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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 18

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

18. And since we are seeking the advantage of continency,

‹ Section 17 Section 19 ›

let

us

also

avoid

everything

that

is

pernicious

and

hostile

to

it

.

And

I

will

not

pass

over

those

things

,

which

while

by

negligence

they

come

into

use

,

have

made

for

themselves

a

usurped

licence

,

contrary

to

modest

and

sober

manners

.

Some

are

not

ashamed

to

be

present

at

marriage

parties

,

and

in

that

freedom

of

lascivious

discourse

to

mingle

in

unchaste

conversation

,

to

hear

what

is

not

becoming

,

to

say

what

is

not

lawful

,

to

expose

themselves

,

to

be

present

in

the

midst

of

disgraceful

words

and

drunken

banquets

,

by

which

the

ardour

of

lust

is

kindled

,

and

the

bride

is

animated

to

bear

,

and

the

bridegroom

to

dare

lewdness

.

What

place

is

there

at

weddings

for

her

whose

mind

is

not

towards

marriage

?

Or

what

can

there

be

pleasant

or

joyous

in

those

engagements

for

her

,

where

both

desires

and

wishes

are

different

from

her

own

?

What

is

learnt

there

—

what

is

seen

?

How

greatly

a

virgin

falls

short

of

her

resolution

,

when

she

who

had

come

there

modest

goes

away

immodest

!

Although

she

may

remain

a

virgin

in

body

and

mind

,

yet

in

eyes

,

in

ears

,

in

tongue

,

she

has

diminished

the

virtues

that

she

possessed

.

Notes

37
[The utterly intolerable paganism here exposed, and fully sustained by Martial and other Latin poets, accounts for much of the discipline of the early Church, and its excessive laudations of virginity.]