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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 14

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

14. For God neither made the sheep scarlet or purple,

‹ Section 13 Section 15 ›

nor

taught

the

juices

of

herbs

and

shell

-

fish

to

dye

and

colour

wool

,

nor

arranged

necklaces

with

stones

set

in

gold

,

and

with

pearls

distributed

in

a

woven

series

or

numerous

cluster

,

wherewith

you

would

hide

the

neck

which

He

made

;

that

what

God

formed

in

man

may

be

covered

,

and

that

may

be

seen

upon

it

which

the

devil

has

invented

in

addition

.

Has

God

willed

that

wounds

should

be

made

in

the

ears

,

wherewith

infancy

,

as

yet

innocent

,

and

unconscious

of

worldly

evil

,

may

be

put

to

pain

,

that

subsequently

from

the

scars

and

holes

of

the

ears

precious

beads

may

hang

,

heavy

,

if

not

by

their

weight

,

still

by

the

amount

of

their

cost

?

All

which

things

sinning

and

apostate

angels

put

forth

by

their

arts

,

when

,

lowered

to

the

contagious

of

earth

,

they

forsook

their

heavenly

vigour

.

They

taught

them

also

to

paint

the

eyes

with

blackness

drawn

round

them

in

a

circle

,

and

to

stain

the

cheeks

with

a

deceitful

red

,

and

to

change

the

hair

with

false

colours

,

and

to

drive

out

all

truth

,

both

of

face

and

head

,

by

the

assault

of

their

own

corruption

.