213. (iii) In the case of those who enjoy truly conjugial love the joy of living together increases, but in the case of those who do not, it decreases.
The reason why the joy of living together increases in the case of those who enjoy truly conjugial love is that they love each other with every sense. The wife sees nothing she loves more than her husband, and the husband nothing more than his wife. Nor, in fact, do they hear, smell or touch anything they love more. This is why they have such joy in sharing together their home, their bedroom and their bed. You husbands can confirm the truth of this from the delights experienced in the first days of marriage; the delights are then at their fullest, because then none of the whole female sex but the wife is loved. It is well known that the reverse happens in the case of those who have no conjugial love.