The Natures of Men and Women
August 20, 2019
Le Livre de chasse de Gaston Phébus.
TIM E. writes:
The story of the abandoned husband reminded me of a British nursery rhyme, which states the difference in the natures of men and women quite succinctly:
The hart he loves the high wood,
The hare she loves the hill,
The knight he loves his bright sword,
The lady she loves her will.
The male deer, the hart, is a symbol of virility; the high wood, a place of adventure and danger. The hare, a symbol of female fertility, is atop a hill where she can be seen, but not easily reached. The knight loves his bright sword, his ego, which can be used for good or evil. And the lady, she loves her will, which also can be used for good or evil.
I cannot tell you how many times when I have recited this rhyme to men, they have shuddered at the last line. They understand its full import immediately.
The female will is an extraordinary gift. It permits women to bear the trials of pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing. We men marvel at this. And this extraordinary God-given will explains too the tragedy of abortion. Women abort their children because they will it.
For a fuller explanation of the nature of men and women, I suggest the excellent three-part lecture series given by Shakespeare scholar and professor, Dr. David Allen White, on The Taming of the Shrew.
