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On the Apparel of Women

Chapter VII.--Rarity the Only Cause Which Makes Such Things Valuable.

It is only from their rarity and outlandishness that all these things possess their grace; in short, within their own native limits they are not held of so high worth. Abundance is always contumelious toward itself. There are some barbarians with whom, because gold is indigenous and plentiful, it is customary to keep (the criminals) in their convict establishments chained with gold, and to lade the wicked with riches--the more guilty, the more wealthy. At last there has really been found a way to prevent even gold from being loved! We have also seen at Rome the nobility of gems blushing in the presence of our matrons at the contemptuous usage of the Parthians and Medes, and the rest of their own fellow-countrymen, only that (their gems) are not generally worn with a view to ostentation. Emeralds ¹ lurk in their belts; and the sword (that hangs) below their bosom alone is witness to the cylindrical stones that decorate its hilt; and the massive single pearls on their boots are fain to get lifted out of the mud! In short, they carry nothing so richly gemmed as that which ought not to be gemmed if it is (either) not conspicuous, or else is conspicuous only that it may be shown to be also neglected.

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De Cultu Feminarum

VII.

[1] Haec omnia de raritate et peregrinitate sola gloriam possident. Denique intra terminos suos patrios non tanti habentur. Semper abundantia contumeliosa in semetipsam est. Apud barbaros quosdam, quia uernaculum est aurum et copiosum, auro uinctos in ergastulis habent et diuitiis malos onerant, tanto locupletiores quanto nocentiores. Aliquando re uera inuentum est quomodo et aurum non ametur.

[2] Gemmarum quoque nobilitatem uidimus Romae de fastidio Parthorum et Medorum ceterorumque gentilium suorum coram matronis erubescentem; nisi quod nec ad ostensionem fere habentur: latent in cingulis smaragdi et cylindros uaginae suae solus gladius sub sinu nouit et in peronibus uniones emergere de luto cupiunt. Denique tam gemmatum habent quod gemmatum esse non debet si non comparet, aut ideo comparet ut neglectum quoque ostendatur.