n no other
origin of conjugial love than this: that every man, from incentives and
consequent incitements which are concealed in the interiors of his mind
and body, after indulging in various desires of his eyes, at length
fixes his mind and inclination on one of the female sex, until his
passion is determined entirely to her: from this moment his warmth is
enkindled more and more, until at length it becomes a flame; in this
state the inordinate love of the sex is banished, and conjugial love
takes its place. A youthful bridegroom under the influence of this
flame, knows no other than that the virtue or potency of this love will
never cease; for he wants experience and therefore knowledge respecting
a state of the failure of his powers, and of the coldness of love which
then succeeds to delights: conjugial love therefore has its origin in
this first ardor before the nuptial ceremony, and from the same source
it derives its virtue or potency; but this virtue or potency changes its
aspect after the nuptial ceremony, and decreases and increases; yet
still it continues with regular changes, or with decrease and increase,
even to old age, by means of prudent moderation, and by restraining the
libidinous desires which burst forth from the lurking places of the mind
not yet thoroughly purified: for libidinous desire precedes wisdom. This
is our judgement concerning the origin and continuance of conjugial
virtue or potency." To this decision was subscribed the letter P.

109. SIXTHLY, he drew out a paper, from which he read as follows: "We,
natives of the same country, from the fellowship subsisting among us,
have attentively considered the causes of the origin of conjugial love,
and have agreed in assigning two; one of which is the right education of
children, and the other the distinct possession of inheritances. We have
assigned these two, because they aim at and regard the same end, which
is the public good: and this end is obtained, because infants conceived
and born from conjugial love become proper and true children; and these
in consequence of the natural love of the parents, exalted by the
consideration of their offspring being legitimate, are educated to be
heirs of all their parents' possessions both spiritual and natural. That
the public good is founded on a right education of children and on a
distinct possession of inheritances, is obvious to reason. Of the love
of the sex and conjugial love, the latter appears as