the death of her darling one, and, since he has now be-
come unfaithful for ever, she grows bitter about love
itself-which produces more sorrow out of death than
sweetness out of loving. So she refuses to repeat the
experience, nor does she break the bonds of chastity or
forget the rights of her wedded husband. She keeps her
love for him alone, for him she guards the name of wife.

  Know then, 0 Woman, how much widowhood is es-
teemed, when it is shown forth even in birds.
  Who gave such laws to turtle-doves?  If I look for a
man who did, I cannot find one. For no man has dared,
not even Paul dared, to prescribe laws about widowhood.
He only says that he wishes the young to marry in order
to bear sons, in order to be the mothers of a family and in
order to give no opportunity to the Enemy.  And else-
where he says: 'It is good if they remain even as He.
Because they are not continent, they should marry. It
is better to marry than to burn.' Paul would like women
to have that chastity which is kept by turtle-doves, but
in other respects he urges the custom of matrimony, be-
cause mere women are seldom able to come up to the
standard of doves.
  God poured out his grace and disposition on Turtur,
and gave her this virtue of continence. He also is able
to lay down what all should follow. The flower of youth
does not burn up the turtle-dove, nor is she allured by the
temptations of occasion.  She has no skill to betray her
troth, for she knows how to preserve the married chastity
which she plighted when she was a newly-wed.


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