Virgins

but, as I learn, the parents of the virgins, unable to bear their childlessness, and wishing to bring back the scattered flock, falling, as was likely, with laments before their own daughters — these the admirable young man, with his band of brigands, insults and dishonours.

and, gathering up some wretched virgins by his own authority and self-will — some who came running to him willingly (you know how ready the young are for such things), others against their will — he undertook to act as their flock-leader, and, putting about himself the name and dress of a patriarch, he suddenly grew insolent — having come to this not from any orderly course and piety, but having s …

But above all, command him to return with the virgins;

Likewise, when he says that nature itself teaches that females must be veiled — nature, which assigned the hair to women for a covering and an ornament — has not the same covering and the same honour of the head been ascribed to virgins too?

whether virgins ought to be veiled, or not.

For the rest, it would be inhuman enough, if women indeed, in all things subjected to men, were to display the honour-bearing mark of their virginity, by which they are looked up to and gazed about at and magnified by the brethren, while men—so many virgins, so many voluntary eunuchs—should go about with their good blind, bearing nothing that would make them too illustrious.

that our virgins ought to be veiled from the time they have made the passage of their age.

The virgins of men, against the virgins of God, with brow plainly bared, roused to reckless audacity, are seen to be virgins who can ask something of men, much less do such a deed, namely, that their rivals—so much the freer as they are handmaids of Christ alone—should be given over to them.