Liber II, Pars I — Quomodo decet reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives propriis coniugibus sua aperire consilia. Cap. XXIV.
Liber II, Pars I — Quomodo decet reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives propriis coniugibus sua aperire consilia. Cap. XXIV.
We can investigate this in three ways: that women generally cannot keep secrets. The first way is based on the defect of reason. The second is based on the softness of the heart. The third is based on the desire for praise. It has been said previously that women crave praise and glory too much. Therefore, it is common for women to reveal the secrets of men to other women whom they believe to be friends. Women believe that by knowing the secrets of men, they gain a certain status and are admired by others. The second way to investigate this is based on the softness of the heart. For women, as a rule, are soft and impressionable; immediately when someone praises them and smiles in their presence, they believe that person to be a friend and reveal to them all the secrets of their hearts. The third way to demonstrate this is derived from the desire for praise. It was said previously that women excessively crave praise and glory. Therefore, it follows that generally and for the most part, women reveal the secrets of men to other women whom they believe to be friends. They believe that by knowing the secrets of men, they are in a certain position of excellence and are praised by them; if they can show that they are valued by their husbands, they seek a kind of empty glory and praise, and easily reveal the secrets of men. For they seem to be loved by their husbands; if they know their secrets; when they gather together, if they can be praised for being loved by their husbands, they seek a kind of empty glory and praise, and easily reveal the secrets of men. From this, it is clear how men should reveal secrets to their wives. For when we say that these are the morals of youth, these of women, and these of old men. It's not wise to impose such a necessity, but only to a certain extent and according to a particular inclination. However, both women and men can, through the use of reason (if they wish), be steadfast and overcome such impulses and inclinations. For it is difficult to overcome the urges of desire, and this is even more difficult for women than for men, because they tend to fall short in the use of reason. Yet it is not impossible: both men and women can overcome such impulses. Although women are generally seen as prone to revealing secrets, it is not inappropriate for some women to keep their secrets. Therefore, men should not reveal their secrets to their wives unless they have experienced over a long time that they are discreet, wise, and stable, and not prone to revealing secrets. Having seen these things, since it has been shown how the union of husband and wife is natural, and how they relate to other households: since it has also been declared how kings and princes, and universally all citizens should relate to their spouses, and how they should interact with them, let this be the conclusion of the first part of this second book, which deals with marital governance. However, it might seem to some that the knowledge of marital governance has not been sufficiently conveyed, since it has not been shown what actions spouses should undertake: for if it is indecent for them to be idle, as was stated above, the actions that spouses ought to perform must be described. But since it will be discussed below, we want to pass over it in silence here. This concludes the first part of the second book on the governance of princes. In it, it was established how kings and princes should govern their spouses.
Read the original Latin
Triplici via investigare possumus, quod mulieres comuniter, et ut plurimum secreta retinere non possunt. Prima via sumitur ex defectu rationis. Secunda ex mollicie cordis. Tertia ex appetitu laudis. Prima via sic patet: quia (ut in praecedentibus dicebatur) eo ipso quod aliquid est prohibitum, augetur concupiscentia nostra, ut operemur illud, quare cum ponere aliquid in praecepto, sit prohibere, ne dicatur illud ex ipsa prohibitione incitatur concupiscentia magis ad dicendum secreta, qua alia nisi ergo a ratione huiusmodi concupiscentia refraentur, non congrue possunt retinere secreta. Mulieres igitur eo quod ab usu rationis deficiunt, nec possunt sic refraenare concupiscentias, sunt magis propalativae secretorum, quam sint viri. Nam si prohibitio auger concepiscentiam: tanto sunt proniores mulieres ad faciendum prohibita quam masculi, quanto ab usu rationis deficientes, minus possunt refraenare incitamenta concupiscentiarum quam viri. Secunda via ad investigandum hoc idem, sumitur ex molicie cordis.
Nam quia mulieres ut plurimum sunt molles et ductibiles, statim cum aliqua persona eis applaudet, et ridet in facie earum, credunt ipsam esse amicam, et revelant ei omnia secreta cordis. Tertia via ad hoc probandum, sumitur ex appetitu laudis. Dicebatur enim in praecedentibus, quod mulieres nimis appetunt laudem et gloriam. Inde est igitur quod communiter et ut plurimum mulieres aliis mulieribus, quas credunt amicas esse, revelant secreta virorum. Credunt enim ex hoc esse in quadam excellentia, et laudari apud eas; si sciant referre virorum secreta. Nam quia videntur a suis viris diligi; si sciant secreta ipsorum; cum conglorientur, si possint se laudari quod a suis maritis diligantur, appetentes quandam inanem gloriam, et quandam laudem, de facili revelant secreta virorum. Ex hoc autem de facili apparet, qualiter viri suis coniugibus debeant revelare secreta. Nam cum dicimus hos esse mores iuvenum, hos mulierum, hos senum.
non est intelligentum talia necessitatem imponere, sed solummodo ut in pluribus, et secundum quandam pronitatem, et inclinationem. Possunt tamen tam feominae quam viri per rationis usum (si velit) esse constantes, et vincere huiusmodi impetus et inclinationes. Nam licet sit difficile superare incitamenta concupiscentiarum, et sit hoc magis difficile in foeminis quam in viris, eo quod magis deficiant a rationis usu. non tamen est impossibile: possunt enim tam viri quam mulieres huiusmodi impetus vincere. quare licet communiter mulieres sint propalativae secretorum, non est tamen inconveniens aliquas mulieres esse debita secreta tenentes. Viri igitur non debent suis coniugibus secreta aperire, nisi per diuturna tempora sint experti, eas esse discretas, prudentes, et stabiles, et non esse secretorum propalativas. His visis, cum ostensum sit, quomodo communitas viri et uxoris sit naturalis, et quomodo se habeant ad alias communitates domus: cum etiam declaratum sit, quomodo reges ed principes, et universaliter omnes cives se habere debeant ad suas coniuges, et quomodo cum eis debeant conversari, imponatur finis primae parti huius secundi Libri, in qua agitur de regimine coniugali. Videretur tamen forte alicui non sufficienter esse traditam notitiam regiminis nuptialis, eo quod non ostendum sit, ad quae opera sint coniuges ordinandae: si enim indecens est eas esse ociosas, ut superius dicebatur, describenda sunt opera, quae decet ipsas coniuges exercere.
Sed quia de eis infra dicetur, volumus ea hic silentio praeterire. Prima partis secundi libri de regimine principum finis. in qua traditum fuit, quo regimine reges ed principes debeant suas coniuges regere.
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