Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 106

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106. Then for the THIRD time the angel drew a paper out of the urn. From this he read as follows: "We compatriots in our stall have reflected on the causes of the origin of conjugial love, and have seen that the chief cause is the same as with the origin of marriage; for before marriage, that love did not exist, and it exists then because when one seeks or desperately loves a virgin, he desires with heart and soul to have her as a possession to be loved above all else; and as soon as she pledges herself, he regards her as self regards self. That this is the origin of conjugial love is very clear from the fury of every man against rivals, and from his zeal against violators. We then considered the origin of the virtue or potency of that love, and three against two have decided that with a married partner its virtue or potency is from some license with the sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of love of the sex surpasses the potency of conjugial love." This was subscribed with the letter I. Hearing this, the men at the tables cried out, "Remove this paper and draw another from the urn."


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