4P Li gç(' TRANSACTIONS

VOL. 47, PT. 5, 19571 ORESME'S VERSION AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 837
fllz qui sunt des fernmes qui forlignent et sunt malveses
et iniques ne soient faites semblables 2 as filz frans et qui
sunt legitimes. Car coniniunelment les filz sunt semblables
au pare et les uns as autres. lit les femmes sunt malveses
qui s'abandonncnt a ceulz qui ne sunt leur mans. lit ainsi
avons le premier inconvenient doubiement translate et
exposé.
T. Et donques de ces choses est deue au mari reverence,
cc est a dire, cure oveques diligence.
T. lit afin que la femme ne soit privee de son
honeur.
G. Ce seroit le secont inconvenient,
T. Et afin tine de cc ne soit ajoinst ou ne vienne
reproce as filz legitinies.
G. Cc est tres grande villenie a un liomme quant len
peut dire qua sa mere ne fu pas chaste. Et homme doit
estre plus vertucus qua femme. lit pour cc, par aventure,
selon verité at salon raison, encor est cc plus grant re- //
(344a) proce quant Yen iui peut dire que son pere ne tint
a sa mere ne by ne loiaité et qu'il fu un nibaut.
5. Ou quint chapitre ii met autres enscigne-utens pour
faire Ia femme bonne.
T. Ce est chose decente, avenante at appartenante
quc le honime approce de sa femme bien composee.
G. Quant a bonnes incurs et quant au fait de generation.
Car ou chapitre precedent Aristote a monstré comme Ic
mari ne doit touchier autre femme que la sienna. lit en
cast chapitre it met premierement comma it doit approcer
de Ia sienne.
T. Oveques moult I grande honesté at modcstie ou
attrempance at ovcqucs verconde nu honte, en lui
donnant paroles de conjunction cliarnele tales comme it
appartiennent a cevre generative qui est de bonne
manicre et licite et honeste.
G. Car Se it approçoit de die trop hardiment et sans
vcrconde et oveques paroles deshonnestes at en maniere
dissolue, it la feroit trop hardie et la feroit encline a incontinence
et a appeter 2 autre homnie. Et ne est pas
maniere de gens chastes, mes de hommes incontinens at
vers bias feiiiimies. Apres it met on autre enseigiletlient.
T. Item, it doit vers cue user de moult grant modestie
on attrempance et de moult de foy en lui remettant et
pardonnant les pechies petis et voluntaires.
G. Si comma aucunes negligences, deffautes ou simpIeces
qua ella fait pour la fragillité du sexe. Car se 11
vouloit tout pugnir asprement, it feroit mal et / (344b)
pechey et avroit trop a faire.
T. Item, se die peche aucune chose par ignorance....
G. Cc est a entendre de cc qua elle dat savoir, car
autrenient ella ne pecheroit pas.
T. It la doit arnonester telement qu'il ne iui face pas
avoir paour at creinte qui soit sans verconde et sans
reverence oveques amour.
some other texts which read siniiies, the translation would
be: Or in order that the children of the women who are
promiscuous and wiked and evil may not become the
equals of the children who are truly legitimate. Because
children are generally much like their father and like one
another. And those women are wicked who give themselves
to men who are not their husbands. Thus we have
translated and doubly explained the first inconvenience.
T. And so that the wife may not be robbed of her
honor..
C. This would he the second inconvenience.
T. And in order that no shame should attach or
cling to the legitimate children.
C. It is a great shame for a man when people cars say
that his mother was not chaste. And a man must be more
virtuous than woman. Perhaps, therefore, it is true and
reasonable to consider it to be a greater reproach even //
(344a) when people can say to a man that his father did
not keep faith or honor with his mother and that his father
was a debauched person.
T. Therefore, a man imist give reverent attention to
these matters, that is to say, diligent care.
5. In the fifth chapter he gives at/icr precepts to make
the wife a good woman.
T. It is a decent, proper and fitting procedure that
the husband should approach his wife when she is calm
and composed.
C. With regard to good morals and to the matter of
sexual relations. Because in the preceding chapter Aristotle
has shown that the husband should touch no other
woman than his own wife, in this chapter he first states
how he should approach his own.
T. With great courtesy and modesty or self-restraint
and also with awe and humility, speaking to her such
words concerning carnal union as are fitting and suitable
to the lawful anti honorable performance of the sexual
act.
C. For should he approach her too roughly and shamelessly
and use indecent language and behave in a dissolute
manner, he would make her too brazen and incline her to
incontinence and to lust after another man. And this is not
the way chaste persons act but rather the manner of incontinent
men toward wanton women. Next lie sets down
another precept.
T. He should treat her with great modesty and selfrestraint
and trust, forgiving and pardoning her trivial
and spontaneous mistakes.
C. Such as certain negligences or artless faults she
commits through the common frailty of her sex. For if
lie were to punish her sharply, he would do wrong and
/ (344b) commit a sin and he would have far too much
to do.
T. If she has done wrong through ignorance....
C. This refers to something which she ought to know,
for otherwise she would not be committing a sin.
T. He should admonish her in such a Way that he
does not inspire in her fright of a sort that might be
shameless and devoid of loving respect for him.