That this is effected on the
part of the wife without the husband's knowledge, and while he is as it
were sleeping, thus by secret means, is evident from what was explained
above, n. 166-168; where also it is clearly shewn, that the prudence
with which women are influenced herein, was implanted in them from
creation, and consequently from their birth, for reasons of necessity,
so that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and thereby the
blessedness of dwelling together and a happy life, may be secured:
wherefore for the right accomplishing of this, the man is enjoined to
_leave his father and mother and to cleave to his wife_, Gen. ii. 24;
Matt. xix. 4, 5. The father and mother, whom the man is to leave, in a
spiritual sense signify his _proprium_ of will and _proprium_ of
understanding; and the _proprium_ of a man's (_homo_) will is to love
himself, and the _proprium_ of his understanding is to love his own
wisdom; and to cleave to his wife signifies to devote himself to the
love of his wife. Those two _propriums_ are deadly evils to man, if they
remain with him, and the love of those two _propriums_ is changed into
conjugial love, so far as a man cleaves to his wife, that is, so far as
he receives her love; see above, n.
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