Letter 5033: VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 33

33. KING THEODERIC TO WILITANCO THE DUKE. [1] A grievous complaint, laid before the perceptions of our clemency, is that of Patza. He testifies that, while he was stationed on the Gallic campaign, Brandila broke out into such an excess against him that he led off the man's wife Regina to be united to himself in marriage, and that, to the injury of our times, an adultery was committed under the pretended law of matrimony. These things, if they are true, we by no means permit to pass unpunished. For when shall anyone hold his affections secure, if he shall then lie open to such a crime, at the very time when he has fought for the safety of all? [2] Behold, you shameless women, the most chaste race of the mourning turtledoves: which, if it has been separated from its mate by some chance intervening, binds itself by a perpetual law of abstinence; it does not seek again the favor of the union which it has lost; it keeps faith, though it knows nothing of the praise of chastity, and is found to pursue in its very habits that on which no manner of widowed life prides itself. [3] But women, alas! cannot restrain their desires - women whom reason persuades to chastity, whom the penalty of the law imposes it upon, whom marital dread wrings it from. Morals have surely perished, if they cannot even be compared to those creatures which, lacking reason, yet govern themselves with restraint. And therefore let your Highness cause the accused to come before your tribunal, and, the truth of the matter having been examined, let it be cut short against the adulterers - just as our laws prescribe - with favor shown to the husbands, because those persons who have been joined together by a wicked presumption were unwilling that the defender of the commonwealth should return. [4] Without doubt they desired that all things be thrown into confusion, who attempted what is hostile to the laws. But it is better that the purpose of evil men be corrected by the loss of a few, because every marriage - which God forbid - is left uncertain, if amid so great a reverence men sin without any dread.

XXXIII. VVILITANCO DUCI THEODERICUS REX. [1] Gravis est Patzenis clementiae nostrae sensibus intimata conquestio. qui se in expeditione Gallica constituto in eum Brandilam prosiluisse testatur excessum, ut uxorem eius Reginam proprio sociandam duceret esse coniugio et in iniuriam nostrorum temporum adulterium simulata matrimonii fuerit lege commissum. haec nos, si vera sunt, transire nequaquam patimur impunita. nam quando affectus tutos quis habeat, si tunc sceleri subiacebit, cum pro omnium salute pugnaverit? [2] Respicite, impudicae, gementium turturum castissimum genus: quod, si a copula sua fuerit casu intercedente divisum, perpetua se abstinentiae lege constringit: gratiam coniunctionis non repetit, quam reliquit: fidem servat, dum laudem pudoris ignoret, et moribus studere deprehenditur, quod nulla viduitatis gloriatur conversatione. [3] Mulierum se, pro dolor! vota continere nequeunt, quibus castitatem ratio persuadet, poena legis imponit, terror maritalis extorquet. perierunt profecto mores, si nec illis comparari possunt, quae ratione carentia temperantur. et ideo sublimitas tua impetitos ad suum faciat examen occurrere et rerum veritate discussa, sicut iura nostra praecipiunt, in adulteros maritorum favore resecetur, quia defensorem rei publicae redire noluerunt qui scelerata praesumptione coniuncti sunt. [4] Confundi sine dubio desideraverunt omnia, qui temptaverunt legibus inimica. sed melius est paucorum damno malorum corrigatur intentio, quia omne matrimonium, quod absit, incertum relinquitur, si in tanta reverentia sine aliquo terrore peccetur.