(6) The woman whom one may desire with the thought, ' May she enjoy love with me! ' — after coming together with her, joining mouth with mouth, and stroking her lap, he should mutter: — 'Thou that from every limb art come, That from the heart art generate, Thou art the essence of the limbs! Distract this woman here in me, As if by poisoned arrow pierced!'

(7) This sorceress decks herself out in gorgeous and jewelled apparel and veils her face. Then she goes forth to seduce, men, too many of whom follow her to their own destruction. The Prophet has said that on the Judgment Day the world will appear in the form of a hideous witch with green eyes and projecting teeth. Men, beholding her, will say, "Mercy on us! who is this?" The angels will answer, "this is the world for whose sake you quarrelled and fought and embittered one another's lives." Then she will be cast into hell, whence she will cry out, "O Lord! where are those, my former lovers? God will then command that they be cast after her.

(7) Now thus says Reason; What are then the Words of Moses concerning the Woman? To which I say; Moses has written right, but I (living thus P in the Woman) understand it not right. Moses indeed had a brightened [or glorified Face or] Countenance, but he must hang a Vail before it, so that none could see his Face. But when the Son of the Virgin q, viz. the Virgin [Wisdom] came, he looked him in the Face, and put the Vail away.

(51) And then if thou will follow oit, thou will find in thyself, In Contempt and Disesteem. not only after this Life, but in this Life also in thy Regeneration, that she will very worthily meet thee, and out of what Kind of Spirit this Author has written.

(2) I am led in by her, and I know what she bringeth from Kasu. I tell it not to men; I repeat it not to gods

(4) I do not think her mother loves me more, Since she has laid aside her wimple white, Which she, unhappy, needs must wish again. Through her full easily is comprehended How long in woman lasts the fire of love, If eye or touch do not relight it often. So fair a hatchment will not make for her The Viper marshalling the Milanese A-field, as would have made Gallura's Cock." In this wise spake he, with the stamp impressed Upon his aspect of that righteous zeal Which measurably burneth in the heart. My greedy eyes still wandered up to heaven, Still to that point where slowest are the stars, Even as a wheel the nearest to its axle. And my Conductor: "Son, what dost thou gaze at Up there?" And I to him: "At those three torches With which this hither pole is all on fire." And he to me: "The four resplendent stars Thou sawest this morning are down yonder low, And these have mounted up to where those were." As he was speaking, to himself Sordello Drew him, and said, "Lo there our Adversary!" And pointed with his finger to look thither.

(7) Or dost thou suppose, that we are mad, that we write thus? If we did not see and know it, we should then be silent. Or canst thou not once know the thorny Bath, wherein thou swimmest? Dost thou still say, thou art in the Garden of Roses? If thou thinkest thou art there, see well whether thou art not in the Devil's Pasture, and art his most beloved Hind, which he fattens to the Slaughter for his Food.

(6) Now, the woman whom one may desire with the thought, with her and joining mouth with mouth, he should first inhale, then exhale, and say: c With power, with semen, I reclaim the semen from you! ' Thus she comes to be without seed.

(5) A young man, brave and impetuous as a lion, was for five years in love with a woman. In one of the eyes of this beauty was a small speck, but the man, when gazing on the beauty of his mistress, never saw it. How could a man, so much in love, notice a tiny flaw? However, in time, his love began to dwindle and he regained his power over himself. It was then that he noticed the speck, and asked her

how it had come about. She said: 'It appeared at the time when your love began to cool. When your love for me became defective my eye became so for you.'

O blind of heart! how long will you continue to look for the faults of others? Strive to be aware of those things you hide so carefully. When you see your faults in all their ugliness you will not bother so much about those of others.

(10) "What you wish to ascertain from my mind, You shall not ascertain, not were you to apply Horrid saws from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, Not were you to load me with chains," says a woman acting manfully in the tragedy.

(2) Lo! here may men see what a privy pressing of love may purchase of our Lord, before all other works that man may think. And yet I grant well, that she had full much sorrow, and wept full sore for her sins, and full much she was meeked in remembrance of her wretchedness. And so should we do, that have been wretches and accustomed sinners; all our lifetime make hideous and wonderful sorrow for our sins, and full much be meeked in remembrance of our wretchedness.

(42) And unrighteousness went forth from her chambers: Whom she sought not she found, And dwelt with them, As rain in a desert And dew on a thirsty land.

(5) "A perfect life and merit high in-heaven A lady o'er us," said she, "by whose rule Down in your world they vest and veil themselves, That until death they may both watch and sleep Beside that Spouse who every vow accepts Which charity conformeth to his pleasure. To follow her, in girlhood from the world I fled, and in her habit shut myself, And pledged me to the pathway of her sect. Then men accustomed unto evil more Than unto good, from the sweet cloister tore me; God knows what afterward my life became. This other splendour, which to thee reveals Itself on my right side, and is enkindled With all the illumination of our sphere, What of myself I say applies to her; A nun was she, and likewise from her head Was ta'en the shadow of the sacred wimple. But when she too was to the world returned Against her wishes and against good usage, Of the heart's veil she never was divested.

(131) Now here stands the beauteous bride: what shall I write of her now? was she not a Prince of God, as also the most beautiful, moreover, in God's love also, and as a dear son of the creatures? Of the horrible, proud, and henceforth doleful lamentable Beginning of Sin. The highest Depth. Observe here:

(78) At night she appears like a man for twenty days each time, and by day she appears like the heaven, and there is nothing else in her save her light.

(178) O thou fair world, how does heaven complain of thee? How dost thou trouble the elements? O wickedness and malice! when wilt thou leave, and give over? Awaken! awaken! and bring forth, thou sorrowful woman; behold thy Bridegroom cometh, and requireth fruit at thy hands: Why dost thou sleep? Behold, he knocketh!

(1) Men subdued by women's wiles. In this manner she pleaded with gentle coaxing, How could his firmness and endurance abide When even without tears she could charm his heart? That rain brought forth a flash of lightning Since the man was the slave of her fair face, How was it when she stooped to slavish entreaties? When she whose airs set thy heart a-quaking, When she weeps, how feelest thou then? When she whose coquetry makes thy heart bleed

(41) And as Judah was going along he found her, and thoughther to be an harlot, and he said unto her : " Let me come in unto thee " ; and she said unto him : " Come in," and he went in.

(47) Very terrible art thou, rich art thou in attributes, and great is thy love to those who dwell in the Tuat

(11) Condescends to entreaties, how is it then? She who subdues us with her pride and severity, What plea is left us when she begins to plead? When she who traded in naught but bloodshed Submits at last, ah! what a profit she makes! God has adorned them "fair in the sight of men;" From her whom God has adorned how can man escape? Since He created him "to dwell together with her," How can Adam sever himself from his Eve? Though he be Rustum, son of Zal, and braver than Hamza,