were asked, “What is the quality of those delights?” They said, “To the senses of others they are like the stinks arising from dunghills, the stenches from dead bodies, and the scents from stale urine.”  And it was asked them, “Are those things delightful to you?” They said, “Most delightful.”  And reply was made, “Then you are like unclean beasts which wallow in such things.”  To which they answered, “If we are, we are:  but such things are the delights of our nostrils.”  And on being asked, “What further account can you give?” they said, “Every one is allowed to be in his delight, even the most unclean, as it is called, provided he does not infest good spirits and angels; but since, from our delight, we cannot do otherwise than infest them, therefore we are cast together into workhouses, where we suffer direfully.  The witholding and keeping back our delights in those houses is what is called hell-torments:  it is also interior pain.”  It was then asked them, “Why have you infested the good?” They replied, that they could not do otherwise:  “It is,” said they, “as if we were seized with rage when we see any angel, and are made sensible of the divine sphere about him.”  It was then said to them, “Herein also you are like wild beasts.”  And presently, when they saw the novitiate spirit with the angel, they were overpowered with rage, which appeared like the fire of hatred; wherefore, in order to prevent their doing mischief, they were sent back to hell.  After these things, appeared the angels who from ends see causes, and by causes effects, who were in the heaven above those three companies.  They were seen in a bright cloud, which rolling itself downwards by spiral flexures, brought with it a circular garland of flowers, and placed it on the head of the novitiate spirit; and instantly a voice said to him from thence, “This wreath is given you because from your childhood you have meditated on heaven and hell.”

* * * * *

ON CONCUBINAGE.

462.  In the preceding chapter, in treating on fornication, we treated also on keeping a mistress; by which was understood the connection of an unmarried man with a woman under stipulated conditions:  but by concubinage we here mean the connection of a married man with a woman in like manner under stipulated conditions.  Those who do not distinguish genera, use the two terms promiscuously, as if they had one meaning, and thence one signification:  but as they are two genera, and the term keeping a mistress is suitable to the former, because a kept mistress is a courtezan, and the term concubinage to the latter, because a concubine is a substituted partner of the bed, therefore for the sake of distinction, ante-nuptial stipulation with a woman is signified by keeping a mistress, and post-nuptial by concubinage.  Concubinage is here treated of for the sake of order; for from order it is discovered what is the quality of marriage on the one part, and of adultery on the other.