29. And next, what expense is necessary that even
a beautiful wife may not fail to please? Costly necklaces on the
one hand
hang on her neck, on the
other a robe woven with gold is dragged along the ground. Is this
display purchased, or is it a real possession? And what varied
enticements of perfumes are made use of! The ears are weighed
down with gems, a different colour from nature is dropped into the
eyes. What is there left which is her own, when so much is
changed? The married woman loves her own perceptions, and does
she think that this is to live?