One morning before sunrise I looked towards the east in the spiritual world, and saw four horsemen as it were flying out of a cloud shining with the flaming light of dawn. On the horsemen's heads were to be seen helmets with raised brims, on their arms what looked like wings, and about their bodies tunics of orange colour. Then, dressed as racers, they rose in their stirrups, stretching the reins above the manes of the horses, which galloped as if they had wings on their feet. I followed with my eyes their course, or rather flight, with the idea of discovering where they were going; and I saw three of the horsemen spread out towards three points of the compass, south, west and north, while the fourth after a short distance stopped in the east.

[2] Wondering at this I looked up to heaven and asked where the horsemen were going. I got this reply: 'They are to be sent to the wise men in the various kingdoms of Europe, who in making judgments are skilled in reasoning and sharp-witted, and who have achieved distinction in their own countries for their intellectual abilities. They are summoned to come and resolve the problem of the source of conjugial love, and its strength or potency.'

I was told from heaven, 'Wait a little and you will see twenty-seven chariots; three containing Spaniards, three Frenchmen, three Italians, three Germans, three Dutchmen, three Englishmen, three Swedes, three Danes and three Poles.' Two hours later the chariots came into view pulled by dun-coloured ponies with elaborate harness. They sped towards a commodious building to be seen on the border between the east and the south. All the travellers in the chariots dismounted around this, and entered it in high spirits.

[3] Then I was told, 'You too may go and enter, so that you can listen.' So I went and passed inside. When I surveyed the interior of the building, I observed that it was square, each side looking out towards a compass-point. On each side there were three lofty windows filled with clear glass, the frames being of olive-wood. On either side of the window-frames there were projections from the walls forming as it were rooms with vaulted ceilings, and containing tables. The walls of these rooms were of cedar-wood, the ceilings of fine citron-wood, the floors of planks of poplar. On the east wall, where no windows were to be seen, was placed a table overlaid with gold, on which lay a headdress studded with precious stones, to be given as a reward or prize to the one who solved the problem that was to be set.

[4] As I let my gaze rove around the vaulted projections, which were like rooms next to the windows, I saw in each five men from each of the kingdoms of Europe, waiting ready to deal with the subject submitted to their judgment. Then all at once an angel took his place in the middle of the hall and said, 'The subject for you to judge will be the source of conjugial love, and of its strength or potency. Discuss this and come to a conclusion, When you have decided on your opinion, write it on a piece of paper and put this in the silver urn which you see placed next to the golden table. Sign the paper with the initial letter of your kingdom, F for France, B for Holland, I for Italy, A for England, P for Poland, G for Germany, H for Spain, D for Denmark and S for Sweden.'* After saying this the angel left, promising to return.

Then the five representatives in each chamber by a window discussed this decree, investigated it, and reached a decision to the best of their powers of judgment. This they wrote on papers signed with the initial letter of their kingdom, and placed them in the silver container. After three hours the angel came back and, taking the papers in sequence from the urn, read them to the assembled company. * These letters represent the initials of the Latin form of the name of the countries.