ght forth two children, and Bilhah
conceived of Jacob and brought forth two children, and Zilpah
conceived of Jacob and brought forth two children; right so the
affection conceiveth through the grace of God, and bringeth forth
seven virtues; and also the sensuality conceiveth through the grace
of God, and bringeth forth two virtues; and also the reason
conceiveth through the grace of God, and bringeth forth two virtues;
and also the imagination conceiveth through the grace of God, and
bringeth forth two virtues, or two beholdings. And the names of
their children and of their virtues shall be known by this figure
that followeth:

Husband: Jacob temporally, God spiritually. Wives to Jacob: Leah,
that is to say, Affection; Rachel, that is to say, Reason. Maid to
Leah is Zilpah, that is to understand, Sensuality; and Bilhah maiden
to Rachel, that is to understand, Imagination.

The sons of Jacob and Leah are these seven that followeth: Reuben
signifieth dread of pain; Simeon, sorrow of sins; Levi, hope of
forgiveness; Judah, love of righteousness; Issachar, joy in inward
sweetness; Zebulun, hatred of sin; Dinah, ordained shame.

The sons of Jacob and Zilpah, servant of Leah, are these: Gad,
abstinence; Asher, patience.

The sons of Jacob and of Rachel are these: Joseph, discretion;
Benjamin, contemplation.

The sons of Jacob and Bilhah, servant to Rachel, are these: Dan,
sight of pain to come; and Naphtali, sight of joy to come.

In this figure it is shewed apertly of Jacob and of his wives, and
their maidens, and all their children. Here it is to shew on what
manner they were gotten, and in what order:--

First, it is to say of the children of Leah; for why, it is read
that she first conceived. The children of Leah are nought else to
understand but ordained affections or feelings in a man's soul; for
why, if they were unordained, then were they not the sons of Jacob.
Also the seven children of Leah are seven virtues, for virtue is
nought else but an ordained and a measured feeling in a man's soul.
For then is man's feeling in soul ordained when it is of that thing
that it should be; then it is measured when it is so much as it
should be. These feelings in a man's soul may be now ordained and
measured, and now unordained and unmeasured; but when they are
ordained and measured, then are they accounted among the sons of
Jacob.[31]

CAPITULUM I

HOW THE VIRTUE OF DREAD RISETH IN THE AFFECTION

THE first