[130]
36. Again, there are two orders of beauty:1
in the one, loveliness predominates; in the other,
[p. 133]
dignity; of these, we ought to regard loveliness as
the attribute of woman, and dignity as the attribute
of man. Therefore, let all finery not suitable to a
man's dignity be kept off his person, and let him
guard against the like fault in gesture and action.
The manners taught in the palaestra,2 for example,
are often rather objectionable, and the gestures of
actors on the stage are not always free from affectation; but simple, unaffected manners are commendable in both instances. Now dignity of mien is also to
be enhanced by a good complexion; the complexion
is the result of physical exercise. We must besides
present an appearance of neatness—not too punctilious or exquisite, but just enough to avoid boorish
and ill-bred slovenliness. We must follow the same
principle in regard to dress. In this, as in most
things, the best rule is the golden mean.
M. Tullius Cicero. De Officiis. With An English Translation. Walter Miller. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1913.
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