e guardianship of the things imported from
without, God, in His wisdom, perceiving that a fearful spirit was no
detriment to guardianship, [25] endowed the woman with a larger measure
of timidity than He bestowed on man. Knowing further that he to whom the
outdoor works belonged would need to defend them against malign attack,
He endowed the man in turn with a larger share of courage.

[24] {edasato}, "Cyrop." IV. ii. 43.

[25] Cf. "Hipparch," vii. 7; Aristot. "Pol." iii. 2; "Oecon." iii.

"And seeing that both alike feel the need of giving and receiving, He
set down memory and carefulness between them for their common use, [26]
so that you would find it hard to determine which of the two, the male
or the female, has the larger share of these. So, too, God set down
between them for their common use the gift of self-control, where
needed, adding only to that one of the twain, whether man or woman,
which should prove the better, the power to be rewarded with a larger
share of this perfection. And for the very reason that their natures
are not alike adapted to like ends, they stand in greater need of one
another; and the married couple is made more useful to itself, the one
fulfilling what the other lacks. [27]

[26] Or, "He bestowed memory and carefulness as the common heritage of
both."

[27] Or, "the pair discovers the advantage of duality; the one being
strong wherein the other is defective."

"Now, being well aware of this, my wife," I added, "and knowing well
what things are laid upon us twain by God Himself, must we not strive to
perform, each in the best way possible, our respective duties? Law,
too, gives her consent--law and the usage of mankind, by sanctioning the
wedlock of man and wife; and just as God ordained them to be partners in
their children, so the law establishes their common ownership of house
and estate. Custom, moreover, proclaims as beautiful those excellences
of man and woman with which God gifted them at birth. [28] Thus for
a woman to bide tranquilly at home rather than roam aborad is no
dishonour; but for a man to remain indoors, instead of devoting himself
to outdoor pursuits, is a thing discreditable. But if a man does things
contrary to the nature given him by God, the chances are, [29] such
insubordination escapes not the eye of Heaven: he pays the penalty,
whether of neglecting his own works, or of performing those appropriate
to woman." [30]

[28] Or, "with approving