vir/,--a holy and blameless man, grave and sincere to wit, 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 kind of woman most 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 remember, Pisistratus,
the reply of Bias, when asked his opinion on marriage: [Long sentence in
Greek]"

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,--namely, 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