Page:The Perfumed Garden - Burton - 1886.djvu/76

60

The man who approaches a woman like that with his member in erection will find it presently soft and relaxed, as though he was only close to a beast of burden. May God keep us from a woman of that description!

Contemptible is likewise the woman who is constantly laughing out; for, as it was said by an author, "If you see a woman who is always laughing, found of gaming and jesting, always running to her neighbours, meddling with matters that are no concern of hers, plaguing her husband with constant complaints, leaguing herself with other women against him, playing the grand lady, accepting gifts from everybody, know that that woman is a whore without shame."

And again to be despised is the woman of a sombre, frowning nature, and one who is prolific in talk; the woman who is lightheaded in her relations with men, or contentious, or fond of tittle-tattle and unable to keep her husband's secrets, or who is malicious. The woman of a malicious nature talks only to tell lies; if she makes a promise she does so only to break it, and if anybody confides in her, she betrays him; she is debauched, thievish, a scold, coarse and violent; she cannot give good advice; she is always occupied with the affairs of other people, and with such as bring harm, and is always on the watch for frivolous news; she is fond of repose,' but not of work; she uses unbecoming words in addressing a Mussulman, even to her husband; invectives are always at her tongue's end; she exhales a bad odour which infects you, and sticks to you even after you have left her.

And no less contemptible is she who talks to no purpose, who is a hypocrite and does no good act; she, who, when her husband asks her to fulfil the conjugal office,