4P Li gç(' TRANSACTIONS

838
G. Et cc sera declare apres.
T. Item, qu'il ne soit pas negligent oil ne
rigoreus.
G. Car se it estoit trop dehonnere et trop niol et it Jui
lessoit faire toutes ses volentCs sans faire soy doubter, cUe
vouldroit avoir seigneurie sus mi et le despriseroit et lui
seroit contraire, selon cc que dit le Sage: Mulier si
priinatuTn habeat, contraria est viio suo. Et se it lui estoit
trop dur et la tenoit trop sou piey, cUe conccvroit en son
courage ire et nialveses pensees. Et pourroit faire esclandre
et grant confusion a tout loste], scion cc quc dit
le Sage: Mulieris ira, et irreverencia, et confusio magna.
Car Si comme it dit, it ne est pas plus grant ire clue de
fenime : Nun est ira super iram mulieris, etc. Et pour ce,
convient it tenir Ic nioten. Et cest moien ne est pas un vers
toutes, mes est diversifié en mout dc nianieres scion les differcncez
des complexions, des inclinations des incurs et des
conditions des feinnies. Car par aventure, aussi comme des
verges une est droicte telentent que l'cn nc la pent ploier
ne courver ne par force iie par la treiliper en eaue; item,
une autre est tortucitse et courve que len ne peut drecier
ite par force ne par la treniper, mes roniproit avant; item,
autres sunt nmiennes cii // (3440 moult (IC manieres, car
les tines pevent estre clrecliies legerenient, les autres a difficultC;
item, les unes par violence et les autres par les
tremper oil par Ics .ii. nianieres. Et apres cc que dies sunt
drecies, les unes se tiennent droictes Ct ics autres non,
flies retournent tantost et sunt tortueuses et boisteuses.
Item, de chescunc de ces conditions et de pluseurs ensemble
les unes verges les participent plus, les autres moms, en
mout de manieres Et si me senihlc quc presque semblablement
en partie est des feinnies, a entendre par la droite la
bonne et par la courve ou tortueuse celle qui est encline a
mal et par violence rigeur et par tremper traicter la
doucenient. Car aucunes et pCU stint si tres bonnes que
ne par rigeur iie par blandissement len tic les potirroit
attrairc a Mal. Et autres sunt Si tres malignes quen nulle
maniere l'en ne les poui-roit faire bonnes. Et les autres
sunt moiennes en mout de nianieres I et differences, scion
la similitude devant misc. Mes Ia nature et condition de
femme cst tres fort a cognoistre et aucune fois se vane
occultenient Tune nianiere en autre: Vagi sunt gressus
illius et investigahiles. Len ne peut cognoistre 1€ procés
de la pensee de feninie. Et pour cc, a bien gouverner sa
fenime et a la faire bonne se it est possible est requise ou
mari tres grande industrie et bonne diligence. Apres it
declare Ic tiers enseignement qui fu devant mis.
T. Car tele paour on creinte qui est sans verconde
et sans reverence est passion et maniere que ]a fole
femnie a a son chalant. 2 Mes artier et creindre equalment
oveques verconde et chaste / (344d) est ce que
doit faire feninie franche a son propre man.
C. Car scion la sentence du Sage, vercunde de sage
femme est gracieuse chose: Noli discedere a niuliere sensata
gratia enim verecundie illius super aururn.
7'. Car (Ic paour on dc creinte stint ii, especes. Une
est oveques verconde on honte on reverence, de laquelle
usent les filz sobres a leur peres et les citoiens honestes
et hien coniposé en nieurs a leur benignes recteurs ou
gouverneurs.
LE LIVRE DE YCONOMIQUE D'ARISTOTE [Tl...iFI. PHIL. SOC.
G. This will he clarified later.
T. He must not he indifferent or irresolute, nor on
the other hand too harsh.
C. For if lie were too easy-going and too lenient and
allowed tier to have her will in all matters without making
himself adequately feared, she would desire to have the
upper hand over him and would despise him and work
against him, in accordance with Solomon's statement: "If
a wife support her husband, it means anger and impudence
and great disgrace" [Eccllcus 25: 30]. And if he were
too harsh and held her in too great subjection, she would
generate anger and evil thoughts in her mind. And she
could create scandal and great confusion in the entire household;
as Solomon says: "The wrath and disrespect of a wife
is a sore confusion [l'cclicus 25: 29J. For as he I Solo-
1110111 says: 'There is no anger greater than a woman's
wrath" I Ecclicus 25: 23]. 'therefore, it is necessary to
hold to the middle course. And this mean or middle course
is not the same for all women, but is varied in niitiiy ways
according to the different temperaments, inclinations, habits,
and conditions of women. The case is comparable to that
of wooden sticks or branches. A certain stick is straight
and cannot be bent or curved bylorce or by soaking in
water; another stick is twisted and curved so that it cannot
be straightened by force or by soaking, but would rather
break ; other sticks are neither straight nor twisted //
(344c) and can be straightened easily or only with difficulty,
some by violent effort, others by soaking or by means of
both together. And after the y have been straightened,
certain ones remain straight and others (10 not; but
presently they revert to their twisted and tortuous original
shape. In almost the smite manner, it seems to me, one
call these examples to women, at least in part, if we
understand by the straight branch the good woman and by
the twisted and tortuous branch the woman inclined to
evil; and by violence we may understand harshness and
by soaking gentle treatment. For some few women are
so extremely good that neither harshness nor blandishment
could bring them to evil deeds. Others are so extremely
wicked that they could be made good in no possible manner.
Still others occupy a middle ground with notable
variations and many differences, in accordance with the
comparison which we have made above. But the nature
and character of a woman are very difficult to know and
sometimes they vary secretly from one state to another:
"Her footsteps wander, she knows not whither" [Prov. 5:
6 1. We cannot know the thinking processes of a woman.
Therefore, great exertion and constant diligence are required
of the husband who would govern his wife well
and make her a good woman, if this be possible. Next he
clarifies the third precept, which was stated earlier.
T. For fear or awe devoid of respect or reverence is
a passion such as the courtesan shows to her casual
lover. But a free woman ought equally to love and to
fear her own husband with modesty and chastity. /
(344d) C. For as Solomon expresses it, the niodestv of
a good woman is a gracious thing: "Do not fail a wise,
good wife for her favor is worth more than gold" FEcclicus
7: 211.
T. There are two kinds of awe or fear. One is
mingled with modesty or shame or reverence, such as
well-behaved children feel towards their parents and
such as upright citizens of sober habits feel for their
benevolent rulers or governors.