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On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 5

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter V.—Gold and Silver Not Superior in Origin or in Utility to Other Metals.

Gold and silver, the principal material causes of worldly splendour

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 4 Book 1 · Chapter 6 ›

,

must

necessarily

be

identical

(

in

nature

)

with

that

out

of

which

they

have

their

being

:

(

they

must

be

)

earth

,

that

is

;

(

which

earth

itself

is

)

plainly

more

glorious

(

than

they

)

,

inasmuch

as

it

is

only

after

it

has

been

tearfully

wrought

by

penal

labour

in

the

deadly

laboratories

of

accursed

mines

,

and

there

left

its

name

of

“

earth

”

in

the

fire

behind

it

,

that

,

as

a

fugitive

from

the

mine

,

it

passes

from

torments

to

ornaments

,

from

punishments

to

embellishments

,

from

ignominies

to

honours

.

But

iron

,

and

brass

,

and

other

the

vilest

material

substances

,

enjoy

a

parity

of

condition

(

with

silver

and

gold

)

,

both

as

to

earthly

origin

and

metallurgic

operation

;

in

order

that

,

in

the

estimation

of

nature

,

the

substance

of

gold

and

of

silver

may

be

judged

not

a

whit

more

noble

(

than

theirs

)

.

But

if

it

is

from

the

quality

of

utility

that

gold

and

silver

derive

their

glory

,

why

,

iron

and

brass

excel

them

;

whose

usefulness

is

so

disposed

(

by

the

Creator

)

,

that

they

not

only

discharge

functions

of

their

own

more

numerous

and

more

necessary

to

human

affairs

,

but

do

also

none

the

less

serve

the

turn

of

gold

and

silver

,

by

dint

of

their

own

powers

,

in

the

service

of

juster

causes

.

For

not

only

are

rings

made

of

iron

,

but

the

memory

of

antiquity

still

preserves

(

the

fame

of

)

certain

vessels

for

eating

and

drinking

made

out

of

brass

.

Let

the

insane

plenteousness

of

gold

and

silver

look

to

it

,

if

it

serves

to

make

utensils

even

for

foul

purposes

.

At

all

events

,

neither

is

the

field

tilled

by

means

of

gold

,

nor

the

ship

fastened

together

by

the

strength

of

silver

.

No

mattock

plunges

a

golden

edge

into

the

ground

;

no

nail

drives

a

silver

point

into

planks

.

I

leave

unnoticed

the

fact

that

the

needs

of

our

whole

life

are

dependent

upon

iron

and

brass

;

whereas

those

rich

materials

themselves

,

requiring

both

to

be

dug

up

out

of

mines

,

and

needing

a

forging

process

in

every

use

(

to

which

they

are

put

)

,

are

helpless

without

the

laborious

vigour

of

iron

and

brass

.

Already

,

therefore

,

we

must

judge

whence

it

is

that

so

high

dignity

accrues

to

gold

and

silver

,

since

they

get

precedence

over

material

substances

which

are

not

only

cousin

-

german

to

them

in

point

of

origin

,

but

more

powerful

in

point

of

usefulness

.

Notes

1
Sæcularis.
2
De suo. Comp. de Bapt., c. xvii. sub fin.