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necessities. For not only do these excuses keep them at home, but even if she happens to have sore feet or both the mules or one of them, the same thing happens. And when they happen to be taken out to pasture—and this happens every year and for many days—, it is necessary for her to stay at home again as if she were bound and not even go out of the house when an urgent need calls. But if someone should say that she is freed from the multitude of people she meets, not being forced to be seen by each of her acquaintances and to blush, he seems to me to be very ignorant both of what frees and what surrounds the female nature with shame. For neither being seen nor being hidden does this, but the one is done by a rashness that does not restrain the soul within, and the other by self-control and modesty. For these reasons many of those freed from that prison, even walking through the middle of the crowd in the marketplace, not only did not attract accusers but also had many admirers of their self-control, emitting a brilliant ray of their inward propriety through their posture, through their gait, and through the simplicity of their garments; while not a few of those who sit indoors have surrounded themselves with a wicked reputation. For it is possible even for one shut in to show herself to those who wish more than those who are seen, with much rashness and boldness.

67 That to have many maidservants is vexing. But perhaps the multitude of maidservants is pleasant. Now nothing is worse than this pleasure; it has as many cares as there is a multitude; for it is necessary to be troubled and despondent over each one who is sick and who dies. But perhaps these things are bearable, and things even more difficult than these, such as to exert oneself every day correcting laziness, cutting out mischief, stopping ingratitude, training away all their other wickedness. But the most difficult thing of all, which is especially accustomed to happen in a multitude of such servants, is when in that flock of maidservants one happens to be beautiful. For this must certainly happen in a multitude; for the rich are eager not only to acquire many, but equally to acquire beautiful ones. When, therefore, one happens to shine among them, whether she captures the master with her charm or is strong enough for nothing further than to be admired, the pains are equal for the mistress who is outshone, if not by desire, then by the beauty of her body and by admiration. When, therefore, the things that seem to be brilliant and enviable among them have so many afflictions, what could one say about the sorrowful things?

68 Concerning the tranquility that belongs to virginity. But the virgin endures none of these things, but her chamber is freed from disturbance and every cry has been driven away, and just as in a calm harbor, silence possesses all that is within, and another tranquility, greater than the silence, possesses the soul, since it handles nothing human, but is always conversing with God and looking more intently toward him. Who, then, could measure this pleasure? What word could set forth the gladness of a soul so disposed? There is none. But they alone who delight in the Lord know the magnitude of this delight, and how it surpasses all comparison by a great margin. But the great amount of silver seen everywhere provides much delight to the eyes. And how much better to look upon heaven and to reap from there a much greater pleasure. For as much as gold is more than tin and lead, so much is heaven more splendid and radiant than gold and silver and all matter. And this contemplation is without care, but that one is with much anxiety, which especially everywhere spoils desires. But you do not wish to see heaven? You can see the silver lying in the marketplace. "I say this to your shame," according to the blessed Paul, since you are so smitten with the love of money. But I have nothing to say. Much

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ἀνάγκας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ αὗται μόναι αἱ προφάσεις αὐτὰς οἴκοι κατέχουσιν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀλγῆσαι τοὺς πόδας τύχῃ ἄν τε ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ἡμιόνους ἄν τε θατέραν, τὸ αὐτὸ γίνεται. Καὶ ὅταν μὲν εἰς πόαν ἀπενεχθῆναι συμβῇ-συμβαίνει δὲ τοῦτο καθ' ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις-, ἀνάγκη πάλιν οἴκοι μένειν ὥσπερ δεδεμένην καὶ μηδὲ χρείας καλούσης ἀναγκαίας ἐξιέναι τῆς οἰκίας. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις ὅτι τοῦ πλήθους ἀπήλλακται τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων οὐκ ἀναγκαζομένη καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν γνωρίμων ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾶν, σφόδρα ἀγνοεῖν μοι δοκεῖ καὶ τὰ ἀπαλλάττοντα καὶ τὰ περιβάλλοντα τὴν γυναικείαν φύσιν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ φαίνεσθαι οὔτε τὸ κρύπτεσθαι τοῦτο ποιεῖ ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἡ μὴ κατέχουσα τὴν ψυχὴν ἔνδον προπέτεια, τὸ δὲ ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ ἡ αἰδώς. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν ἀπηλλαγμένων τῆς εἰρκτῆς ἐκείνης πολλαὶ καὶ διὰ μέσου τοῦ πλήθους ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς βαδίζουσαι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπεσπάσαντο κατηγόρους ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς ἔσχον τῆς σωφροσύνης τοὺς θαυμαστὰς καὶ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος καὶ διὰ τοῦ βαδίσματος καὶ διὰ τοῦ τῶν ἱματίων ἀνεπιτηδεύτου τῆς ἔνδον κοσμιότητος ἀφιεῖσαι τὴν ἀκτῖνα λαμπράν· οὐκ ὀλίγαι δὲ τῶν ἔνδον καθημένων πονηρᾷ δόξῃ περιέβαλον ἑαυτάς. Ἔνεστι γὰρ καὶ συγκεκλεισμένην μᾶλλον τῶν φαινομένων τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐπιδείκνυσθαι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προπετείας καὶ τῆς ἰταμότητος.

67 Ὅτι τὸ πολλὰς ἔχειν θεραπαινίδας ἀνιαρόν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως τὸ τῶν θεραπαινίδων πλῆθος ἡδύ. Ταύτης μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν χεῖρον τῆς ἡδονῆς· τοσαύτας ἔχει τὰς φροντίδας, ὅσαι τὸ πλῆθός ἐστιν· ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ καὶ ἀρρωστούσῃ καὶ τελευτώσῃ ταράττεσθαι καὶ ἀθυμεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἴσως φορητὰ καὶ τὰ τούτων ἔτι χαλεπώτερα, οἷον τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην διατείνεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν ῥαθυμίαν ἐπιστρέφουσαν, κακουργίαν ἐκκόπτουσαν, ἀχαριστίας παύουσαν, τὴν ἄλλην πᾶσαν αὐτῶν κακίαν παιδαγωγοῦσαν. Τὸ δὲ πάντων χαλεπώτερον, ὅπερ μάλιστα ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῆς τοιαύτης θεραπείας συμβαίνειν εἴωθεν, ὅταν ἐν τῇ τῶν θεραπαινίδων ἐκείνων ἀγέλῃ εὐπρεπής τις οὖσα τύχῃ. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τοῦτο πάντως ἐν τῷ πλήθει συμπεσεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὥστε πολλὰς κτήσασθαι μόνον, ἀλλ' ὥστε καὶ εὐειδεῖς ἐξ ἴσης οἱ πλουτοῦντες σπουδάζουσιν. Ὅταν οὖν συμβῇ τινα διαλάμπειν ἐν αὐταῖς, ἄν τε ἕλῃ τὸν δεσπότην τῷ φίλτρῳ ἄν τε μηδὲν περαιτέρω τοῦ θαυμασθῆναι ἰσχύσῃ, τὰ τῆς ὀδύνης ἴσα γίνεται τῇ δεσποίνῃ παρευδοκιμουμένῃ εἰ καὶ μὴ τῷ πόθῳ ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ὥρᾳ καὶ τῷ θαύματι. Ὅταν οὖν τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι παρ' αὐτοῖς λαμπρὰ καὶ ζηλωτὰ τοσαύτας ἔχῃ τὰς θλίψεις, τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν;

68 Περὶ τῆς ἀταραξίας τῆς τῇ παρθενίᾳ προσούσης. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ παρθένος ὑπομένει τούτων οὐδέν, ἀλλ' ἀπήλλακται ταραχῆς τὸ δωμάτιον καὶ κραυγὴ πᾶσα ἐκποδὼν ἀπελήλαται, ὥσπερ δὲ ἐν εὐδίῳ λιμένι σιγὴ πάντα κατέχει τὰ ἔνδον καὶ τῆς σιγῆς πλείων ἑτέρα ἀταραξία τὴν ψυχήν, ἅτε ἀνθρώπινον μὲν οὐδὲν μεταχειρίζουσαν, διὰ παντὸς δὲ τῷ Θεῷ διαλεγομένην καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀτενέστερον ὁρῶσαν. Τίς ἂν οὖν ταύτην ἀναμετρήσειε τὴν ἡδονήν; Ποῖος λόγος τὴν εὐφροσύνην τῆς οὕτω διακειμένης παραστήσειε ψυχῆς; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδείς. Ἀλλ' οἱ τοῦ κυρίου κατατρυφῶντες αὐτοὶ μόνοι τὸ μέγεθος ἴσασι ταύτης τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ πῶς ἅπασαν σύγκρισιν ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος νικᾷ. Ἀλλ' ὁ πολὺς ἄργυρος ὁρώμενος πανταχοῦ πολλὴν παρέχει τὴν τέρψιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Καὶ πόσῳ βέλτιον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐνορᾶν καὶ πολλῷ μείζονα ἐκεῖθεν καρποῦσθαι τὴν ἡδονήν. Ὅσον γὰρ ὁ χρυσὸς κασσιτέρου καὶ μολύβδου τοσοῦτον ὁ οὐρανὸς χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ πάσης ὕλης λαμπρότερός τέ ἐστι καὶ φαιδρότερος. Καὶ αὕτη μὲν χωρὶς φροντίδος ἡ θεωρία, ἐκείνη δὲ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς μερίμνης, ὃ μάλιστα πανταχοῦ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις λυμαίνεται. Ἀλλ' οὐ βούλει τὸν οὐρανὸν ἰδεῖν; Ἔξεστί σοι τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κείμενον ἄργυρον ἰδεῖν. «Πρὸς ἐντροπὴν ὑμῖν λέγω» κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ἐπειδὴ οὕτως ἐπτόησθε πρὸς τὸν τῶν χρημάτων ἔρωτα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχω τί εἴπω. Πολλὴ