4754. [4775] CONCERNING INFERNAL DUST, AND CONCERNING THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO CONJUGIAL LOVE. Under the same place where he was, of whom I have spoken just before, namely, before the right foot in the infernal earth - under that place, are infernal caves, where those are who plot against conjugial love, and such things as pertain to that love, and are the vilest of all, since conjugial love is the holiest of all things. He, there, by sorcery, stirred up with his foot, the dust, there, in various way's; and, then, he opened something in front, so that those who were there might inflow into such things, to which he also contributed by thought, for thought is communicated [concerning which see below]; and, as he stirred up the dust there, and plunged therein the great toes or the soles of the foot, so did he open those infernal caves: and, thus, there inflowed from thence, vile things against conjugial love. Inasmuch as he did this from the lust of revenge, and also from deceit, also assisting with the thought in various ways, he was punished in this manner: his feet were accursed and appeared black from burning, as it were a crisp black; and he also drew through the nostrils some of the infernal dust. From this place he was let down lower in a certain cavern, from whence, also, he began to plot. He was told that he would attract the curse as far as to the knees; and, that if he did not refrain, it would rise higher, even to the houghs, and beyond. Hence it might be evident what accursed dust is, and what means the accursed dust which was given a wife charged by her husband with adultery,* that [namely] it was representative of such a thing; and that they who deceitfully and with revenge plot against conjugial love, incur such consequences. * The allusion is to the dust used in mixing the "water of jealousy" (NUMBERS 5).