uth, another when in love and
charity, another when in zeal or in anger, another when in simulation
and deceit, another when in quest of honor and glory, and so on. But
the ruling affection or love is in all of these; and for this reason
the wiser angels, because they perceive that love, know from the
speech the whole state of another. [4] This it has been granted me to
know from much experience. I have heard angels disclosing the
character of another's life merely from hearing him speak. They also
said that from any ideas of another's thought they could know all
things of his life, because from those ideas they know his ruling
love, in which are all things in their order. They know also that
man's book of life is nothing else.

237. Angelic language has nothing in common with human languages
except certain words that are the sounds of a specific affection; yet
this is true not of the words themselves but of their sounds; on
which subject something will be said in what follows That angelic
language has nothing in common with human languages is evident from
the fact that angels are unable to utter a single word of human
language. This was tried but they could not do it, because they can
utter nothing except what is in entire agreement with their
affections; whatever is not in agreement is repugnant to their very
life, for life belongs to affection, and their speech is from their
life. I have been told that the first language of men on our earth
coincided with angelic language because they had it from heaven; and
that the Hebrew language coincides with it in some respects.

238. As the speech of angels corresponds to their affection, and
their affection belongs to their love, and as the love of heaven is
love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor (see above, n. 13-19),
it is evident how choice and delightful their talk must be, affecting
not the ears only but also the interiors of the mind of those who
listen to it. There was a certain hard-hearted spirit with whom an
angel spoke. At length he was so affected by what was said that he
shed tears, saying that he had never wept before, but he could not
refrain, for it was love speaking.

239. The speech of angels is likewise full of wisdom because it
proceeds from their interior thoughts, and their interior thought is
wisdom, as their interior affection is love, and in their speech
their love and wisdom unite. For this reason their speech is so full
of wisdom t