A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
The third book, which, as already stated, treats "of the master of
a family, the mistress, and the household," contains much wise and
homely advice, and incidentally throws considerable light on the family
life of a Bohemian country gentleman in the fourteenth century. The
position of the head of the family is thus defined: "Every landowner is
the master of his servants, and should restrain them from everything
that is evil: he should first attempt to do this by kindness; if he
cannot at once put a stop to evil habits, he should endeavour to do
so gradually, but in no case allow any new evil habit to spring up.
If kindness does not succeed with them (the servants), then show your
right to rule (over them). Remember always that that priest Eli in the
Old Testament was indeed good himself, but his sons did evil. He, it
is true, said to them, 'You do evil,' but he did not manfully punish
them for their misdeeds. He thus incurred God's wrath, and was given
as an example to all fathers and heads of families who do not heed
what the members of their households do. But a master of a household
must beware of sudden, useless anger. If he cannot entirely get rid of
anger, let him at least be softened, and he should be cruel neither to
his servants nor to his wife, remembering that God is your only Lord
and theirs also. On this, too, should every one reflect, that it is
improbable that any one be without faults; and it often happens that
when you will not pass by a single fault, perhaps not a serious one,
you either spoil (the servant) yet more, or you are obliged later to
overlook more, serious faults in another (servant whom you take in the
place of the former one). Thus the tilter must in tournaments overlook
some faults in his charger, if but he is on the whole serviceable."
Štitný's work, like those of all moralists of all periods, contains
many reflections on the vanity of the female sex. He writes: "St. John
Chrysostom tells us that if a man has a dissipated wife, he should not
forbid her everything at a time, lest she become refractory, but from
those things that are, as it were, most serious, from those let him
first try to dissuade her. If she paints herself, then remark before
her what a shameful thing it is to grease yourself in a nasty manner,
or to cram the hair of others on your head; (also remark to her), often
one thus acquires shame while wishing to receive honours. If wise men
remark these things on her, they will take her for a mad woman, and
other women, who perhaps have some grudge against her, will, even
though they praise her, betray her and make fun of her, and often her
own servants will be obliged to hide themselves from shame of this
(their mistress's appearance). In fact, while wishing to appear young,
she becomes aged in consequence of this painting."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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