199. XIV. THAT THUS A VIRGIN IS FORMED INTO A WIFE, AND A YOUNG MAN INTO A HUSBAND. This follows as a consequence from what has previously been said in the present and the preceding chapter on the conjunction of married partners into one flesh. That a virgin becomes or is made a wife is because, in a wife are things taken from the husband and thus acquired, which were not in her before as a virgin. That a young man becomes or is made a husband is because, in a husband are things taken from the wife which were not in him before as a young man, and in him these exalt his capability of receiving love and wisdom. This, however, is the case with those who are in love truly conjugial. That these are among those who feel themselves to be a united man and as one flesh, can be seen in the preceding chapter (no. 178). It is clear from this, that with women the virginal is changed into the wifely, and with men, the youthful into the marital. [2] That such is the case, of this I had confirmation from the following experience in the spiritual world: Certain men said that conjunction with a female before marriage is the same as conjunction with a wife after marriage. On hearing this, the wives were exceedingly indignant and said, "There is no similarity whatsoever; the difference between them is like the difference between the fatuous and the real," to which the men retorted, "Are you not females as before?" At this the wives replied in a louder voice, "We are not females but wives. You are in fatuous love, not in real; therefore you talk foolishly." The men then said, "If not females, you are yet married women." They replied, "In the first days of marriage we were married women, but now we are wives."