"At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet" - Plato.
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And the Lord God said, it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him - Genesis 2:18
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by Kudakwashe Kanhutu 15 May 2013
Dear Friends
I have now decided to take a wife in line with the 5 year plan we agreed, well, 5 years ago! You remember I said to you then I had to sort out the finances first before I could even think of bringing a woman into my world. You suggested to me that in the modern world you can sort out the finances once together with your woman, but I was adamant, because I am old fashioned like that. I said to you "I yield to no one on this stance: the man has to provide for the woman and not the other way round." You, knowing how obstinate I can be on matters of principle, did not press the issue further. Well, the finances have been sorted out, so I return to you again because we never quite agreed on what qualities I should look for in a wife.
I know you live busy lives so may not be able to give due consideration to my inquiries as to what qualities I should look for in a wife. Of course, when we last spoke we agreed that the maxim in the Bible that "it is better to share your house with a lion than with a nagging wife" is incontrovertible, and still valid today. I have found another text from antiquity which says what one ought to look for in a wife. I do not know if it is still applicable today. Here it is below, if I do not hear from you on this matter, I will assume you agree with the criteria set below and so shall proceed on that path.
In outline the qualities are: fair, wise, young, rich, virtuous, mild, noble and of good discourse. This criteria is borrowed from what Desmothenes advised his friend the Tyrant Corynthus in an earlier age. The full text and context reads thus:
Desmothenes, writing to his friend the Tyrant, Corynthus, who had requested him to set down what qualities to look for in a wife, sent him this reply: "First, she must be rich that you may have a means of excellent livelihood: next, she has to be nobly born so that you will be honoured through her blood; then she must be young, that she may make you happy; then beautiful, so that you don't chase after other women; and lastly honest and virtuous, so that you don't have to take pains to provide a spy to watch her."
Maybe I have translated it wrongly, so here is the text again in its original form.
Desmothenes, writing unto the Tyrant Corynthus his friend, who had requested him to set downe his censure, what qualities one should seeke to finde in a woman that he ment to marry withal, returned him this answere: "First, shee must be rich, that thou maist have wherewithall to live in shewe and carrie a port: next, she must be nobly borne, that thou maist be honoured through her bloud; then she must be yong, that she may content thee; then faire, that thou need not to hunt after other game; and lastly, honest and vertuous, that thou maiest not take the paines to provide a spie to watch her."
I do understand that it sounds like I am saying "till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace," but far from it, all I am saying is "what are the qualities people look for in wives these days?"
Thank you in advance!
Truly yours
Kuda
Video Essay:
Babyface - Lady, Lady
Dear Friends
I have now decided to take a wife in line with the 5 year plan we agreed, well, 5 years ago! You remember I said to you then I had to sort out the finances first before I could even think of bringing a woman into my world. You suggested to me that in the modern world you can sort out the finances once together with your woman, but I was adamant, because I am old fashioned like that. I said to you "I yield to no one on this stance: the man has to provide for the woman and not the other way round." You, knowing how obstinate I can be on matters of principle, did not press the issue further. Well, the finances have been sorted out, so I return to you again because we never quite agreed on what qualities I should look for in a wife.
I know you live busy lives so may not be able to give due consideration to my inquiries as to what qualities I should look for in a wife. Of course, when we last spoke we agreed that the maxim in the Bible that "it is better to share your house with a lion than with a nagging wife" is incontrovertible, and still valid today. I have found another text from antiquity which says what one ought to look for in a wife. I do not know if it is still applicable today. Here it is below, if I do not hear from you on this matter, I will assume you agree with the criteria set below and so shall proceed on that path.
In outline the qualities are: fair, wise, young, rich, virtuous, mild, noble and of good discourse. This criteria is borrowed from what Desmothenes advised his friend the Tyrant Corynthus in an earlier age. The full text and context reads thus:
Desmothenes, writing to his friend the Tyrant, Corynthus, who had requested him to set down what qualities to look for in a wife, sent him this reply: "First, she must be rich that you may have a means of excellent livelihood: next, she has to be nobly born so that you will be honoured through her blood; then she must be young, that she may make you happy; then beautiful, so that you don't chase after other women; and lastly honest and virtuous, so that you don't have to take pains to provide a spy to watch her."
Maybe I have translated it wrongly, so here is the text again in its original form.
Desmothenes, writing unto the Tyrant Corynthus his friend, who had requested him to set downe his censure, what qualities one should seeke to finde in a woman that he ment to marry withal, returned him this answere: "First, shee must be rich, that thou maist have wherewithall to live in shewe and carrie a port: next, she must be nobly borne, that thou maist be honoured through her bloud; then she must be yong, that she may content thee; then faire, that thou need not to hunt after other game; and lastly, honest and vertuous, that thou maiest not take the paines to provide a spie to watch her."
I do understand that it sounds like I am saying "till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace," but far from it, all I am saying is "what are the qualities people look for in wives these days?"
Thank you in advance!
Truly yours
Kuda
Video Essay:
Babyface - Lady, Lady
