Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/171

Rh forbear the sight of her; for if by your persuasion I should yield to go and see her, it may peradventure fall out so that she herself might tempt and induce me again to repair unto her; even then haply when I shall not have such leisure, yea, and sit by her and keep her company, neglecting in the meantime the weighty affairs of the state. In like manner Alexander the Great would not come within the sight of King Darius his wife, notwithstanding that she was reported unto him for to be a most gallant and beautiful lady: Her mother, an ancient dame and elderly matron, he did not stick to visit, but the young gentlewoman her daughter (fresh, fair and young) he could not be brought so much as once to see. As for us, we can cast a wanton eye secretly into the coaches and horse-litters of wives and women as they ride, we can look out of our windows, and hang with our bodies half forth, to take the full view of them as they pass by: and all this while we think that we commit no fault, suffering our curious eye and wandering mind to slide and run to everything.

Moreover, it is meet and expedient for the exercise of justice, otherwhiles to omit that which well and justly might be done; to the end that by that means a man may acquaint himself to keep far off from doing or taking anything unjustly. Like as it maketh much for temperance and chastity, to abstain otherwhiles from the use of a man's own wife, that thereby he might be never moved to lust after the wife of his neighbour; taking this course likewise against curiosity, strive and endeavour sometimes to make semblance as though thou didst neither hear nor see those things that properly concern thyself: And if a man come and bring thee a tale of matters concerning thine own household, let it pass and put it over, yea, and those words which seem to have been spoken as touching thine own person, cast them behind and give no ear thereto. For default of this discretion, it was the inquisitive curiosity of King Œdipus which entangled and enwrapped him in exceeding great calamities and miseries: for when he would needs know who himself was, as if he had been not a Corinthian but a stranger, and would needs go therefore to the oracle for to be resolved, he met with Laius his own father by the way, whom he slew, and so espoused his own mother, by whose means he came to be King of Thebes: and even then, when he seemed to be a most happy man, he could not so stay, but proceeded further to inquire concerning himself, notwithstanding his wife did what she possibly could to dissuade him from it; but the more earnest she was with him