confirmed the conclusions of the men; but they added, "Let them only
love their beauty and its ornaments for the sake of their husbands, and
from them."

331. Those three wives being indignant that the three conclusions of the
men were confirmed by the wives from heaven, said to the men, "You have
inquired whether a woman that loves herself from her beauty, loves her
husband; we in our turn will therefore inquire whether a man who loves
himself from his intelligence, can love his wife. Be present and hear."
This was their FIRST CONCLUSION; No wife loves her husband on account of
his face, but on account of his intelligence in his business and
manners: know therefore, that a wife unites herself with a man's
intelligence and thereby with the man: therefore if a man loves himself
on account of his intelligence, he withdraws it from the wife into
himself, whence comes disunion and not union: moreover to love his own
intelligence is to be wise from himself, and this is to be insane;
therefore it is to love his own insanity. Hereupon the men observed,
"Possibly the wife unites herself with the man's strength or ability."
At this the wives smiled, saying, "There is no deficiency of ability
while the man loves the wife from intelligence; but there is if he loves
her from insanity. Intelligence consists in loving the wife only: and in
this love there is no deficiency of ability; but insanity consists in
not loving the wife but the sex, and in this love there is a deficiency
of ability. You comprehend this." The SECOND CONCLUSION was; We women
are born into the love of the men's intelligence; therefore if the men
love their own intelligence, it cannot be united with its genuine love,
which belongs to the wife; and if the man's intelligence is not united
with its genuine love, which belongs to the wife, it becomes insanity
grounded in haughtiness, and conjugial love becomes cold. What woman in
such case can unite her love to what is cold; and what man can unite the
insanity of his haughtiness to the love of intelligence? But the men
said, "Whence has a man honor from his wife but by her magnifying his
intelligence?" The wives replied, "From love, because love honors; and
honor cannot be separated from love, but love maybe from honor."
Afterwards they came to this THIRD CONCLUSION; You seemed as if you
loved your wives; and you do not see that you are loved by them, and
thus that you re-love; and that your intelligence is a recepta