sincerity prevailed, and no one
cherished or wanted to cherish a thought which he was not willing
should shine forth out of his face. In this way, also, the affections
of the mind (_animus_), and the thoughts from them, could be exhibited
to the life and in fulness; thus also they even appeared to the eye
as very many things together in a form. This speech was therefore as
superior to the speech of words as sight is to hearing, that is, as
the sight of a landscape surpasses hearing about it and forming an
idea of it from the verbal description. They added, that such speech
was in agreement with the speech of the angels, with whom men in those
times also had communication; also, that when the face speaks, that
is, the mind through the face, angelic speech is with the man in its
ultimate natural form, which is not the case when the mouth speaks by
words. Every one can also comprehend that verbal speech could not have
been used by the Most Ancient people, since the words of a language
are not imparted immediately, but have to be invented and applied to
objects; which it requires a course of time to effect[z]. So long as
sincerity and rectitude prevailed among men, such speech continued;
but as soon as the mind began to think one thing and speak another,
which was the case when man began to love himself and not the
neighbour, verbal speech began to increase, the face being either
silent or deceitful. Hence the internal form of the face was changed,
became contracted, and hardened, and began to become almost devoid
of life; while the external form, inflamed by the fire of the love of
self, appeared before the eyes of men as if alive; for this absence of
life, which is underneath, does not appear before the eyes of men,
but it appears before the eyes of the angels, since the angels see
interior things. Such are the faces of those who think one thing and
speak another; for simulation, hypocrisy, cunning, and deceit, which
constitute modern prudence, produce such effects. But the case is
different in the other life: there, no one is allowed to speak one way
and think another. There, also, the variance is clearly perceived in
each single expression, and when it is perceived, the spirit in whom
there is such variance is expelled from society, and punished. He is
afterwards by various methods brought to speak as he thinks, and to
think as he wills, until his mind is one, and not divided. If he is
good, he is brought to will good,