The Duchess most humbly thanked her Imperial Majesty for her kind wishes; but, said she, wishes will not repair his ruins: however, God has given my noble lord and husband great patience, by which he bears all his losses and misfortunes. As last they entered into the Duke’s house, an habitation not so magnificent as useful; and when the Empress saw it, has the Duke, said she, no other house but this? Yes, answered the Duchess, some five miles from this place he has a very fine castle called Bolsover. That place, then, said the Empress, I desire to see. Alas, replied the Duchess, it is but a naked house, and unclothed of all furniture. However, said the Empress, I may see the manner of its structure and building. That you may, replied the Duchess; and as they were thus discoursing, the Duke came out of the house into the court, to see his horses of manage; whom when the Duchess’s soul perceived, she was so overjoyed, that her aerial vehicle became so splendorous, as if it had been enlightened by the sun; by which we may perceive, that the passions of souls or spirits can alter their bodily vehicles.

Then these two ladies’ spirits went close to him, but he could not perceive them; and after the Empress had observed that art of manage, she was much pleased with it, and commended it as a noble pastime, and an exercise fit and proper for noble and heroic persons. But when the Duke was gone into the house again, those two souls followed him; where the Empress observing, that he went to the exercise of the sword, and was such an excellent and unparalleled master thereof, she was as much pleased with that exercise, as she was with the former: But the Duchess’s soul being troubled, that her dear lord and husband used such a violent exercise before meat, for fear of overheating himself, without any consideration of the Empress’s soul, left her aerial vehicle, and entered into her lord. The Empress’s soul perceiving this, did the like: And then the Duke had three souls in one body; and had there been but some such souls more, the Duke would have been like the grand-seignior in his seraglio, only it would have been a platonic seraglio.

But the Duke’s soul being wise, honest, witty, complaisant and noble, afforded such delight and pleasure to the Empress’s soul by his conversation, that these two souls became enamoured of each other; which the Duchess’s soul perceiving, grew jealous at first, but then considering that no adultery could be committed amongst platonic lovers, and that Platonism was divine, as being derived from divine Plato, cast forth of her mind that idea of jealousy. Then the conversation of these three souls was so pleasant, that it cannot be expressed; for the Duke’s soul entertained the Empress’s soul with scenes, songs, music, witty discourses, pleasant recreations, and all kinds of harmless sports, so that the time passed away faster than they expected. At last a spirit came and told the Empress, that although neither the Emperor nor any of his subjects knew that her soul was absent; yet the Emperor’s soul was so sad and melancholy for want of his own beloved soul, that all the imperial court took notice of it.