Liber II, Pars II — Quo decet reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives solicitari erga filias ut sint modo debito taciturnae. Cap. XXI.
Liber II, Pars II — Quo decet reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives solicitari erga filias ut sint modo debito taciturnae. Cap. XXI.
It has been shown that it is not fitting for girls to be idle or to live without purpose; now we must demonstrate that it is appropriate for them to be reserved in a threefold manner. The first way is that they should appear more adorned and decent, and that they may be more cherished by their husbands. The second is to avoid speaking inappropriately and carelessly. The third is to avoid being prone to quarrels and disputes. The first way is clear, for when there is a desire for something that is absent, as the Philosopher says. It is evident. The more something seems possible to obtain, the more it appears difficult and inaccessible; the more it seems absent, the more desire stirs. Therefore, a woman, by being talkative, in a way presents herself as too familiar and, in a way, makes herself contemptible. Thus, the philosopher first says in the Politics that the adornment of women is silence. For if women are properly silent, they don't present themselves as too familiar, and their company seems more distant, which is why they are not so easily scorned or held in contempt, but rather are more desired and loved. Therefore, it seems beautiful and proper that if women are more silent, they are more loved, and thus they appear more decent and adorned. From their very childhood, girls should be trained to be silent, because if they later happen to be joined in marriage to their husbands, they will be loved more fervently if they are properly silent. The second way to investigate this is to ensure that careless speech is avoided. As mentioned above, there should always be greater caution where greater defects are likely to arise. When someone speaks wisely and cautiously, because prudence and sharpness of understanding are alive, the more someone deviates from reason, the more likely they are to speak carelessly. Since women are more prone to deviate from the use of reason than men, and girls more than adult women, it is especially necessary to be vigilant regarding women, and especially girls, so that they do not speak carelessly. Among other precautions, the most important one to avoid speaking carelessly is that no one should say anything unless they have first examined it carefully. Since careful examination cannot coexist with excessive talkativeness, women should learn from a young age to speak cautiously. A third way to investigate this is to avoid being prone to arguments and disputes. For women, especially young girls, tend to be less rational, so they should be careful not to speak carelessly; they must maintain a proper silence so they can thoughtfully consider every word they say. Therefore, they should examine what they are about to say with due silence, so that they do not say anything that could make them seem foolish or that could disturb their listeners, leading them to be judged as quarrelsome and contentious. Women must especially guard against quarrelsome words, for once they start to argue, they often do not know how to refrain from conflict; for they lack the use of reason, which would help them restrain their desires. Thus, once they are stirred up and begin to argue, their desire for disputes increases, and they cannot easily restrain it through reason, since they often live more by passion than by reason.
Read the original Latin
Ostenso, quod non decet puellas esse vagabundas, nec decet eas vivere otiose: restat ut nunc tertio ostendamus, quod decet eas taciturnas esse quod triplici via venari possumus. Prima sumitur, ut magis appareant ornatae et decentes, et ut a viris suis magis diligantur. Secunda, ne loquantur indebite et incaute. Tertia, ne sint pronae ad iurgia et ad lites. Prima via sic patet nam cum desiderium sit eius quod abest, ut vult Philosophus 2. Retor. quanto aliquid quod est possibile haberi, magis videtur arduum et inaccessibile; tanto magis videtur abesse et magis concupiscentia movet. foemina ergo, eo ipso quod est loquax, quodammodo se nimis familiarem exhibet, et quodammodo se contemptibilem reddit.
unde et Philosophus primo Politicorum ait, quod ornamentum mulierum est silentium. si enim mulieres sint modo debito taciturnae, quia se sic non familiares exhibent, eorum consortium videtur magis abesse, et videntur ipsae magis inaccessibiles: propter quod non sic vilipenduntur et habentur in contemptu, sed magis appetuntur et amantur. quia ergo cuiulibet videtur esse pulchrum, et decens quod amati si mulieres taciturnae magis amantur, ex hoc ipso magis apparent decentes et ornatae. Ab ipsa ergo puerili aetate instituendae sunt puellae ad taciturnitatem: quia si contingat eas postmodum per connubium suis viris copulari, ab eis, si sint debite taciturnae, ferventius diligentur. Secunda via ad investigandum hoc idem, sumitur ut vitetur locutio incauta. dicebatur enim supra, ibi semper maiorem cautelam adhibendam esse ubi consuevit maior defectus consurgere. cum ergo ex hoc quis loquatur prudenter, et caute, quia viget prudentia, et acumine intellectus: quanto quis magis a ratione deficit, tanto magis contingit ipsum incaute loqui. cum ergo mulieres magis deficiant a rationis usu quam viri, et puellae magis quam foeminae iam adultae: circa foeminas, et maxime circa puellas solicitandum est, ne incaute loquantur.
Inter caeteras autem cautelas, ne quis prorumpat in locutionem incautam, haec videtur esse potissima, ut nullum sermonem proferat, nisi prius ipsum diligenter examinet. cum ergo diligens examinatio cum loquacitate stare non possit, ut foeminae etiam a puellari aetate discant cautos proferre sermones, decet eas non esse loquaces: sed oportet ipsas esse debite taciturnitas, ut possint omnem sermonem prolatum diligenter excutere. Tertia via ad investigandum hoc idem, sumitur, ne sint pronae ad iurgia et ad lites. nam cum foeminae, et potissime puellae deficiant a rationis usu, nisi sint modo debito taciturnae, et nisi sermones dicendos diligenter exeminent: sicut propter rationis defectum de facili loqui possunt pertinentia ad simplicitatem, et imprudentiam, sic de facili loqui possunt pertinentes ad lites, et ad iurgia. Decet ergo ipsas per debitam taciturnitatem adeo examinare dicenda, ut nec dicant aliqua, per quae iudicentur imprudentes; nec dicant aliqua, quae possint turbare audientes, propter quod iudicentur litigiosae, et disciolae: quare decet ipsas esse taciturnitas, ne verba litigiosa prorumpant. A verbis autem litigiosis potissime foeminae sibi cavere debent; quia postquam litigare incipiunt nesciunt a litigio se abstinere: deficit enim in eis rationis usus, per quem concupiscentiae refraenantur. Ideo postquam motae sunt, et litigare coeperunt, augetur in eis concupiscentia litium, quam per rationem de facili refraenare non possunt, eo quod ab usu rationis deficientes ut plurimum plus vivunt passione quam ratione.
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