name
of Titus Castricus should not be forgotten by posterity), maintained
that Metellus Numidicus could not have spoken more properly; 'For
remark,' said he, 'that Metellus was a censor, not a rhetorician. It
becomes rhetoricians to adorn, and disguise, and make the best of
things; but Metellus, _sanctus vir_--a holy and blameless man, grave and
sincere to whit, and addressing the Roman people in the solemn capacity
of censor--was bound to speak the plain truth, especially as he was
treating of a subject on which the observation of every day, and the
experience of every life, could not leave the least doubt upon the mind
of his audience. 'Still Riccabocca, having decided to marry, has no
doubt prepared himself to bear all the concomitant evils--as becomes a
professed sage; and I own I admire the art with which Pisistratus has
drawn the precise woman likely to suit a philosopher."

Pisistratus bows, and looks round complacently; but recoils from two
very peevish and discontented faces feminine.

_Mr. Caxton_ (completing his sentence),--"Not only as regards mildness
of temper and other household qualifications, but as regards the very
person of the object of his choice. For you evidently remembered,
Pisistratus, the reply of Bias, when asked his opinion on marriage:
[Greek: Etoi kalen exeis, e aischran kai ei kalen, exeis koinen ei de
aischran, exeis poinen.]"

Pisistratus tries to look as if he had the opinion of Bias by heart, and
nods acquiescingly.

_Mr. Caxton._--"That is, my dears, 'the woman you would marry is either
handsome or ugly: if handsome, she is koine, viz: you don't have her to
yourself; if ugly, she is poine--that is, a fury.' But, as it is
observed in Aulus Gellius, (whence I borrow this citation,) there is a
wide interval between handsome and ugly. And thus Ennius, in his tragedy
of _Menalippus_, uses an admirable expression to designate women of the
proper degree of matrimonial comeliness, such as a philosopher would
select. He calls this degree _stata forma_--a rational, mediocre sort of
beauty, which is not liable to be either koine or poine. And Favorinus,
who was a remarkably sensible man, and came from Provence--the male
inhabitants of which district have always valued themselves on their
knowledge of love and ladies--calls this said _stata forma_ the beauty
of wives--the uxorial beauty. Ennius says, that women of a _stata forma_
are almost always safe and modest. Now Jemima, you observe, is