It has been established by the points made in the preceding section that engagement serves to prepare the mind or spirit of one for union with the mind or spirit of the other, or what is the same thing, the union of the love of one with that of the other. In addition to these a further point must be borne in mind. The rule is imprinted on truly conjugial love that it spreads both up and down. It climbs from its first warmth progressively upward towards their souls, striving to link them there, and it does so by opening up their minds ever more inwardly. There is no love which works harder at opening up the mind or which is stronger or more powerful in opening up the inner regions of the mind than conjugial love; for the soul of each has this intention. But at the very same moment that this love climbs towards their souls, it also comes down towards the body, and clothes itself with the body.

[2] It needs to be known that the quality of conjugial love as it comes down is determined by the height to which it climbs. If it reaches the heights it comes down as chaste, but if it does not, it comes down as unchaste. The reason is that the lower levels of the mind are unchaste, the higher levels chaste. For the lower levels of the mind are attached to the body, but the higher levels keep separate; but more on this subject may be seen below (305). These few remarks will establish that an engagement serves to prepare the mind of each partner for conjugial love, although this happens in different ways, depending on their affections.