That the fear of defamation, with
respect both to the man himself and also to his wife, is a cause of
jealousy that agrees with the foregoing: to which may be added, that
living with a harlot, and debauched practices in a house, are accounted
infamous. The reason why some are jealous through a dread lest their
domestic affairs should fall into confusion, is because, so far as this
is the case, the husband is made light of, and mutual services and aids
are withdrawn; but with some in process of time this jealousy ceases and
is annihilated, and with some it is changed into the mere semblance of
love.
374. That jealousy in certain cases arises from various mental
weaknesses, is not unknown in the world; for there are jealous persons,
who are continually thinking that their wives are unfaithful, and
believe them to be harlots, merely because they hear or see them talk in
a friendly manner with or about men. There are several vitiated
affections of the mind which induce this weakness; the principal of
which is a suspicious fancy, which if it be long cherished, introduces
the mind into societies of similar spirits, from whence it cannot
without difficulty be rescued; it also confirms itself in the body, by
rendering the serum, and consequently the blood, viscous, tenacious,
thick, slow, and acrid, a defect of strength also increases it; for the
consequence of such defect is, that the mind cannot be elevated from its
suspicious fancies; for the presence of strength elevates, and its
absence depresses, the latter causing the mind to sink, give way, and
become feeble; in which case it immerses itself more and more in the
above fancy, till it grows delirious, and thence takes delight in
quarrelling, and, so far as is allowable, in abuse.
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