The Instructor, Book III

Book III

• The Instructor III.1 — On the True Beauty. It is then, as appears, the greatest of all lessons to know one’s self. For if one knows himself, he will know God; and knowing God, he will be made like God, not by wearing gold or long robes,…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.2 — Against Embellishing the Body. It is not, then, the aspect of the outward man, but the soul that is to be decorated with the ornament of goodness; we may say also the flesh with the adornment of temperance. But those…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.3 — Against Men Who Embellish Themselves. To such an extent, then, has luxury advanced, that not only are the female sex deranged about this frivolous pursuit, but men also are infected with the disease. For not being…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.4 — With Whom We are to Associate. But really I have unwittingly deviated in spirit from the order, to which I must now revert, and must find fault with having large numbers of domestics. For, avoiding working with their…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.5 — Behaviour in the Baths. And of what sort are their baths? Houses skilfully constructed, compact, portable, transparent, covered with fine linen. And gold-plated chairs, and silver ones, too, and ten thousand vessels…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.6 — The Christian Alone Rich. Riches are then to be partaken of rationally, bestowed lovingly, not sordidly, or pompously; nor is the love of the beautiful to be turned into self-love and ostentation; lest perchance some…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.7 — Frugality a Good Provision for the Christian. Delicacies spent on pleasures become a dangerous shipwreck to men; for this voluptuous and ignoble life of the many is alien to true love for the beautiful and to refined…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.8 — Similitudes and Examples a Most Important Part of Right Instruction. And if any one of you shall entirely avoid luxury, he will, by a frugal upbringing, train himself to the endurance of involuntary labours, by…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.9 — Why We are to Use the Bath. There are, then, four reasons for the bath (for from that point I digressed in my oration), for which we frequent it: for cleanliness, or heat, or health, or lastly, for pleasure. Bathing…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.10 — The Exercises Suited to a Good Life. The gymnasium is sufficient for boys, even if a bath is within reach. And even for men to prefer gymnastic exercises by far to the baths, is perchance not bad, since they are in…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.11 — A Compendious View of the Christian Life. Wherefore the wearing of gold and the use of softer clothing is not to be entirely prohibited. But irrational impulses must be curbed, lest, carrying us away through…vatican.va
• The Instructor III.12 — Continuation: with Texts from Scripture. I would counsel the married never to kiss their wives in the presence of their domestics. For Aristotle does not allow people to laugh to their slaves. And by no means must a…vatican.va