determine these forces, all of which, as
shown above, are of three degrees. And since all things of the mind are
in these, so also are things of the will, that is, all the affections
of man's love, which make the first degree; all things of the
understanding, that is, all thoughts from his perception, which makes
the second degree; and all things of the memory, that is, all ideas of
the thought nearest to speech, taken from the memory, which compose the
third degree. Out of these things determined into act, deeds come forth,
in which, seen in external form, prior things are not visible although
they are actually therein. That the outmost is the complex, containant,
and base of things prior may be seen above (n. 209-216); and that degrees
of height are in fullness in their outmost (n. 217-221).

278. The acts of the body when viewed by the eye, appear thus simple and
uniform, as seeds, fruits, and eggs do, in external form, or as nuts and
almonds in their shells, yet they contain in themselves all the prior
things from which they exist, because every outmost is sheathed about and
is thereby rendered distinct from things prior. So is each degree
enveloped by a covering, and thereby separated from other degrees;
consequently things of the first degree are not perceived by the second,
nor those of the second by the third. For example: The love of the will,
which is the first degree of the mind, is not perceived in the wisdom of
the understanding, which is the second degree of the mind, except by a
certain enjoyment in thinking of the matter. Again, the first degree,
which is, as just said, the love of the will, is not perceived in the
knowledge of the memory, which is the third degree, except by a certain
pleasure in knowing and speaking. From all this it follows that every
deed, or bodily act, includes all these things, although externally it
appears simple, and as if it were a single thing.

279. This is corroborated by the following: The angels who are with man
perceive separately the things that are from the mind in the act, the
spiritual angels perceiving those things therein that are from the
understanding, and the celestial angels those things therein that are
from the will. This appears incredible, but it is true. It should be
known, however, that the things of the mind pertaining to any subject
that is under consideration, or before the mind, are in the middle, and
the rest are round about these according to their