summit of a hill in the southern quarter. There we found a
magnificent gate, which the keeper, on seeing the angels with me,
opened; and lo! we saw an avenue of palm-trees and laurels, according to
which we directed our course. It was a winding avenue, and terminated in
a garden, in the middle of which was the TEMPLE OF WISDOM. On arriving
there, and looking about me, I saw several small sacred buildings,
resembling the temple, inhabited by the WISE. We went towards one of
them, and coming to the door accosted the person who dwelt there, and
told him the occasion and manner of our coming. He said, "You are
welcome; enter and be seated, and we will improve our acquaintance by
discourses respecting wisdom." I viewed the building within, and
observed that it was divided into two, and still was but one; it was
divided into two by a transparent wall; but it appeared as one from its
translucence, which was like that of the purest crystal. I inquired the
reason of this? He said, "I am not alone; my wife is with me, and we are
two; yet still we are not two, but one flesh." But I replied, "I know
that you are a wise one; and what has a wise one or a wisdom to do with
a woman?" Hereupon our host, becoming somewhat indignant, changed
countenance, and beckoned his hand, and lo! instantly other wise ones
presented themselves from the neighboring buildings, to whom he said
humorously, "Our stranger here asks, 'What has a wise one or a wisdom to
do with a woman?'" At this they smiled and said, "What is a wise one or
a wisdom without a woman, or without love, a wife being the love of a
wise man's wisdom?" Our host then said, "Let us now endeavor to improve
our acquaintance by some discourse respecting wisdom; and let it be
concerning causes, and at present concerning the cause of beauty in the
female sex." Then they spoke in order; and the first assigned as a
cause, that women were created by the Lord's affections of the wisdom of
men, and the affection of wisdom is essential beauty. A second said,
that the woman was created by the Lord through the wisdom of the man,
because from the man; and that hence she is a form of wisdom inspired
with love-affection; and since love-affection is essential life, a
female is the life of wisdom, whereas a male is wisdom; and the life of
wisdom is essential beauty. A third said, that women have a perception
of the delights of conjugial love; and as their whole body is an organ
of that perception, it mu