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On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VI.—Of Precious Stones and Pearls.

But, in the next place, what am I to

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 5 Book 1 · Chapter 7 ›

interpret

those

jewels

to

be

which

vie

with

gold

in

haughtiness

,

except

little

pebbles

and

stones

and

paltry

particles

of

the

self

-

same

earth

;

but

yet

not

necessary

either

for

laying

down

foundations

,

or

rearing

party

-

walls

,

or

supporting

pediments

,

or

giving

density

to

roofs

?

The

only

edifice

which

they

know

how

to

rear

is

this

silly

pride

of

women

:

because

they

require

slow

rubbing

that

they

may

shine

,

and

artful

underlaying

that

they

may

show

to

advantage

,

and

careful

piercing

that

they

may

hang

;

and

(

because

they

)

render

to

gold

a

mutual

assistance

in

meretricious

allurement

.

But

whatever

it

is

that

ambition

fishes

up

from

the

British

or

the

Indian

sea

,

it

is

a

kind

of

conch

not

more

pleasing

in

savour

than

—

I

do

not

say

the

oyster

and

the

sea

-

snail

,

but

—

even

the

giant

muscle

.

For

let

me

add

that

I

know

conchs

(

which

are

)

sweet

fruits

of

the

sea

.

But

if

that

(

foreign

)

conch

suffers

from

some

internal

pustule

,

that

ought

to

be

regarded

rather

as

its

defect

than

as

its

glory

;

and

although

it

be

called

“

pearl

,

”

still

something

else

must

be

understood

than

some

hard

,

round

excrescence

of

the

fish

.

Some

say

,

too

,

that

gems

are

culled

from

the

foreheads

of

dragons

,

just

as

in

the

brains

of

fishes

there

is

a

certain

stony

substance

.

This

also

was

wanting

to

the

Christian

woman

,

that

she

may

add

a

grace

to

herself

from

the

serpent

!

Is

it

thus

that

she

will

set

her

heel

on

the

devil’s

head

,

”

while

she

heaps

ornaments

(

taken

)

from

his

head

on

her

own

neck

,

or

on

her

very

head

?

Notes

1
Peloris. Comp. Hor., S., ii. 4, 32, and Macleane’s note there.
2
See Gen. iii. 15.