where kings observe the festive sabbaths barefoot, and an ancient clemency is indulgent to aged pigs.
§6.161Nullane de tantis gregibus tibi digna videtur?
Does no woman out of such great herds seem worthy to you?
§6.162sit formosa decens dives fecunda, vetustos §6.163porticibus disponat avos, intactior omni §6.164crinibus effusis bellum dirimente Sabina, §6.165rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cycno: §6.166quis feret uxorem cui constant omnia? malo,
Though she be beautiful, graceful, rich, and fruitful, though she arrange her ancient ancestors in her porticoes, and be more untouched than any Sabine woman who stopped the war with disheveled hair, a rare bird on earth, and very like a black swan: who could endure a wife who has everything?
§6.167malo Venusinam quam te, Cornelia, mater §6.168Gracchorum, si cum magnis virtutibus adfers §6.169grande supercilium et numeras in dote triumphos,
I prefer, I prefer a Venusian woman to you, Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, if along with your great virtues you bring a haughty brow and count triumphs in your dowry.
§6.170tolle tuum, precor, Hannibalem victumque Syphacem §6.171in castris et cum tota Carthagine migra.
Take away, I pray, your Hannibal and Syphax defeated in his camp, and depart with the whole of Carthage.
§6.172‘Parce, precor, Paean, et tu, dea, pone sagittas; §6.173nil pueri faciunt, ipsam configite matrem,’ §6.174Amphion clamat; sed Paean contrahit arcum, §6.175extulit ergo greges natorum ipsumque parentem, §6.176dum sibi nobilior Latonae gente videtur §6.177atque eadem scrofa Niobe fecundior alba.
'Spare us, I pray, Paean, and you, goddess, lay down your arrows; the boys did nothing, pierce the mother herself,' Amphion cries; but Paean draws his bow, and so he carried out the herds of children and the parent himself, while Niobe seemed to herself more noble than the race of Latona and more fruitful than the famous white sow.
§6.178quae tanti gravitas, quae forma, ut se tibi semper
What dignity, what beauty is of such worth that she should always claim credit to you?
§6.179imputet? huius enim rari summique voluptas §6.180nulla boni, quotiens animo corrupta superbo §6.181plus aloes quam mellis habet, quis deditus autem
For there is no pleasure from this rare and supreme good, as often as, corrupted by a proud spirit, she has more aloe than honey.
§6.182usque adeo est, ut non illam quam laudibus effert §6.183horreat inque diem septenis oderit horis?
But who is so devoted that he does not shudder at and, for seven hours in a day, hate the woman whom he extols with praises?
§6.184Quaedam parva quidem, sed non toleranda maritis,
Some things are small indeed, but not to be tolerated by husbands.
§6.185nam quid rancidius, quam quod se non putat ulla §6.186formosam nisi quae de Tusca Graecula facta est, §6.187de Sulmonensi mera Cecropis? omnia Graece,
For what is more offensive than that no woman thinks herself beautiful unless she has been turned from a Tuscan into a Greekling, from a Sulmonese into a pure Athenian?
§6.188cum sit turpe magis nostris nescire Latine; §6.189hoc sermone pavent, hoc iram gaudia curas, §6.190hoc cuncta effundunt animi secreta: quid ultra?
Everything is in Greek, although it is more shameful for our women not to know Latin; in this tongue they express their fear, in this their anger, joy, and cares, in this they pour out all the secrets of their soul. What is more?
§6.191concumbunt Graece, dones tamen ista puellis
they make love in Greek.
§6.192tune etiam, quam sextus et octogensimus annus §6.193pulsat, adhuc Graece? non est hic sermo pudicus
Yet you might grant these things to girls: but do you too, whom your eighty-sixth year is knocking at, still speak Greek?
§6.194in vetula: quotiens lascivum intervenit illud §6.195ζωὴ καὶ ψυχή, modo sub lodice relictis §6.196uteris in turba, quod enim non excitet inguen §6.197vox blanda et nequam? digitos habet, ut tamen omnes §6.198subsidant pinnae, dicas haec mollius Haemo §6.199quamquam et Carpophoro, facies tua conputat annos.
This tongue is not decent in an old woman: as often as that wanton phrase "my life and soul" intervenes, you use in public words which you just left under the blanket; for what groin does not a coaxing and naughty voice excite? It has fingers, yet though all wings subside, though you say these things more softly than Haemus or even Carpophorus, your face computes your years.
§6.200Si tibi legitimis pactam iunctamque tabellis §6.201non es amaturus, ducendi nulla videtur §6.202causa, nec est quare cenam et mustacea perdas §6.203labente officio crudis donanda, nec illud §6.204quod prima pro nocte datur, cum lance beata §6.205Dacicus et scripto radiat Germanicus auro.
If you are not going to love her who is betrothed and joined to you by lawful marriage-tablets, there seems to be no reason for marrying, nor is there any reason why you should waste the dinner and the wedding-cakes to be given to guests with indigestion when their duty is ending, nor that which is given for the first night, when on the rich dish Dacicus and Germanicus gleam in the inscribed gold.
§6.206si tibi simplicitas uxoria, deditus uni §6.207est animus, summitte caput cervice parata §6.208ferre iugum, nullam invenies quae parcat amanti:
If you have a simple devotion to a wife, and your mind is dedicated to her alone, bow your head, with your neck prepared to bear the yoke; you will find no woman who spares a lover.
§6.209ardeat ipsa licet, tormentis gaudet amantis §6.210et spoliis; igitur longe minus utilis illi §6.211uxor, quisquis erit bonus optandusque maritus.
Though she herself may burn, she rejoices in the torments of her lover and in his spoils; therefore, a wife is far less advantageous to him, whoever shall be a good and desirable husband.
§6.212nil umquam invita donabis coniuge, vendes §6.213hac opstante nihil, nihil, haec si nolet, emetur.
You will never give anything against your wife's will, you will sell nothing if she objects, nothing will be bought if she is unwilling.
She will dictate your affections; let that friend be excluded, now older, whose beard your door once saw.
§6.216testandi cum sit lenonibus atque lanistis §6.217libertas et iuris idem contingat harenae, §6.218non unus tibi rivalis dictabitur heres.
Since freedom of making a will is granted to pimps and trainers, and the same right belongs to the arena, more than one rival will be dictated to you as your heir.
§6.219Pone crucem servo. ‘meruit quo crimine servus
"Put the cross on the slave." "By what crime did the slave deserve punishment?
§6.220supplicium? quis testis adest? quis detulit? audi;
What witness is there? Who informed?
§6.221nulla umquam de morte hominis cunctatio longa est. ’ §6.222‘o demens, ita servus homo est? nil fecerit, esto:
Listen; no delay is ever too long concerning the death of a human being." "O madman, so a slave is a human being?
Granted he did nothing, let it be so: this is my wish, so I command, let my will stand for reason." Thus she rules her husband.
set mox haec regna relinquit §6.225permutatque domos et flammea conterit, inde §6.226avolat et spreti repetit vestigia lecti; §6.227ornatas paulo ante fores, pendentia linquit §6.228vela domus et adhuc virides in limine ramos.
But soon she leaves these kingdoms and changes homes and wears out her bridal veils; thence she flies away and seeks again the traces of her despised bed; she leaves the doors decorated just a short while before, the hanging veils of the house and the branches still green upon the threshold.