vainly debating the finer points, we did not know whether we had come up with empty guesses or sound opinions. Anyone, therefore, who would ferret out the origin of conjugial love from the sacred repositories of the mind and bring it before his view, let him go to an oracle!

"As for us, we considered this love on a level below its origin, observing that it is spiritual in the mind and is like the wellspring of a pleasant stream there. From this point it flows down into the breast, where it becomes delightful and is called a love of the heart, which regarded in itself is full of friendship and full of confidence resulting from a total inclination to mutual companionship. Then, when it has passed down through the breast, it becomes a sexual love.

"When a young man in his thoughts reflects on these and similar considerations, which he does when he chooses one of the opposite sex for himself in preference to the rest, they kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love. Since this fire is the first kindling of that love, it is its origin.

"As for the origin of its vigor or potency, we acknowledge no other source than the love itself, for love and ability are inseparable companions. But still they are such that sometimes the one leads and sometimes the other. When love leads and vigor or potency follows it, both are noble, because the potency is then the vigor of conjugial love. But if potency leads and love follows, then both are ignoble, because love is then love belonging to a carnal potency. We judge the quality of each, therefore, depending on the order in which love descends or ascends and thus proceeds from its origin to its goal."

This statement was signed below with the letter D.