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Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 10

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

10. The memory of noble descent could not enervate

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

them

,

although

to

some

this

is

a

suggestive

licence

to

lasciviousness

;

nor

the

comeliness

of

their

bodies

,

and

the

beauty

of

their

well

-

ordered

limbs

,

although

for

the

most

part

this

affords

a

hint

,

that

being

,

as

it

were

,

the

short

-

lived

flower

of

an

age

that

rapidly

passes

away

,

it

should

be

fed

with

the

offered

opportunity

of

pleasure

;

nor

the

first

years

of

a

green

but

mature

age

,

although

the

blood

,

still

inexperienced

,

grows

hot

,

and

stimulates

the

natural

fires

,

and

the

blind

flames

that

stir

in

the

marrow

,

to

seek

a

remedy

,

even

if

they

should

break

forth

at

the

risk

of

modesty

;

nor

any

opportunity

afforded

by

secrecy

,

or

by

freedom

from

witnesses

,

which

to

some

seems

to

ensure

safety

,

although

this

is

the

greatest

temptation

to

the

commission

of

crime

,

that

there

is

no

punishment

for

meditating

it

.

Neither

was

a

necessity

laid

upon

them

by

the

authority

of

those

who

bade

them

yield

,

and

in

the

boldness

of

association

and

companionship

,

by

which

kind

of

temptations

also

righteous

determinations

are

often

overcome

.

Neither

did

the

very

rewards

nor

the

kindliness

,

nor

did

the

accusations

,

nor

threats

,

nor

punishments

,

nor

death

,

move

them

;

nothing

was

counted

so

cruel

,

so

hard

,

so

distressing

,

as

to

have

fallen

from

the

lofty

stand

of

chastity

.

They

were

worthy

of

such

a

reward

of

the

Divine

Judge

,

that

one

of

them

should

be

glorified

on

a

throne

almost

regal

;

that

the

other

,

endowed

with

her

husband’s

sympathy

,

should

be

rescued

by

the

death

of

her

enemies

.

These

,

and

such

as

these

,

are

the

examples

ever

to

be

placed

before

our

eyes

,

the

like

of

them

to

be

meditated

on

day

and

night

.