estigation
discover the secret about to be proposed. While my attention was
directed to the chamber projections like closets near the windows, I saw
five men in each from every kingdom of Europe, who were prepared and
waiting to know the object for the exercise of their judgements. An
angel then presented himself in the middle of the palace, and said, "The
object for the exercise of your judgements shall be RESPECTING THE
ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE, AND RESPECTING ITS VIRTUE OR POTENCY.
Investigate this and decide upon it; and write your decision on a piece
of paper, and put it into the silver urn which you see placed near the
golden table, and subscribe the initial letter of the kingdom from which
you come; as F for French, B for Batavians or Hollanders, I for
Italians, E for English, P for Poles, G for German, H for Spaniards
(_Hispani_), D for Danes, S for Swedes." As he said this, the angel
departed, saying, "I will return." Then the five men, natives of the
same country, in each closet near the windows, took into consideration
the proposed subject, examined it attentively, and came to a decision
according to their respective talents and powers of judgement, which
they wrote on a piece of paper, and placed it in the silver urn, having
first subscribed the initial letter of their kingdom. This business
being accomplished in about three hours, the angel returned and drew the
papers in order from the urn, and read them before the assembly.

104. From the FIRST PAPER which he happened to lay hold of, he read as
follows; "We five, natives of the same country, in one closet have
decreed that the origin of conjugial love is from the most ancient
people in the golden age, and that it was derived to them from the
creation of Adam and his wife; hence is the origin of marriages, and
with marriages the origin of conjugial love. The virtue or potency of
conjugial love we derive from no other source than climate or situation
in regard to the sun, and the consequent heat of the country; and we are
confirmed in this sentiment, not by vain conjectures of reason, but by
evident proofs of experience, as by the case of the people who live
under the line, or the equinoctial, where the heat of the day is
intense, and by the case of those who live nearer to the line, or more
distant from it; and also from the co-operation of the sun's heat with
the vital heat in the living creatures of the earth and the fowls of
heaven, in the time of sprin