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VOL. 47, PT. S,1957] ORESME'S VERSION AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 835
et sunt permanens pour leur paternes et parens. Car
anciennenient it faisoient tres solennciies exeques et sacrelices
pour leur parens, Si COmflle it appert par Ics hystoires.
Et met Virgule ou quint de Eneyde commc Eneas celebra
solennelment l'annuel de son pere: Anrius exactis cornpietur
mensibus orbis ex quo reiiqui;ts divinique ossa
parentis condidimus terra, et cetera. EL apres est comme
it promist a faire de cc remembrance chescun an: Jamque
dies nisi fallor adest quem scrnper acerbum, semper honoratuni
sic dii voluistis haheho. Et a ceste exposition
s'acorde une autre lecture, qui en lieu de orationes palernorum
met orationes puerorum. Et ccci est grande reproce
a nous qui avons vraie creance Se nous tie prions pour nos
predecesseurs: Sancta ergo et salubris est cogitacio pro
defunctis exorare. Et donques chescun doit moult curer
de avoir bonne lignie qui de cc face son devoir. Et par
consequent, que sa femme soit bonne. Mes scion une
autre exposition, par ces moz oraciones paternorum sunt
a entendre les oroysons que les parens charneiz et les
prestres qui sunt parens esperituelz faisoient pour le
homme et pour la femnie quant it assembioient par manage,
afin qu'ii eussent bonne lignie, aussi comme maintenant
l'en ics benoist et / (343b) mesmement lit femme et fait
l'en oroysons. Et CC qui sensuit s'acorde a une exposition
et a l'autre.
T. Et nionqucs ceuiz qui ces choscs contempnent ou
qui les out en despit et n'en tiennent compte, ii semble
qu'ii ne curent des diex.
G. Ne de oroisons divines. Et comme autrefois est dit,
Aristote tie niettoit quun seul dieu; mas it pane selon Ic
comniun peuple, qui niettoient pluseurs diex. Apres it
met la sixtu raison.
T. Item, et pour Ins (hex (levant lesquclz le man
sacriha et occist sacrifices et cspousa sa femme et se
bailia a cite a honeur moult plus qtie a autre apres ses
parens.
G. Car en ccl temps len solenmizoit le nianiage es
temples devant les ydoles et Ic mari offroit et sacrifloit
et tuoit aucune beste et juroit et proniettoit quil feroit et
garderoit honcur a sa femme. Et encor niaintenaflt, en
cest pals, dit Ic homme a la femme quant it l'espousc: Et
de cest aneau te honncure, 1 etc. Et senible que teies choses
qui ont esté reputees bonnes et tenues teles ou semblables
en toutes lays et en tous temps sojent aussi comme lays
natureles. Or avons donques que Ic man doit honeur a
sa femme et nut tie est a honorer se it tie est hon. Et
donques doit it faire a son povoir que sa femme soit bonne.
4. Ou quart chapitre ii moustre par queues lays et
coinme le inari doit faire que sa Jemnie soit bonne.
T. A sobre femme tres grant honeur est se elle voit
que son mari Iui garde chaste.
G. Car it est tenu a cc comme dit est et iui fait en cc
tres grant honeur.
ciren as long as they live and these are continuous for their
ancestors and parents. Formerly in ancient times, the
children performed solenin funeral rites and sacrifices for
their parents, as is recorded in the histories. And Vergil
relates in Aencid V 46-7 1, how Aeneas celebrated solemnly
the annual date of his father's death: 'An annual circle of
twelve full months has been completed since we laid in the
earth the ashes and bones of my fattier, etc." And there
follows the promise lie made to rellieliut)Cn this occasion
each year: "And now, if I mistake not, the day draws nigh
that I shall forever (so, 0 gods, you have willed it) deem
both sacred and sad' [Aeneid V, 49-501. And a different
reading, in which we find prayers of the children instead
of prayers of the ancestors, supports this interpretation.
And we deserve to be reproached if, although we possess
the true faith, we do not pray for our predecessors: "It is
a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead" [II Mace.
12: 46]. Therefore, everyone must try to have good
progeny who will perform these rites dutifully. And it
follows that one's wife must be a good woman. But according
to another interpretation, the words prayers of the
ancestors refer to the prayers offered by time parents and
the priests for the husband and wife when they are united
in marriage, in order that they may have good offspring;
just as at present husband and wife are blessed, / (343b)
especially the wife, and prayers are offered. And the
following passage admits of either one of these interpretations.
T. And thus those who treat these things lightly,
disdainfully, or pay no attention to them would seem to
treat the gods slightingly.
G. And divine prayer likewise. And as we have said
before, Aristotle held that there is only one god, but lie
speaks here the language of the common people, who
assumed there were several gods. Next he presents the
sixth argument.
T. Therefore, for the sake of the gods in whose
presence the husband has offered sacrifice and has married
his wife and has promised to honor her above all
others save only his parents [a man must care for his
wife and children. (Sentence incomplete in Latin
original.)].
C. For at that time marriage was solemnized in temples
in the presence of idols and the husband gave an offering
and sacrificed an animal lie had killed and then lie swore
and promised to keep and protect the honor of his wife.
And in this country even today, the man says to the woman
when he marries her: "And I honor you with this ring,
etc." And it would seem that acts of this nature which
have been considered good and held to be fitting and proper
in all times and under all customs are like natural laws.
Thus we assume that the husband should honor his wife
and no one deserves honor if he is not good. Therefore,
the husband must do everything possible so that his wife
may be good.
4. In the fourth chapter he shows how and by what
rules the husband should act so that his wife may be
good.
T. A modest wife is greatly honored if she sees that
her husband is faithful to her.
C. For he is obligated to act thus as indicated above
and in so doing lie pays her great honor.