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On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IV.—Concerning the Plea of “Pleasing the Husband.”

As if I were speaking to Gentiles, addressing you with

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 3 Book 2 · Chapter 5 ›

a

Gentile

precept

,

and

(

one

which

is

)

common

to

all

,

(

I

would

say

,

)

“

You

are

bound

to

please

your

husbands

only

.

”

But

you

will

please

them

in

proportion

as

you

take

no

care

to

please

others

.

Be

ye

without

carefulness

,

blessed

(

sisters

)

:

no

wife

is

“

ugly

”

to

her

own

husband

.

She

“

pleased

”

him

enough

when

she

was

selected

(

by

him

as

his

wife

)

;

whether

commended

by

form

or

by

character

.

Let

none

of

you

think

that

,

if

she

abstain

from

the

care

of

her

person

,

she

will

incur

the

hatred

and

aversion

of

husbands

.

Every

husband

is

the

exactor

of

chastity

;

but

beauty

,

a

believing

(

husband

)

does

not

require

,

because

we

are

not

captivated

by

the

same

graces

which

the

Gentiles

think

(

to

be

)

graces

:

an

unbelieving

one

,

on

the

other

hand

,

even

regards

with

suspicion

,

just

from

that

infamous

opinion

of

us

which

the

Gentiles

have

.

For

whom

,

then

,

is

it

that

you

cherish

your

beauty

?

If

for

a

believer

,

he

does

not

exact

it

:

if

for

an

unbeliever

,

he

does

not

believe

in

it

unless

it

be

artless

.

Why

are

you

eager

to

please

either

one

who

is

suspicious

,

or

else

one

who

desires

it

not

?

Notes

1
Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 34.
2
Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 32.
3
Compositione sui.
4
Bonis.
5
Bona.
6
Simplicem.